...Female * Colleague with breast cancer, gave a blood sample for gene-testing, had a mutation in the BRCA-1 gene. * Her sister had breast cancer at the age of 36. * Her father’s family has a history of breast cancer. Step III – IV - Problem Sentence * * Mrs. K, a 42-year-old woman, is worried about a possibility of having breast cancer due to her family history. Step V - Learning Objectives * What is breast cancer? * Age of occurance. * Causes and symptoms. * How can you treat cancer? * Is it important to do a genetic test? STEP VI/VII – Individual Research & Report Breast cancer is cancer that starts in the tissues of the breast. There are two main types of breast cancer: * Ductal carcinoma starts in the tubes (ducts) that move milk from the breast to the nipple. Most breast cancers are of this type. * Lobular carcinoma starts in the parts of the breast, called lobules, which produce milk. In rare cases, breast cancer can start in other areas of the breast. Breast cancer can be invasive or noninvasive. Invasive means it has spread from the milk duct or lobule to other tissues in the breast. Noninvasive means it has not yet invaded other breast tissue. Noninvasive breast cancer is called "in situ." * Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), or intraductal carcinoma, is breast cancer in the lining of the milk ducts that has not yet invaded nearby tissues. It may progress to invasive cancer if untreated. * Lobular...
Words: 3112 - Pages: 13
...Breast Cancer There are different types of cancer one can be in risk of. The focus here today is on breast cancer. There are different factors that can contribute to your risk of breast cancer however there are also ways to avoid becoming one of those statistics. That is why women should not take breast cancer lite, but instead focus on ways to avoid this deadly disease. A risk factor is anything that effect one chances of getting a particular disease. Not all disease can be controlled. Those that are not controllable include genetics or family history, and environmental exposures or behaviors that have occurred in the past. Those that are controllable are the current and future environmental exposures, such as tobacco smoke or other chemicals. Those whom are at a risk for breast cancer are women age 20 to 39 with no family history of breast cancer, women between age 40 to 49 with no family history of breast cancer and women under age 50 with risk factors for breast cancer (such as family history) and women 50 to 70 and women over age 70. Each of these women ranging in different age groups is required to have a breast examination. Although cancer can often be treated, in most cases the treatment is only partially effective. Some even develop cancer after they have done everything right to avoid becoming one of the statistic....
Words: 553 - Pages: 3
...Breast Cancer I took the breast cancer health assessment through the University of Phoenix Life Resource Center. The results from the health risk assessment estimated my risk for developing breast cancer on a scale of average women. It also makes you aware of which factors may contribute to my risk and what can do be done to reduce these factors. I can also take more cancer risk profiles. This will create a picture of a specific cancer and what action I can take to reduce my chances of developing cancer. Through years of research and testing there has not been a cure for breast cancer. Breast cancer is caused by a malignant tumor or a group of cancer cells that starts in the breast producing milk in the glands. This tumor invades the normal tissue of the breast and spreads throughout distant areas of the body. This disease is known to attack women but men can get this disease as well. According to Breastcancer.org, about 1 in 8 women in the U.S. will develop cancer over the course of her lifetime. The lifetime risk for a man is 1 in 1,000 (U.S. Breast Cancer Statistics, 2012). There are many risk factors that may increase your chances of developing breast cancer such as family history, genetics, age, women, and weight to name a few. Some risk factors are controllable and others are not in our control. Weight is a factor that can be controlled by you. Being overweight can increases your risk for breast cancer. Proper diet and exercise can help reduce...
Words: 621 - Pages: 3
...Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that starts in the cells of the breast. A malignant tumor is a group of cancer cells that can grow into and invade surrounding tissues or spread to distant areas of the body (American Cancer Society, 2015). The disease occurs almost entirely in women, but men can also get it. Although breast cancer can affect both men and women, it is much more dominant in women. The risk for developing breast cancer is the highest in women over the age of 50, and it is higher for women who also have a family history of breast cancer (Breastcancer.com, 2015). Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide. It’s a devastating disease, and thousands of cases of breast cancer are reported to occur among women around the world each year. Breasts contain the mammary glands which are the organs of milk production. Breasts mostly consist of adipose tissue. The breast is made up of sections, which are called lobes and each of these lobes are made up of smaller lobules, which produce milk in women (Breast Anatomy, 2015). Both the lobes and lobules are connected by milk ducts and the milk ducts carry the milk to the nipple. The lobules and ducts are located throughout the fibrous tissue and adipose tissue that make up the main mass of the breast (Breast Anatomy, 2015). Most cancers of the breast arise from the epithelium, which form the lobules and terminal ducts (Seeley, 2011 p 1042). There are a few different types of breast cancers that...
