According to a new research by Scottish researchers, lifestyle changes and increased awareness towards screening have resulted in a marked shift in the types of breast cancers.The results of the research show that women are likely to have hormone-dependent and slow-growing tumors, as suggested by a comparative study of tissue samples from 1980s and 1990s.The findings of the study in the British Journal of Cancerdefine reveal a significant improved survival among breast cancer patients.Breast cancer is the most common types of cancer in women, especially younger women. Every year, at least 40,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the United Kingdom alone.Lifestyle changes are playing a vital role in increasing the incidence of hormone-dependent tumors in the young women. Current trends reveal an increase in the estrogen-receptor positive cancers as it has been found that these tumors respond well to show good response to hormone therapy and prevent the disease from re-occurring. Over the last decade, estrogen-receptor positive cancers showed a rise from 64.2 percent to 71.5 percent.The exposure to estrogen increases breast cancer risk. In fact, most known risk factors for breast cancer can be attributed to some form of excess estrogen exposure.Also, there has been an increase in grade one slow-growing tumors but a decline in the number of grade three fast-growing tumors, as per the findings of the study.However, there has been no significant change in the numbers of progesterone or Her-2 positive cancers, the researchers maintained.“It's plausible that lifestyle changes could be influencing the types of breast cancers that women are developing but we will need much larger studies to find out whether this trend is real,” states Dr. Alison Ross, Cancer Research UK's senior science information officer.The researchers at the Crosshouse Hospital in Aryshire pointed out that it could be quite possible that an increasing awareness towards screening was detecting more cases of estrogen-receptor positive cancers.However, the role played by changing lifestyle factors could not be ruled out. Lifestyle changes including change in hormone levels, late marriage, postponement of childbearing, late menopause resulting in obesity and use of hormone replacement therapy after menopause are well known risk factors for developing hormone-dependent tumors. “There is evidence that the percentage of all children being born to mothers aged 35 years and over is increasing in Scotland and that means BMI and prevalence of obesity are increasing,” the researchers, led by Dr Sylvia Brown at Crosshouse Hospital in Ayrshire stated. Results from the previous studies, too, have pointed towards an increase in the incidence of hormone-dependent breast cancers, as compared to the past. However, it has been unclear whether there has been an actual increase in the number of breast cancer cases, considering the fact that increased awareness might have led to detection of these types of tumors in the recent times.“And it's also not clear whether these results reflect a shift in breast cancer biology or indicate that screening is better at detecting certain cancers,” wrote Dr Alison Ross.“If the trend identified in this interesting study is confirmed and continues, it could have an impact on the way doctors apply results from breast cancer studies done decades ago to the treatments in use today,” she clarified.
By Harleen Kaur
www.themedguru.com
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Breast cancer
What is breast cancer?
Breast cancer is the uncontrolled malignant growth of cells in the breast tissue. There are many types of breast cancers, those that form in the milk glands, in the ducts that carry milk, in the fatty area or in the connective tissue of the breast.
Cancer of the milk ducts is the most commonly occurring form of breast cancer. Usually only one breast is affected. There is a rare type of breast cancer in which the breast becomes red and swollen and resembles infection of the breast.
How is it caused?
The exact reason for the cancerous growth of cells is not known. There are certain factors that do not cause cancers by themselves, but make a person more at risk for the development of cancer. These risk factors may be genetic or environmental in nature: Cancer tends to run in families. The risk for cancer increases for a person if one or more of his family members suffer from the disease.Genetic predisposition that is, a person may carry genes that make certain normal cells cancerous.Women who begin menstruating before the age of 12 years or stop after 55 years are more at risk for developing breast cancer.Women who have not borne children or have had children late in their life (usually after the age of 30) are also more at risk.Obesity or overweight is a condition that is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.Other factors like excessive drinking of alcohol and lack of exercise are also risk factors for breast cancer.Environmental factors like exposure to harmful radiation, cigarette smoke over a long period of time and pesticides also increases the risk.In some cases, women who undergo hormone replacement therapy have an increased risk of cancer of the breast.
What are the symptoms?
The most common symptom of cancer of the breast is the presence of a lump in the breast. The patient herself often detects the lump either accidentally or during a routine self-examination. The lump is usually painless and hard. Sometimes, there may be changes in the shape and size of the breast and the nipple.
A dimple in the skin overlying the breast accompanied with dryness and scaling should be a cause for concern. There may be discharge of blood stained fluid from the nipple along with dryness and cracking of the skin of the nipple.
How is it diagnosed?
A breast lump is usually first detected by a woman on self examination. This procedure should be regularly done by all women over the age of 40 years. In this procedure, the woman lies down, raises the arm on the side of the breast and feels the breast with the other hand. Any difference from in the normal feel of the breast is noted. The woman may then look at herself in the mirror and note any changes in the shape and size of her breasts. Any change should be brought to the doctor’s notice.
The doctor may palpate or feel the breast for any unusual lumps or any other signs. In case a lump is detected by the doctor, mammography may be done. This is a special X-ray of the breast. It can detect early breast cancers and gives a fairly accurate picture of any changes in the breast. Any spots that show up in the mammogram are then further analysed by a biopsy. In this procedure, a small part of the lump tissue is taken for laboratory testing. The biopsy can also be done in many ways. In some cases, a small needle may be inserted into the lump and a small portion of the fluid may be taken.
In another form of biopsy, a small cut may be made on the breast to get to the lump, a piece of which is then taken for testing. In some cases, the entire lump may be removed. The procedure followed is decided by the doctor keeping in mind the patient’s history.
In case cancer of the breast is confirmed, other tests may be done to look for spread of the disease. These include blood tests, X-rays and ultrasound scan of the abdomen. In some cases a bone scan may be done.
What is the treatment?
Since the breast is not an organ that is necessary for survival, it is generally removed by a surgical procedure called mastectomy. In some cases only the lump is removed, in others the whole breast is removed.
Later, the patient may be given radiotherapy. This procedure helps to destroy the cancerous cells without harming the neighbouring tissue. If the cancer has spread to other parts of the body as well, chemotherapy using drugs like vincritine, adriamycin and cyclophosphamide is done. In some cases, hormonal treatment using tamoxifen is advised. Usually a combination of all of these procedures is followed for complete treatment. In most cases, if the cancer is detected early and treated appropriately, breast cancer patients can usually lead a cancer free life. Written by: DoctorNDTV team
Checked by: Dr. N. Ananthakrishnan
Head of Department of SurgeryJIPMER, Pondicherry
Breast cancer is the uncontrolled malignant growth of cells in the breast tissue. There are many types of breast cancers, those that form in the milk glands, in the ducts that carry milk, in the fatty area or in the connective tissue of the breast.
Cancer of the milk ducts is the most commonly occurring form of breast cancer. Usually only one breast is affected. There is a rare type of breast cancer in which the breast becomes red and swollen and resembles infection of the breast.
How is it caused?
The exact reason for the cancerous growth of cells is not known. There are certain factors that do not cause cancers by themselves, but make a person more at risk for the development of cancer. These risk factors may be genetic or environmental in nature: Cancer tends to run in families. The risk for cancer increases for a person if one or more of his family members suffer from the disease.Genetic predisposition that is, a person may carry genes that make certain normal cells cancerous.Women who begin menstruating before the age of 12 years or stop after 55 years are more at risk for developing breast cancer.Women who have not borne children or have had children late in their life (usually after the age of 30) are also more at risk.Obesity or overweight is a condition that is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.Other factors like excessive drinking of alcohol and lack of exercise are also risk factors for breast cancer.Environmental factors like exposure to harmful radiation, cigarette smoke over a long period of time and pesticides also increases the risk.In some cases, women who undergo hormone replacement therapy have an increased risk of cancer of the breast.
What are the symptoms?
The most common symptom of cancer of the breast is the presence of a lump in the breast. The patient herself often detects the lump either accidentally or during a routine self-examination. The lump is usually painless and hard. Sometimes, there may be changes in the shape and size of the breast and the nipple.
A dimple in the skin overlying the breast accompanied with dryness and scaling should be a cause for concern. There may be discharge of blood stained fluid from the nipple along with dryness and cracking of the skin of the nipple.
