Cancer is a dreaded disease that causes uncontrollable cell mutation. It affects healthy cells, impairs their normal function, and triggers them to divide abnormally. The more this disease grows, the greaterit disrupts the body. For the person afflicted, this can lead to pain, nausea, loss of strength, and even death.
Cancer can occur in any part of the body, including the breast. While women are most prone to this, breast cancer CE studies show that men can be susceptible, as well. To learn more about it, read on.
Breast Cancer
This is a tumor or collection of cancer cells in the breast. The cell mutation can initiate from:
- The lobules (milk-producing glands)
- The ducts (milk pathways)
- The blood vessels
- The lymph vessels
- The fibrous connectivetissues
- The fatty tissues
The type of breast cancer can be determined based on where the cell mutation began. This is then further classified on whether the disease is:
Invasive:the cancer had metastasized or spread to nearby tissues (e.g., invasive ductal carcinoma); or
Non-Invasive: had stayed in the original tissue (e.g., ductal carcinoma in situ).
Stages
The progression of breast cancer can be tracked in stages. This dependson the size of the tumor, if it’s invasive or non-invasive, and if it had affected nearby tissues, lymph nodes, or organs.According to breast cancer CME, these are the 5 main stages:
Stage 0: It’s currently non-invasive.
Stage 1: The cancer cells have shown signs of metastasizing. This can either be by affecting nearby lymph nodes, forming into a tumor that’s less than 0.8 inches thick, or both.
Stage 2: The cancer cells have further spread. It now affects 1 to 3 surrounding and axillary lymph nodes. The tumor has grown in size, as well.
Stage 3: It has spread to other organs. Depending on the area, affected lymph nodes and axillary lymph nodes range from 4 to 9, to more than 10. Tumors in other organs have also appeared.
Stage 4: The cancer has reached nearby and distant lymph nodes, axillary lymph nodes, and organs. Tumors of various sizes can also be found in the affected areas.
Symptoms
While the symptoms of breast cancer differ depending on the type, most breast cancer patients were reported to have experienced the following:
- A lump in the breast
- Change in the breast’s size and shape
- A recently inverted nipple
- Skin discoloration, usually in the shade of red or orange
These become more evident as the cancer’s stage progresses. If you detect any of these symptoms, it’s best to see a doctor for professional diagnosis and treatment.
This is just a brief overview of breast cancer. To learn more about this topic, you can study breast cancer CE or talk to a medical professional, like a surgical oncologist.