BREAST CANCER

WHAT IS CANCER?

Cancer is a class of diseases characterized by out-ofcontrol cell growth. There are over 100 different types of cancer, and each is classified by the type of cell that is initially affected.

WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF CANCER?

Genetics

Some types of cancer run in certain families, but most cancers are not clearly linked to the genes we inherit from our parents. Studies show that people who smoke are most likely to have cancer than those who dont.

Tobacco

Diet and Exercise

There are many ways in which improper diet and exercise could cause cancer.
Overexposure to the suns light could cause harmful effects, including but not limited to, cancer. There exist a number of lurking causes of cancer in the very environment you and your family may be exposed to.

Sun and UV exposure

Environment

WHAT IS BREAST CANCER?

Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that starts in the cells of the breast.

WHO ARE AT RISK?

Each woman's breast cancer risk may be higher or lower, depending upon a several factors, including family history, genetics, age of menstruation, and other factors that have not yet been identified.

Probability of Developing Breast Cancer Within the Next 10 years

By age 20 By age 30 By age 40 By age 50 By age 60 By age 70 Lifetime

1 out of 1,681 1 out of 232 1 out of 69 1 out of 42 1 out of 29 1 out of 27 1 out of 8

While breast cancer is less common at a young age (i.e., in their thirties), younger women tend to have more aggressive breast cancers than older women, which may explain why survival rates are lower among younger women. 95% of new cases and 97% of breast cancer deaths occurred in women 40 years of age and older.

FACT: Asian women with breast cancer have atleast 90.7% of survival. That includes Filipino women.
Five Year Breast Cancer Survival Rate
Race/Ethnicity Non-Hispanic White Black Survival Rate 88.8% 77.5%

American Indian/Alaska Native

Asian Pacific Islander Hispanic

85.6 %
90.7% 85.4% 83.8%

WHAT CAUSES BREAST CANCER ON WOMEN?

Many women who develop breast cancer have no risk factors other than age and gender. Gender is the biggest risk because breast cancer occurs mostly in women. Age is another critical factor. Breast cancer may occur at any age, though the risk of breast cancer increases with age. The average woman at 30 years of age has one chance in 280 of developing breast cancer in the next 10 years. This chance increases to one in 70 for a woman 40 years of age, and to one in 40 at 50 years of age. A 60-year-old woman has a one in 30 chance of developing breast cancer in the next 10 years.

White women are slightly more likely to develop breast cancer than African-American women in the U.S. A woman with a personal history of cancer in one breast has a three- to fourfold greater risk of developing a new cancer in the other breast or in another part of the same breast. This refers to the risk for developing a new tumor and not a recurrence (return) of the first cancer.

BREAST CANCER ON MEN

What is Male Breast Cancer?

Men possess a small amount of nonfunctioning breast tissue (breast tissue that cannot produce milk) that is concentrated in the area directly behind the nipple on the chest wall. Like breast cancer in women, cancer of the male breast is the uncontrolled growth of the abnormal cells of this breast tissue. Male breast cancer is a rare condition, accounting for only about 1% of all breast cancers.

How common is male breast cancer?

EARLY SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF BREAST

CANCER
Most often breast cancer is first noticed as a painless lump in the breast or armpit. You or your partner may discover the lump, or your doctor may find it during a routine physical exam or screening mammogram. Other signs might include: lump or swelling in the armpit changes in breast size or shape dimpling or puckering of the skin thickening and dimpling skin is sometimes called orange peel redness, swelling and increased warmth in the affected breast inverted nipple nipple turns inwards crusting or scaling on the nipple

BREAST SELF-EXAMINATION

Breast self-examination (BSE) is a screening method used in an attempt to detect early breast cancer. The method involves the woman herself looking at and feeling each breast for possible lumps, distortions or swelling.

A pictorial example of breast self-examination in six steps. Steps 1-3 involve inspection of the breast with the arms hanging next to the body, behind the head and in the side. Step 4 is palpation of the breast. Step 5 is palpation of the nipple. Step 6 is palpation of the breast while lying down.

WHEN TO PERFORM BREAST EXAMINATION

Women older than 20 years should perform monthly breast self-examinations (BSE). If you still have menstrual periods, you should perform the examination a few days after your period has ended. If you are not menstruating (such as in menopause), BSE should be performed on the same day each month.

TREATMENT FOR BREAST CANCER

Most have surgery to remove the cancer. Forms of surgery include: Breast-conserving Surgery, Lumpectomy removal of the cancer and a small amount of surrounding tissue Mastectomy removal of the whole breast with or without lymph nodes under the axilla

Is any other treatment required? Often this is followed by systemic therapy which may include either chemotherapy, radiotherapy and/or hormonal therapy to improve the chances of recovery. What are the rehabilitation steps? Physical rehabilitation includes: Shoulder exercises after surgery Arm care to avoid lymphoedema Balanced Nutrition and lifestyle adaptation to enhance recovery