Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer

Introduction

Having a mother, sister or daughter suffering from breast cancer or ovarian cancer increases the risk of developing it. 5% to 10% of breast cancers are caused by an abnormality transmitted by heredity. The major susceptibility genes for breast cancer (and ovarian) are named BRCA1 and BRCA2. Normally, these genes protect against cancer. If they are defective, they can no longer perform their duties. There are tests to see if a woman from a family at risk is itself carried a mutation in one of these genes.

For centuries, physicians described similar cases in his practice with the same sad conclusion. There were no changes in the treatment of breast cancer did not occur until as long as in the XVII-th century doctors did not have a better understanding of the circulatory and lymphatic systems of the body and could not understand that breast cancer spreads (metastasizes) to lymph pathways in the first place hits coming - axillary - lymph nodes. French surgeon Jean Louis Petit (1,674 - one thousand seven hundred and fifty), and shortly after the Scottish surgeon Benjamin Bell (in 1749 - in 1806) were the first who thought of removing the breast cancer not only the breast, but the next lymph nodes and underlying chest muscle. Their successful work was picked up by William Steward Halsted, who in 1882 introduced a general medical practice is technically improved version of the operation, which he called radical mastectomy. The operation has become so popular in breast cancer, which was even named after its inventor - Mastectomy Halstead, or on the Halstead mastectomy.

Discussion & Analyses

At present, studied the expression of various genes in breast tumors and identified a variety of molecular types of tumors. Clinically, they have significantly different risk of developing metastatic disease and require different treatment. The collection of data for the expression of 17,816 genes in breast tumors is available online and is used not only for biomedical research, but as has become a classic test case for the visualization and cartographic data . Breast cancer in the early stages are asymptomatic and do not cause pain (Zaha, Antal, Magyar & Lazar, 2010). Usually breast cancer is detected before symptoms appear - either on mammography or woman feels the appearance of lumpy breasts. The same can not appear disappearing during the menstrual cycle, the seal in the armpit or above the collarbone .

Due to the fact that breast tissue is highly developed lymph flow, there is the risk of transfer of tumor cells directly into the lymph nodes and the emergence of early metastasis. Initially the affected axillary, subclavian, subscapular group of nodes, and parasternal lymph node chain. Then perhaps metastasis in cervical, supraclavicular and mediastinal lymph nodes. In addition, we can not exclude cross-metastasis in the second breast (Slipping, 2011). Also, there are metastases arising from hematogenous route to the lungs, pleura, liver, bones and brain. Breast cancer is also the most well-studied malignancies. And thanks to the active methods of prevention and ...