Sociological Determinants of Disease: CANCERBREAST CANCERCOLON CANCERLUNG CANCERPROSTATE CANCER

ANATOMY OF THE BREAST

Inside a woman's breast are 15 to 20 sections calledlobes. Each lobe is made of many smaller sections called lobules. Lobules have groups of tinyglandsthat can make milk. After a baby is born, a woman's breast milk flows from the lobules through thin tubes calledductsto the nipple. Fat andfibroustissue fill the spaces between the lobules and ducts.

Breast profile:

AductsBlobulesCdilated section of duct to hold milkDnippleEfatFpectoralis major muscleGchest wall/rib cage

The breasts also containlymph vessels. These vessels are connected to small, round masses of tissue called lymph nodes. Groups of lymph nodes are near the breast in the underarm (axilla), above the collarbone, and in the chest behind the breastbone.

What Is Breast Cancer?

Breastcanceris a tumor that has become malignant - it has developed from the breast cells. A 'malignant' tumor can spread to other parts of the body - it may also invade surrounding tissue. When it spreads around the body, we call it 'metastasis'.

The human body has two ways of moving fluid about. One is through the blood stream, which carries plasma, red and white blood cells and platelets. Lymphatic vessels carry tissue fluid, waste products and infection fighting cells (immune system cells). Immune system cells are located in the lymph nodes - the nodes are shaped like a bean. It is common for cancer cells to grow in the lymph nodes. They get there via the lymphatic vessels.

The lymphatic system of the breasts connects to the lymph nodes in three areas: Under the arm (axillary lymph node), in the chest (internal mammary node) and by the collarbone (supra or infraclavicular node). Doctors guess that if cancer cells are in the lymphatic system, they are most likely to be in the bloodstream and will spread to other organs in the body. It is very hard to test for breast cancer cells in the bloodstream.

How common is breast cancer?Breast cancer is the most common cancer for women. About one in every nine women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. 99% of all breast cancers are diagnosed in women, 1% affect men. In the USA there were 100,000 new cases in 1985. In 1994 the number rose to 180,000. The main reason for the increase is better awareness leading to more diagnostic tests

Why do some women get breast cancer?

We don't know the answer to that yet. We know that heredity plays a part. The more close relatives a woman has who had breast cancer, the higher is her risk of developing it.Hormones seem to play a role in many cases of breast cancer but how it happens is not fully understood.

Types of Breast Cancernoninvasive ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC)

Most breast lumps are benign(harmless)

Although mostbreast lumpsdo not develop into anything dangerous (benign) some will need to be biopsied (doctor takes a piece out and tests it). Most lumps are harmlesscysts- sacs filled with fluid. A benign tumor cannot spread to other parts of the body - it stays inside the breast. They pose no threat to the patient's life. They are not cancer. Some of them, however, can increase the woman's chance of developing breast cancer later on. Tumors such as papillomas and atypical hyperplasia are examples of this.

Normal breast with noninvasive ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) in an enlarged crosssection of the duct.

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is the most common type of non-invasive breast cancer. Ductal means that the cancer starts inside the milk ducts, carcinoma refers to any cancer that begins in the skin or other tissues (including breast tissue) that cover or line the internal organs, and in situ means "in its original place. DCIS is called "non-invasive" because it hasnt spread beyond the milk duct into any normal surrounding breast tissue. DCIS isnt life-threatening, but having DCIS can increase the risk of developing an invasive breast cancer later on.

Signs and Symptoms DCIS

DCIS generally has no signs or symptoms. A small number of people may have a lump in the breast or some discharge coming out of the nipple. According to the National Cancer Institute, about 80% of DCIS cases are found by mammography.

Diagnosis of DCIS

Diagnosing DCIS usually involves a combination of procedures:Physical examination of the breastsBiopsyFine needle aspiration biopsycore needle biopsy Incision biopsy Excision biopsy

Normal breast with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) in an enlarged crosssection of the duct.

Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), sometimes called infiltrating ductal carcinoma, is the most common type of breast cancer. About 80% of all breast cancers are invasive ductal carcinomas.Invasivemeans that the cancer has invaded or spread to the surrounding breast tissues.Ductalmeans that the cancer began in the milk ducts, which are the pipes that carry milk from the milk-producing lobules to the nipple.

Carcinomarefers to any cancer that begins in the skin or other tissues that cover internal organs such as breast tissue. All together, invasive ductal carcinoma refers to cancer that has broken through the wall of the milk duct and begun to invade the tissues of the breast. Over time, invasive ductal carcinoma can spread to the lymph nodes and possibly to other areas of the body.