How is it diagnosed?
A breast lump is usually first detected by a woman on self examination. This procedure should be regularly done by all women over the age of 40 years. In this procedure, the woman lies down, raises the arm on the side of the breast and feels the breast with the other hand. Any difference from in the normal feel of the breast is noted. The woman may then look at herself in the mirror and note any changes in the shape and size of her breasts. Any change should be brought to the doctor’s notice.
The doctor may palpate or feel the breast for any unusual lumps or any other signs. In case a lump is detected by the doctor, mammography may be done. This is a special X-ray of the breast. It can detect early breast cancers and gives a fairly accurate picture of any changes in the breast. Any spots that show up in the mammogram are then further analysed by a biopsy. In this procedure, a small part of the lump tissue is taken for laboratory testing. The biopsy can also be done in many ways. In some cases, a small needle may be inserted into the lump and a small portion of the fluid may be taken.
In another form of biopsy, a small cut may be made on the breast to get to the lump, a piece of which is then taken for testing. In some cases, the entire lump may be removed. The procedure followed is decided by the doctor keeping in mind the patient’s history.
In case cancer of the breast is confirmed, other tests may be done to look for spread of the disease. These include blood tests, X-rays and ultrasound scan of the abdomen. In some cases a bone scan may be done.
What is the treatment?
Since the breast is not an organ that is necessary for survival, it is generally removed by a surgical procedure called mastectomy. In some cases only the lump is removed, in others the whole breast is removed.
Later, the patient may be given radiotherapy. This procedure helps to destroy the cancerous cells without harming the neighbouring tissue. If the cancer has spread to other parts of the body as well, chemotherapy using drugs like vincritine, adriamycin and cyclophosphamide is done. In some cases, hormonal treatment using tamoxifen is advised. Usually a combination of all of these procedures is followed for complete treatment. In most cases, if the cancer is detected early and treated appropriately, breast cancer patients can usually lead a cancer free life. Written by: DoctorNDTV team
Checked by: Dr. N. Ananthakrishnan
Head of Department of SurgeryJIPMER, Pondicherry
Thursday, March 5, 2009
'Cyberknife' to treat cancer
Doctors in Britain will for the first time use a robotic radiotherapy machine to treat cancer .
The machine called Cyberknife is said to be worth 2.5 million pounds.
It maps the movement of a patient's breathing so that tumours can be targeted with greater accuracy than is currently possible.
The novel device uses a robotic arm to deliver multiple beams of high-dose radiation from a wide variety of angles
The patient's breathing is monitored with the aid of X-ray cameras, and the radiotherapy beam is repositioned accordingly to minimise damage to surrounding tissues.
This, in turn, makes the therapy so accurate that even tumours in difficult positions and dangerous to operate on, such as near the spinal chord, can be treated safely.
Ten people are lined up for treatment in the Harley Street Clinic in London, at a cost per patient of 15,000 to 20,000 pounds.
Dr. Nick Plowman, a consultant oncologist at St Bartholomew's hospital, who will oversee the treatment.
"If you get a discreet little tumour in an awkward place, under the liver or next to the kidney, then there's really nothing better than the Cyberknife," the Telegraph quoted him as saying.
The machine called Cyberknife is said to be worth 2.5 million pounds.
It maps the movement of a patient's breathing so that tumours can be targeted with greater accuracy than is currently possible.
The novel device uses a robotic arm to deliver multiple beams of high-dose radiation from a wide variety of angles
The patient's breathing is monitored with the aid of X-ray cameras, and the radiotherapy beam is repositioned accordingly to minimise damage to surrounding tissues.
This, in turn, makes the therapy so accurate that even tumours in difficult positions and dangerous to operate on, such as near the spinal chord, can be treated safely.
Ten people are lined up for treatment in the Harley Street Clinic in London, at a cost per patient of 15,000 to 20,000 pounds.
Dr. Nick Plowman, a consultant oncologist at St Bartholomew's hospital, who will oversee the treatment.
"If you get a discreet little tumour in an awkward place, under the liver or next to the kidney, then there's really nothing better than the Cyberknife," the Telegraph quoted him as saying.
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