Carcinoma Breast
Definition
- Carcinoma breast is a type of cancer that occurs in the breast tissue.
Types of Carcinoma Breast
- Ductal Carcinoma: Arises from the ducts of the breast and is the most common type of breast cancer.
- Intraductal Carcinoma: Confined to the ducts and has not invaded the surrounding tissue.
- Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Has invaded the surrounding tissue.
- Lobular Carcinoma: Arises from the lobules of the breast.
- Intraductal Carcinoma: Confined to the lobules and has not invaded the surrounding tissue.
- Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Has invaded the surrounding tissue.
- Tubular Carcinoma: A rare type of breast cancer that grows in the form of small tubes.
- Mucinous Carcinoma: A rare type of breast cancer that grows in the form of mucin, a type of protein.
- Medullary Carcinoma: A rare type of breast cancer that grows in the form of a medulla, a type of tissue in the brain.
- Inflammatory Carcinoma: A rare and aggressive type of breast cancer that causes inflammation in the breast.==
Classification of Breast Carcinoma
- Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS): Cancer confined to the ducts of the breast.
- Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC): Cancer has spread from the ducts into the surrounding breast tissue.
- Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC): Cancer has spread from the lobules into the surrounding breast tissue.
- Inflammatory breast cancer: Cancer causes inflammation in the breast.
- Paget's disease: Cancer of the skin of the nipple and areola.
Risk Factors and Etiopathogenesis
- Family history of breast cancer
- Genetic mutations (BRCA1 and BRCA2)
- Radiation exposure
- Hormonal factors (early menarche, late menopause)
- Obesity
- Physical inactivity
Clinical Features
- Lump or thickening in the breast
- Skin changes (redness, scaliness, dimpling)
- Nipple retraction or discharge
- Swollen lymph nodes in the neck or armpit
- Nipple inversion or ulceration
Diagnosis
- Mammogram: Low-dose X-ray of the breast
- Ultrasound: Uses sound waves to produce images of the breast
- Biopsy: Removes a sample of tissue for examination
- MRI: Uses magnetic fields to produce images of the breast
TNM Staging
- Tumor size (T):
- T1: <= 2 cm
- T2: > 2 cm but <= 5 cm
- T3: > 5 cm
- T4: Tumor of any size with skin involvement
- Lymph node involvement (N):
- N0: No lymph node involvement
- N1: Involvement of movable ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes
- N2: Involvement of ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes that are fixed or matted
- Metastasis (M):
- M0: No distant metastasis
- M1: Distant metastasis
Treatment
- Surgery:
- Lumpectomy: Removal of the tumor and a small margin of surrounding tissue
- Mastectomy: Removal of the entire breast
- Axillary lymph node dissection: Removal of lymph nodes in the armpit
- Chemotherapy: Uses drugs to kill cancer cells
- Radiotherapy: Uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells
- Hormonal therapy: Uses medications to block the effects of hormones on cancer cells
Complications of Disease and Treatment
- Lymphedema: Swelling of the arm or hand due to lymph node removal
- Fat necrosis: Damage to fatty tissue in the breast
- Radiation-induced skin changes: Redness, itching, or thickening of the skin
- Chemotherapy-induced hair loss: Hair loss due to chemotherapy
Homeopathic Remedies as Supportive Care
- Arsenic album: For metastatic breast cancer
- Calcarea carbonica: For breast cancer with skin symptoms
- Lachesis: For breast cancer with lymph node involvement
- Phosphorus: For breast cancer with skin symptoms and lymph node involvement
- Silica: For breast cancer with skin symptoms and lymph node involvement