Words: 1524 - Pages: 7
...Physicians* Breast cancer is one of the most common causes of death for women in their 40s in the United States. Individualized risk assessment plays an important role when making decisions about screening mammography, especially for women 49 years of age or younger. The purpose of this guideline is to present the available evidence for screening mammography in women 40 to 49 years of age and to increase clinicians’ understanding of the benefits and risks of screening mammography. Ann Intern Med. 2007;146:511-515. For author affiliations, see end of text. www.annals.org RECOMMENDATIONS Recommendation 1: In women 40 to 49 years of age, clinicians should periodically perform individualized assessment of risk for breast cancer to help guide decisions about screening mammography. A careful assessment of a woman’s risk for breast cancer is important. The 5-year breast cancer risk can vary from 0.4% for a woman age 40 years with no risk factors to 6.0% for a woman age 49 years with several risk factors (1). Factors that increase the risk for breast cancer include older age, family history of breast cancer, older age at the time of first birth, younger age at menarche, and history of breast biopsy. Women 40 to 49 years of age who have any of the following risk factors have a higher risk for breast cancer than the average 50-year-old woman: 2 first-degree relatives with breast cancer; 2 previous breast biopsies; 1 firstdegree relative with breast cancer and 1 previous breast...
Words: 4930 - Pages: 20
...EFFECT OF BREAST CANCER ON WOMEN The diagnosis of cancer and it sequelae has a direct impact on the patient, family and community. It however has a deeper impact on women. Women are in most cases the foundation of the family unit. Therefore when a woman is diagnosed with any type of cancer, the family’s social, psychological and financial dynamics after diagnosis are forever changed. The possibility of death is moved to the forefront of their lives. Living with breast cancer (before and after treatment) is difficult. After diagnosis and before treatment, there is a cycle of fear, depression, desperation, denial and acceptance. During treatment, there is anguish over the loss of one’s body image. This is true particularly when the treatment involves chemotherapy or radiation where the individual loses (i.e. their hair, smooth skin) aspects of their personal appearance by which they once identified as being unique to themselves. In the case where the treatment is surgery (i.e. mastectomy either total or partial) the individual grieves the loss of that body part more so than the loss of the hair. In their minds hair can be re-grown, a breast cannot. As a result of this, socialization with others and intimate relationship with their spouse becomes difficult. The relationship with the children changes due to the side effects of chemotherapy which make normal activities difficult. After the course of treatment is over, the woman has to readjust to life after cancer because she...
Words: 1704 - Pages: 7
...CANCER INFORMATION PAPER HCA/240 CANCER INFORMATION PAPER The paper will reflect on breast cancer, A breast is made up of three main parts: glands, ducts, and connective tissue. The glands produce milk. The ducts are passages that carry milk to the nipple. The connective tissue (which consists of fibrous and fatty tissue) connects and holds everything together I will talk about the cause and risk factors of breast cancer, ways to try to prevent and how to get early detection. I will be speaking about the effects of your health related to breast cancer as well as treatment options for breast cancer. Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death in women all over the world. Breast cancer does not discriminate of race or ethnics. In reading this paper, you will see that more than 502,000 women are killed in a year from breast cancer. In 2007, more than 47,000 women died from breast cancer. Unfortunately, there are some risk factors for breast cancer that are not under your control, but learning as much as you can about them is something that should be taken into consideration. Cause and Risk Factors for Breast Cancer While we do not yet know exactly what causes breast cancer, we do know that certain risk factors are linked to the disease. A risk factor is something that affects your chance of getting a disease such as cancer. Different cancers have different risk factors. Some risk factors, such as smoking, drinking, and diet are linked...
Words: 2014 - Pages: 9
...Acknowledging Breast Cancer In the United States alone breast cancer is the second most common diagnosed cancer amongst women and men that remains a major concern in the health industry because it targets women for the most part and comes in different forms. Breast cancer is commonly formed in the breast milk ducts, lobular cancer, and inflammatory cancer. There are multiple factors that can contribute to the rise of breast cancer in women include: obesity, age, breast radiation, alcohol abuse, and genetic factors. Genetic traits such as family members already having breast cancer prior to a patient’s diagnosis can play a significant role, which many physicians agree that cancer is hereditary. Another risk related factor to breast cancer...
