Breast Cancer Prevention and Early Detection

Written By Guest User

As published in Sedona Monthly Magazine

Navigating Breast Cancer

Navigating a breast cancer diagnosis is a journey fraught with complex emotions, challenging decisions, and a multitude of uncertainties. From the initial shock of hearing the diagnosis to grappling with treatment options and facing the possibility of life-altering changes, individuals thrust into this realm find themselves navigating uncharted territory. In this Q&A with Dr. S. Brenda Moorthy of the Comprehensive Breast Center of Arizona in Phoenix and her patient, breast cancer survivor, and Sedona resident, Magdalena Romanska., we delve into the multifaceted landscape of coping with a breast cancer diagnosis. We offer insights, resources, and strategies to empower those embarking on this daunting path. From understanding the medical intricacies to nurturing mental and emotional well-being, we aim to shed light on the journey ahead and provide a compass for navigating the challenges that lie in front of you.

When should I get a mammogram and at what age should I stop?

The American College of Radiology (ACR) and Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) recommend that women with an average risk of breast cancer should initiate yearly screening mammography at age 40. Women with a higher-than-average risk of breast cancer should undergo yearly screening mammography and be offered yearly supplemental imaging; this screening should be initiated at a risk-based age. Screening mammography should cease when life expectancy is less than 10 years.

What factors would put me at a high risk of getting breast cancer?

  • The most important thing to know is that a family history of breast cancer is not the only risk factor. Only 15-20% of breast cancer patients have a family history of the disease.

  • Gender: Women are at a higher risk than men.

  • Age: The risk increases with age, and most breast cancers are diagnosed in women over 50.

  • Family History and Genetics: Having a close blood relative (parent, sibling, or child) with breast cancer, especially if they were diagnosed at a young age, increases your risk. Inherited gene mutations, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2, TP53, PTEN, and others can also significantly increase the risk of breast cancer.

  • Personal History of Breast Cancer: If you have had breast cancer in one breast, your risk of developing cancer in the other breast or a different part of the same breast is increased.

  • Radiation Exposure: Having received radiation therapy to the chest for another cancer at a young age increases the risk of breast cancer.

  • Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Long-term use of combined estrogen and progestin hormone replacement therapy during menopause may increase the risk.

  • Reproductive and Menstrual History: Early menstruation (before age 12) and late menopause (after age 55) increase the cumulative exposure to estrogen, potentially raising the risk.

  • Delayed childbirth or never having children may also be associated with a higher risk.

  • Certain Breast Conditions: Certain non-cancerous breast diseases, such as atypical hyperplasia, can increase the risk.

  • Dense Breast Tissue: Women with dense breast tissue on mammograms may have a higher risk.

  • Lifestyle Factors: Factors such as obesity, lack of physical activity, excessive alcohol consumption, and smoking may contribute to an increased risk.

  • Other key risk factors include a high-risk lesion from a biopsy and a lifetime risk over 20% as calculated using the Tyrer-Cuzick model.

What symptoms of breast cancer should I be looking for?

  • Spontaneous bloody or clear nipple discharge–it comes on its own without any stimulation, is typically in one breast and one duct

  • A breast lump

  • One breast looks different than the other when it didn’t previously

  • Dimpling

  • Nipple inversion that wasn’t there before

  • A rash on the nipple

  • A swollen, red breast that doesn’t improve with antibiotics

Is breast pain a sign of breast cancer?

This is typically not a sign of breast cancer, but your surgeon will still do a workup including imaging and ultrasound to determine the cause. Pre-menopausal breast pain that worsens right before your cycle and post-menopausal breast pain is most likely structural, meaning you may have a ligament pulling on muscle, for example. Often the solution can be as simple as finding a better-fitting bra.

Should I get genetic testing?

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines recommend genetic testing for patients without a personal history of breast cancer but with more than one close blood relative with breast cancer under the age of 50, male breast cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer with metastatic cancer, or three or more diagnoses of breast or prostate cancer on the same side of the family

Guest User
Previous

What to Do After a Breast Cancer Diagnosis