Breast Cancer

Biology 1010
Madison Prudhomme
April 7, 2017
 Breast cancer is a fairly common cancer among women, but even men may be diagnosed
with it occasionally. There has been a lot of progress however in research within the last few
years to help people who have been diagnosed with this type of cancer.
Mutations in DNA can cause perfectly normal cells to form into cancerous cells. Breast
cancer begins to form when the cells in the breast start to grow uncontrollably. As they do this, it
forms a tumor in the breast, which is usually felt as a lump, but is sometimes detected by an x-
ray. The tumor is cancerous when the cells can spread into surrounding tissues and areas of the
body. Most breast cancers usually form in the ducts of the breast, which transport milk to the
nipple. Some forms however are less common and can begin forming in the tissue of the breasts.
These types are called lymphomas and sarcomas and are not frequently thought of as the usual
form of breast cancer.
If breast cancer runs in an individual's family, they may be at higher risk. Parents can pass
down certain genes that may have a DNA mutation and therefore, have a higher likelihood of
becoming cancer. Hormones, diet and exercise may also play a role in developing breast cancer,
but there still is not very much information as to why this is. There is a type of gene called a
proto-oncogene. This is the gene that helps to make the cells grow. If a proto-oncogene makes
too many copies, it can force the cells to grow at a faster rate and soon be out of control. When
this happens, it is considered a bad gene and can lead to cancerous cells. Another type of gene
is a Tumor suppressor gene. This gene tells the cells when to die and if this gene is mutated and
doesnt work properly, the cells may begin to grow out of control. This is another way that a
bad gene may lead to cancer. The BRCA gene is the gene that suppresses tumors. If there is a
change in this gene, it may not suppress tumors anymore and this can lead to cancer. This is a
mutation that can be passed from a parent to child. There are many different gene mutations that
may cause breast cancer but, this is just a couple of examples.
Breast cancer is usually detected by feeling a lump in the breast however that is not
always the case. Breast cancer lumps generally feel firm and have an irregular shape. They are
usually painless, but may sometimes be painful if they are hard. This is why it is important for
women to get every lump checked out to figure out if it is cancerous or not. Some other possible
signs of breast cancer might include breast discomfort, nipple discharge, redness or swollen
lymph nodes, inverted nipple, or thickening of the breast/nipple. In fact sometimes there are no
known signs of the cancer prior to the diagnosis. In fact, Up to 75% of women who develop
breast cancer have no known risk factors. (Cincinnati Magazine, 2016).
When someone is diagnosed with breast cancer, there are certain tests they may go
through to determine if the tumor is going to be recurring or if it is just a one time thing. This test
is called mammaprint. (O, The Oprah Magazine, 2016). Early detection is the best way to ensure
that breast cancer doesnt come back, and doesnt kill you for that matter. Breast cancer is not the
deadliest of cancers. In fact, it has a pretty high survival rate. The overall ten-year survival rate
is 83 percent; the 15-year rate, 78 percent. For cancer thats diagnosed before it spreads beyond
the breast, the five-year survival rate is 99 percent. (O, The Oprah Magazine, 2016). In fact, the
rates of breast cancer survivors has been gradually climbing in North America and Europe
because of the new technologies coming out to detect early cancer. (Scientific American, 2015).
There are a few ways to detect Breast Cancer. While self examinations are important to
detect lumps early on, the best way to find breast cancer early is to get a mammogram either
every year or every other year starting at the age of 45. If your breasts show a sudden change
however, a mammogram may be needed earlier than age 45. A lump may be detected from a
mammogram, self examination, or other type of imaging test. Mammograms are not perfect
however and do not always detect lumps, especially if the breast tissue is dense. The only way to
know for sure if the lump is cancer is by getting a biopsy done. If breast cancer runs in the
family, then you should get your first mammogram 10 years prior to the age at which your family
member was diagnosed. This is to ensure that you can catch the lump early on if it does run in
your immediate family.
As for treatment and current research on breast cancer, doctors and scientists have come a
long way in the last few years and are continuing to find new ways to help treat and cure breast
cancer. The first form of treatment that comes to mind when thinking of cancer is usually
chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is a very harsh way of killing the cancer cells and many opt to not
go through chemo as it causes nausea, hair loss, and fatigue on top of everything else.
Since mammograms are not always able to detect breast lumps, there is a new technology
called Tomosynthesis, which is a type of 3D imaging technology. Tomosynthesis allows
radiologists to peek inside discrete sections of the breast to pick up more cancers and do so
earlier, says Susan Weinberg, M.D. (Cincinnati Magazine, 2016. Pg 98). This technology is
becoming more common and is able to detect cancer much sooner than a mammogram can.
Recently there was a test done to show that maybe humans arent meant to kill the cancer
and move on, but possibly adapt to it. Scientists tested this hypothesis with two kinds of breast
cancer on three different sets of mice. They gave the first set the high dose of chemotherapy and
as soon as the chemo stopped, the cancer cells came right back. The second group was given a
dose and then skipped a dose after and it worked no better than the first. The third group however
was given a big dose of chemotherapy and then when the tumor began to shrink, the chemo dose
was slowly lowered and three out of the five mice in the group were able to be weaned off of the
drug. The treatment is meant to adapt to how the tumour responds and maintain a balance
between drug-resistant and susceptible cells. (Scientific American, 2016). Some scientists like
this approach because it is easy to test and could possibly help people with breast cancer.
Recent research found that microbes in the breast may be playing a huge role in the
development of breast cancer. It is no surprise that bacteria can find its way into breasts, but
recent studies have suggested that certain types of bacteria may play a part in developing a
cancerous tumor. A few types of bacteria actually cause harm to DNA by damaging them. This is
a known cause of developing cancer. They also found that breast feeding generally, is associated
with a lowered risk of breast cancer, since the milk supports the growth of beneficial
microorganisms. (Scientific American 2016). Researchers hope that in the near future, they will
be able to use a patient's bacterial makeup as a biomarker for cancer screening or to develop
probiotics for improving prognosis and treatment outcomes. (Scientific American 2016). With
this new discovery, it could lead to new types of treatment for patients with breast cancer, and
even different screening methods.
Researchers are now looking into dietary supplements to see if they have a tie to reducing
the risk of breast cancer. Supplements such as linoleic acid, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B6,
Vitamin D and folate. There is no current answer on whether they lower the risk or not however,
there are studies being done.
Breast cancer research is a long and ongoing process and will probably be that way for a
while. Scientists however, have come a long way in research and there is an abundance of new
technology to help detect and treat breast cancer.
 Literature Cited

The American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team. How Does Breast
Cancer Form?. 2017. American Cancer Society Article.

Jennifer Hogan Redmond. Getting to the Cure With Breast Cancer. 2016. Cincinnati
Magazine.

THOMPSON, J., OSSOLA, A., GOLDMAN, L., & LEVINE, B. 2016. The New Rules of
Breast Cancer.O, The Oprah Magazine, 99.

Cassandra Willyard. Cancer Therapy: An Evolved Approach. April, 2016. SCIENTIFIC

AMERICAN, nature magazine.

Knvul Sheikh. The Breast has its own Microbiome. October 1, 2016. SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN.