More about breast cancer

What is cancer?

Cancer are a group of disease where the cells change its formation and function. As a group of abnormal cell, this cells can grow uncontrolled and forming a mass or called a tumor.

What is breast cancer?

Breast cancer are cancer or tumor developed from abnormal cells of breast. This kind of cancer are one of the most prevalence cancer in Indonesia. Usually found at 40 - 49 years old, this cancer mostly placed at the outer upper quadrant of breast.

What are causes breast cancer?

Until today, the expertise still not fully understand about what is exactly the causes of breast cancer. However, several risk factor in woman may have correlation with this cancer.

What are the risk factor of breast cancer for woman?

• Age more than 30 yo
• First delivery at more than 35 yo
• Never been in sexual intercourse and never have delivery before
• Menarge age less than 12 yo
• Menopause age more than 55 yo
• Have infection, trauma, or benign breast tumor surgery before
• Long term hormonal therapy
• Other side breast cancer
• Having a gynecologic surgery e.g ovarium tumor before
• History of family suffering breast tumor (mother, aunt, sisters)
• Having a radiation in the chest area
• Taking oral contraception in patient with breast tumor such as fibrocystic disease

What kind of examination should woman have to detect the cancer?



Several kind of examination could be use as a tool for breast cancer detection. First, and the most important examination is called self examination. This examination was performed by a woman herself. Usually, it done at the first week of her menstrual cycle to avoid the hormonal influence. This examination performed by standing in front of a mirror than woman exploring her breast one by one using his finger. It begin from the medial site, continue with the lateral site of the breast.
Directly call the doctor some of this sign had found :

• lump in the breast
• pain or sore of the breast
• liquid from the nipple
• breast skin disorder e.g dimpling, redness, ulceration, peau d 'orange
• lymph node enlargement

Other kinds of examination including :

• Breast Ultrasonography (USG)
• Mammography
• FNAB (Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy)
• Chest X-Ray, Bone survey, and abdominal or liver USG

What are the differential diagnosis of this cancer?

• Fibroadenoma Mammae (FAM) : Is a benign tumor usually exist at younger age (15-30 yo), have elastic in consistency.
• Fibrocystic disease : Woman usually complaining pain at tumor site prior menstruation period, increase in size, and symptomatic therapy.
• Cystosarcoma phylloides : a FAM like tumor but bigger in size, could reach 20-30 cm, simple mastektomy is the therapy
• Galactocoel : a cystic tumor mass, as result of blocking of lactiferus duct. Usually hapenned in breast feeding mother
• Mastytis : Breast infection, usually hapenned in breast feeding mother
  

What are treatment for breast cancer?

Basically, treatment for breast cancer divided into surgical and non surgical treatment according to the staging of the cancer.

• Surgical treatment option usually choosen when the staging below IIIb. It should be reevaluated and could be combined with other treatment such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy
• For IIIb and IV stadium the treatment is paliatif therapy to reduce pain