Words: 1257 - Pages: 6
...Symptoms Breast Cancer Breast Cancer The most common symptom of breast cancer is a new lump or mass. A mass that is painless, hard, and has irregular edges is more likely to be cancerous, but breast cancers can be tender, soft, or rounded. They can even be painful. For this reason, it is important to have any new breast mass or lump, or breast change checked by a health care professional experienced in diagnosing breast diseases. Other possible signs of breast cancer include: * Swelling of all or part of a breast (even if no distinct lump is felt) * Skin irritation or dimpling * Breast or nipple pain * Nipple retraction (turning inward) * Redness, scaliness, or thickening of the nipple or breast skin * A nipple discharge other than breast milk Facts * The older a woman, the more likely she is to get breast cancer * Young women can get breast cancer, even in their 20s * White women are more likely to get breast cancer than women of any other racial or ethnic group * African American women are more likely to die from breast cancer than white women The most common symptom of breast cancer is a new lump or mass. A mass that is painless, hard, and has irregular edges is more likely to be cancerous, but breast cancers can be tender, soft, or rounded. They can even be painful. For this reason, it is important to have any new breast mass or lump, or breast change checked by a health care professional experienced in diagnosing breast diseases...
Words: 780 - Pages: 4
...Physicians* Breast cancer is one of the most common causes of death for women in their 40s in the United States. Individualized risk assessment plays an important role when making decisions about screening mammography, especially for women 49 years of age or younger. The purpose of this guideline is to present the available evidence for screening mammography in women 40 to 49 years of age and to increase clinicians’ understanding of the benefits and risks of screening mammography. Ann Intern Med. 2007;146:511-515. For author affiliations, see end of text. www.annals.org RECOMMENDATIONS Recommendation 1: In women 40 to 49 years of age, clinicians should periodically perform individualized assessment of risk for breast cancer to help guide decisions about screening mammography. A careful assessment of a woman’s risk for breast cancer is important. The 5-year breast cancer risk can vary from 0.4% for a woman age 40 years with no risk factors to 6.0% for a woman age 49 years with several risk factors (1). Factors that increase the risk for breast cancer include older age, family history of breast cancer, older age at the time of first birth, younger age at menarche, and history of breast biopsy. Women 40 to 49 years of age who have any of the following risk factors have a higher risk for breast cancer than the average 50-year-old woman: 2 first-degree relatives with breast cancer; 2 previous breast biopsies; 1 firstdegree relative with breast cancer and 1 previous breast...
Words: 4930 - Pages: 20
...Breast Cancer in Middle Aged Adults: The Facts Shawneen Romito HCA/240 1/11/13 Debra Salyers Breast Cancer in Middle Aged Adults: The Facts Being diagnosed with breast cancer can be an extremely terrifying time in a person’s life, which is why it is important to understand the disease, evaluate risk factors, understand the causes, ways to prevent and detect, and where to turn to for help if diagnosed. Causes and Risk Factors: • Gender- Even though men can develop breast cancer, women are 100 times more likely to develop the disease, mainly because the female hormones estrogen and proestrogen promote cancer cell growth. • Age- The chance of developing breast cancer increases with age. 1 out of 8 invasive breast cancer cases are found in women under the age of 45, whereas 2 of 3 invasive breast cancer cases are in women aged 55 or older. [pic] • Heredity- 5% to 10% of all reported breast cancer cases are thought to be from gene defects, or mutations, inherited from a parent. • Family History- The risk of developing breast cancer is high when close blood relatives have had been diagnosed with the disease, for example, mother or sister. If a patient has 1 first degree relative, it doubles a person’s risk of developing the disease, whereas if a person has 2 first degree relatives, the risk increases three fold. 85% of women who are diagnosed with breast cancer have some form of family history. ...
Words: 720 - Pages: 3
...Breast Cancer: What is it? The Statistics: Breast cancer incidence in women in the United States is 1 in 8 (about 13%). In 2009, an estimated 192,370 new cases of invasive breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S., along with 62,280 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer. About 1,990 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in men in 2008. Less than 1% of all new breast cancer cases occur in men. Following a 20-year increase in breast cancer incidence rates in women, 1999-2006 saw these rates decrease by 2%. One theory is that this decrease was due to the reduced use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) by women after the results of a large study, called the Women’s Health Initiative, were published in 2002. These results suggested a connection between HRT and increased breast cancer risk. About 40,170 women in the U.S. were expected to die in 2009 from breast cancer, though death rates have been decreasing since 1990. These decreases are thought to be the result of treatment advances, earlier detection through screening, and increased awareness. For women in the U.S., breast cancer death rates are higher than those for any other cancer besides lung cancer. Besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among U.S. women. More than 1 in 4 cancers are breast cancer. Compared...
Words: 660 - Pages: 3
...Breast Cancer Even though there are other forms of cancers, it is the most common type of cancer. In 2008 there were many deaths caused from breast cancer and new cases of breast cancer. Breast Cancer is a form of cancer found in the breast tissue. It is made of abnormal cells that grow into lumps which gather together called tumors. Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the second leading cause of deaths in women in North America. In 2008, in the United States, there were an estimated 182,460 new cases of invasive breast cancer and an estimated 40,480 deaths attributed to it. Worldwide in 2007, an estimated 1,300,000 new cases were reported, and approximately 465,000 deaths were attributed to breast cancer. It is estimated that 12.7% or 1 in 8 women born in the United States today will develop breast cancer some point during their lifetime. Some symptoms of breast cancer are breast lumps, breast pain, nipple complaint, and other breast complaints. Lumps may feel like the size of a pea or a peanut under the skin. I have never known of breast pain as a symptom of breast cancer. Nipple discharge is a sign of breast cancer if it’s an abnormal color. Other breast complaints would be dimples or a change in size or color of breast. Risk factors range from gender, age, weight, inherited factors, and family history. Other risk factors are to have abnormal breast cells, high breast density, certain breast changes, using birth control...
Words: 702 - Pages: 3
...Breast Cancer Breast Cancer is a cancer that forms in tissues of the breast, usually the ducts (tubes that carry milk to the nipple) and lobules (glands that make milk). It occurs in both men and women, although male breast cancer is rare. Anyone women could be at risk for breast cancer but, there are factors that make some women more susceptible to breast cancer than others. A risk factor is anything that affects your chances of getting a particular disease. Some can be controlled and some can’t. The ones you can control are genetics or family history, and environmental exposures or behaviors that might have happened in the past. The current and future behaviors can be controlled like exercise and a good diet. You also need to watch other exposures like tobacco use and high alcohol use because these are all things that could cause breast cancer. There are things you can do to reduce the risk of breast cancer and they are listed below: • Limit alcohol-The more alcohol you drink the greater the risk of getting breast cancer. • Control your weight-Being overweight increases your chances for breast cancer. • Plenty of exercise-keeping yourself active will help maintain weight and that will make your risk lower. • Breast feeding • Discontinue hormone therapy-Long term hormone therapy can cause you to be higher risk for breast cancer. • Avoid exposure to environmental pollutions These listed above is what needs to be avoided to make your risk at getting breast cancer lower...
Words: 348 - Pages: 2
...Every women needs to know the facts the facts when it comes to breast cancer, every women is at risk. “Breast cancer is a multi-dynamic disease which affects the patient, the patient’s family, and society in various ways.” People should care about breast cancer because it kills men and women. It takes your friends and family members away. Now that breast cancer is being detected at an earlier stage, women are able to be treated before the cancer gets worse. Learning how many women get breast cancer and how many women die each year from the terrible disease shows me that getting and mammogram early they can detect the cancer and ultimate save women and men lives. I will be discussing about how breast cancer affects the patient, the patient’s family and society. Breast cancer can affect people in many different ways. Finding out that you have breast cancer can cause you stress like uncertainly of your future, the unpredictability of the cancer, disability, and financial difficulties. You can also be stress out about your physical appearance after a mastectomy. Losing your hair after chemotherapy, and your skin changing from the radiation therapy. You feel that everybody is going to look at you differently because you have cancer. Common signs of stress are disturbed sleep, fatigue, body aches, pain, anxiety, irritability, tension, and headaches. You can reduce stress by keep a positive attitude, accept that there are events you cannot control, be assertive instead of aggressive...
Words: 2472 - Pages: 10