Signs and Symptoms of IDC

At first, invasive ductal carcinoma may not cause any symptoms. Often, an abnormal area turns up on a screening mammogram (x-ray of the breast), which leads to further testing.In some cases, the first sign of invasive ductal carcinoma is a new lump or mass in the breast that you or your doctor can feel. According to the American Cancer Society, any of the following unusual changes in the breast can be a first sign of breast cancer, including invasive ductal carcinoma:

swelling of all or part of the breastskin irritation or dimplingbreast painnipple pain or the nipple turning inwardredness, scaliness, or thickening of the nipple or breast skina nipple discharge other than breast milka lump in the underarm area

Symptoms & Diagnosis

Breast cancer symptoms vary widely from lumps to swelling to skin changes and many breast cancers have no obvious symptoms at all. Symptoms that are similar to those of breast cancer may be the result of non-cancerous conditions like infection or a cyst.

Early Detection of Breast CancerBreast self-examshould be part of your monthly health care routine, and you should visit your doctor if you experience breast changes. If you're over 40 or at a high risk for the disease, you should also have an annualmammogramand physical exam by a doctor. The earlier breast cancer is found and diagnosed, the better your chances of beating it.

Tests for Diagnosing IDCDiagnosing invasive ductal carcinoma usuallyinvolves a combination of procedures, including aphysical examination and imaging tests. Physical examination of the breasts Mammography Ultrasound Breast MRI Biopsy

Breast Cancer Awareness

Fundraising for medical research has become an important element of raising disease awareness, and nowhere has it been more effective than for breast cancer. With the Susan G. Komen Foundation, which was established in 1982, millions of women and their families have been educated about breast cancer treatment, prevention and support. Other efforts have been established around the world to help people learn more about the disease and how it can affect them, as well as to raise money for both research and treatment.

The latest statistics for breast cancer among Filipino women are grim: according to an article onXinhuanet.com, three out of every 100 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetimes. And breast cancer has surpassed lung cancer as the most common cancer in the country. Raising awareness, as well as funds, in the Philippines is critical to fighting breast cancer.

And now, a painless breast cancer diagnosis(The Philippine Star) Updated June 29, 2010.MANILA, Philippines - Research shows that women 20 years old and up may be prone to premature stages of lesions/nodules or lumps which may lead to breast cancer. A study indicates that breast cancer begins with abnormal cells developing in the breast tissue.It can be confined to the breast or may spread beyond or into other parts of the body.Breast cancer can be prevented if diagnosed at the earliest possible time. Thus, doctors recommend that women have a medical checkup at least every quarter of each year.Mammogram and biopsy are two known procedures for early breast cancer detection.However, both are painful and entail a hazardous process.

Breast cancer can be prevented if diagnosed at the earliest possible time. Thus, doctors recommend that women have a medical checkup at least every quarter of each year.Mammogram and biopsy are two known procedures for early breast cancer detection.However, both are painful and entail a hazardous process.But now, advanced medical technology unveils the latest imaging technique which promotes the wellness of every Filipino women through a safe and more comfortable breast cancer procedure.Ultrasound elastrography is a painless, non-invasive treatment/procedure to detect the smallest lesion/nodule or lump present in the breast.The process diagnoses even the tiniest tumor based on its stiffness (elasticity) compared to normal tissue.Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center (JRRMMC) is the first government hospital to have this most advanced breast treatment, available at a more affordable cost to reach out to every woman, especially the poorest of the poor.

In the Philippines, elastography is the pioneer technology of Hitachi Medical Corporation. Backed up by clinical studies, it is widely accepted in breast imaging in Japan, Europe, and now in the Philippines, where it is used byDr. Jocelyn Cuyos of Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center in research and studies.

Tying a pink ribbon

Social causes havent always been as well-organized as they are now; while private foundations have been established over the decades to help eradicate various diseases, it wasnt until the Pink Ribbon Foundation was established in the early 1990s that a dedicated effort to fight breast cancer was made. With the help of founder and pink ribbon creator Evelyn Lauder, the trend became an icon of breast cancer awareness.

And several countries have joined the fight against breast cancer by issuing postage stamps to help raise money for the fight against breast cancer. The U.S. issued its first breast cancer research stamp in 1988, which has sold approximately $75 million since they were introduced; the stamps cost a bit more, but the extra money is donated to breast cancer research. More than 15 other countries now issue the stamp, and citizens of the Philippinesare lobbying their government to join. The Philippines was one of the first countries to offer a stamp that help raise money for medical research with its anti-tuberculosis stamp introduced in the 1950s.

