What is Breast Cancer? How does it occur?
Breast cancer occurs when a cell in the breast mutates and starts multiplying rapidly. Breast cancer symptoms vary from person to person and there is no exact definition of what a lump or mass feels like.
Symptoms of Breast Cancer
The best thing to do is to be familiar with your breasts so you know how “normal” feels and looks. If you notice any changes, tell your doctor. While regular self-exams are important, many breast cancers are found through regular screening mammograms before any symptoms appear.
Breast skin changes, including skin redness and thickening of the breast skin, resulting in an orange-peel texture
These symptoms do not always mean you have breast cancer. However, it is important to discuss any symptoms with your doctor, since they may also signal other health problems.
How severe is Breast Cancer?
Most types of breast cancer can be classified as either ductal carcinomas or lobular carcinomas. Lobular carcinomas start in the breasts’ milk-producing glands, called the lobules. Ductal carcinomas start in the cells of the milk ducts, which carry milk from the lobules to the nipples.
Invasive breast cancer
Both can be either invasive or non-invasive. Invasive cancer has spread beyond the lobule or duct where it first started into nearby tissue.
Non-invasive breast cancer
Non-invasive cancer has not spread. By definition non-invasive cancer is early in the disease’s development.
Breast Cancer treatments
Breast cancer treatments are designed around several factors, including whether the cancer is ductal or lobular and invasive or non-invasive.
For invasive breast cancers, another key factor is the molecular receptor subtype of the cancer cells.
Receptors are molecules that cancer cells produce on their surface. These receptors can interact or bind with specific proteins and hormones in the patient’s body. This is called recognition.
Researchers have identified certain receptors that fuel the growth and spread of breast cancer when they recognize a specific molecule. By interrupting this recognition with cancer drugs, the disease’s growth can be slowed or stopped.
Currently there are three major receptor subtypes that play important roles in the patient’s prognosis and treatment. As research into breast cancer continues, more receptor subtypes with different treatments may emerge.
Who is more prone to get Breast Cancer?
Age: As women age, their breast cancer risk increases. Most breast cancers are diagnosed after age 50. If you believe you may be more likely to develop cancer because of your personal or family medical history.
Learn more about breast cancer screening.
Inherited genetic mutations
Specific gene mutations increase the risk of developing cancer. These include BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. Normal BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes repair damaged DNA. When these genes are mutated in certain ways, they fail at DNA repair, which could lead to breast and/or ovarian cancer. Other mutations that can lead to breast cancer are to PALB2, another DNA repair gene; CHEK2, a tumor suppressor gene; and PTEN, which controls how quickly cells multiply.
Family history
A woman’s odds of developing breast cancer are higher if a parent, sibling or child has had the disease.
Early menstruation
Women who began menstruating before age 12 have a higher risk of developing breast cancer.
Women who have no full-term pregnancies or their first pregnancy after age 30 are at a higher risk of breast cancer.
Previous breast cancer diagnosis
A woman who has had breast cancer once has a higher risk of developing a second cancer.
Previous breast cancer diagnosis
A woman who has had breast cancer once has a higher risk of developing a second cancer.
Previous radiation therapy
People who had radiation therapy to the chest in childhood or early adulthood to treat another cancer are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer. The benefits of these earlier radiation treatments far outweigh the risks, however.
Dense breast tissue
Based on its appearance in a mammogram, dense breast tissue is a known risk factor for breast cancer.
Breast Cancer Treatments in Mauritius
Choosing the right hospital may be the most important decision you make as a breast cancer patient. At ACH, our expertise starts with the ability to accurately diagnose and stage even extremely rare cancers, then carries on through groundbreaking treatment and into survivorship.
At ACH, our core mission is to eliminate cancer. The surgeons, radiation oncologists and medical oncologists are focused exclusively on curing breast cancer, extending the life of breast cancer patients and maximizing their quality of life.
Are there doctors in Mauritius qualified for Breast Cancer treatment?
This allows them to develop a tremendous amount of experience and skill in treating breast cancer patients, including those with rare forms of the disease. Each doctor brings their skills to our multidisciplinary teams, where they work together to develop treatment plans that address the unique nature of each breast cancer case and patient.