A world free of breast cancer

There are several risks and factors that lead to a woman developing breast cancer, and elements like heredity and environment are often out of a womans control. But efforts to teach women and their families about breast cancer include education about the risks and factors they can controldiet, exercise, and other chemical exposuresand how they can seek appropriate treatment. With the work of ordinary people and the research of the medical community, the world is closer to a cure than ever before. Breast cancer has taken the lives of women all over the world, and while weve made progress toward helping women survive and live with the disease, theres still more work to be done. Its important that both men and women are aware of how breast cancer can affect them, and of what they can do to help make breast cancer a distant memory.

Research News on Surgery

Surgery has long been the standard of care for treating breast cancer. In the past, this often meant complete removal of the breastno matter what size or stage your tumor was. But things have changed a lot in recent years.We now have long-term research results from large, reliable studies showing that radical mastectomy is no better than less disfiguring treatments.We also know that for women with one small tumor (less than 4 centimeters) that is removed with clear margins, lumpectomy and radiation is as effective as mastectomy.

Reducing sugar slows breast cancer spread Researchers at Drexel University College of Medicine have discovered that a certain type of sugar in the body is elevated in breast cancer cells which causes the cancer to grow and spread. When researchers reduced and normalized the levels of this sugar, cancer cells showed slow growth and invasion could be blocked. The findings, published in the March 1 issue ofOncogene, represent a potential new therapeutic target for treating aggressive forms of breast cancer. For years, scientists have known that cancer cells consume nearlyten times more sugarthan neighboring normal cells. This increased sugar level fuels rapid cell growth and spread. The Drexel researchers studied a particular sugar-based protein modification known as O-GlcNAc. Alterations in this modification have previously been linked to diabetes and Alzheimers disease, but not cancer. The Drexel researchers and their collaborators are now working to develop more effective chemicals totarget the O-GlcNAc enzyme, a potential new therapeutic target for treating breast cancer and possibly other cancers. Read more on Newsmax.com:Breast Cancer: Latest Medical Breakthroughs Important: Do You Support Pres. Obama's Re-Election?Vote Here Now!

SABCS: Surgery May Help in Advanced Breast CancerSAN ANTONIO (MedPage Today) -- Surgical removal of primary breast cancer tumors of women who present with metastatic disease might improve local disease control and possibly overall survival, researchers suggested here.In one study, local progression occurred in 28 of 64 women (43%) who were not treated with surgery and in 7 of 46 women (15%) who underwent surgery to remove the cancer (P

Median overall survival was 33 months for the women who did not have surgery and 49 months for the women who did (P=0.016), Samiee said at her poster presentation at the annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium."The optimal management of local disease in patients with concurrent metastatic breast cancer is unknown," she told MedPage Today.But she said that in her study, "removal of the intact primary tumor for breast cancer patients with synchronous stage 4 disease is associated with improvement in local disease and overall survival."

Samiee said that because of the retrospective nature of the study, the results might be skewed because of the possibility that some women not selected for surgery had other comorbidities that would have kept them from being surgical candidates. In a second study, presented at the conference and published in the current issue of The Breast, researchers from Japan suggested that primary tumor resection in patients with advanced breast cancer did not have a benefit in overall survival.

However, lead author Masato Takahashi, MD, director of the Hokkaido Cancer Center in Sapporo, said that, in selected patients, there could be a benefit.In his study, researchers were unable to discern a difference in overall survival between the 36 patients who opted for surgical resection of their tumor and the 56 who did not. The surgical group achieved an overall survival of 25 months; those who did not have surgery had overall survival of 14.8 months (P=0.352).

Takahashi told MedPage Today that the inclusion of women with triple-negative breast cancer estrogen negative, progesterone negative, and HER2 negative in the surgery group might have skewed the results."Patients who did not have triple negative breast cancer appeared to have longer survival times," he told MedPage Today at his poster presentation. The seven triple-negative patients had all succumbed to disease by 40 months; about 25% of the patients in the other groups who underwent surgery were alive after four years, he illustrated.

He said several of the patients opted for mastectomy in order to control local symptoms related to the skin-invasion tumor, including foul odor, purulent discharge, and bleeding.

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TREATING A WIDE RANGE OF CONDITIONS

We have had great success in treating a wide range of cancer conditions over the last 7 years. Each of our patients is individually assessed by qualified specialists prior to prescribing any kind of treatment protocol.

Prostate Cancer * Germ Cell TumorsRetinoblastoma Bladder CancersKidney Cancers Breast CancerLung Cancer Colorectal CancersBrain Tumours Soft Tissue SarcomasLiver Cancer And Others

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