Here are the tests for breast cancer diagnosis:
1. Physical Breast exam. The doctor will do a physical exam of the breasts and lymph nodes near the breasts (armpit) to check for lumps/abnormalities.
2. Breast ultrasound. The use of sound waves to image the structures inside the body to look for lumps, etc.
3. Mammogram. This is an X-ray test of the breast to look for abnormalities.
4. Biopsy. When other tests show a problem, a sample of breast cells may be taken to make a definitive diagnosis.
5. MRI of the breast. Uses radio waves and a magnet to image the breast’s internal structure.
2. Breast ultrasound. The use of sound waves to image the structures inside the body to look for lumps, etc.
3. Mammogram. This is an X-ray test of the breast to look for abnormalities.
4. Biopsy. When other tests show a problem, a sample of breast cells may be taken to make a definitive diagnosis.
5. MRI of the breast. Uses radio waves and a magnet to image the breast’s internal structure.
When breast cancer is diagnosed, other tests may be performed to determine treatment course and prognosis. They may include: a breast MRI, a bone scan, another mammogram (to look at the other breast or more tissues), complete blood count test, a CT scan, or a PET (positron emission tomography) scan.
The stages of breast cancer range from 0-IV. 0 means the cancer is contained to the milk ducts and is noninvasive. IV means the cancer is metastatic and has spread.
Treatment options include surgery, radiation therapy, chemo therapy, and hormone therapy. Surgery may be the first option. The patient may have bleeding, pain, infection, or swelling of the arm afterwards as complications. Here are some types of surgeries used for breast cancer:
- Taking out only the breast cancer or lumpectomy. This surgery may try to keep the breast intact, while removing the tumor and a small area of healthy tissue around it.
- Taking out the entire breast or mastectomy. This surgery removes all the breast tissue, including skin, fatty tissue, lobules, and ducts. Even the areola and nipple are removed.
- Taking out some lymph nodes or sentinel node biopsy. This involves removal of lymph nodes to prevent spreading of the cancer. This may be done in addition to a lumpectomy or mastectomy.
- Taking out many lymph nodes or axillary lymph node dissection. More lymph nodes besides the sentinel lymph nodes may need to be removed near your arm pit to prevent the cancer from spreading.
- Taking out both breasts or contralateral prophylactic mastectomy. This may be done if the cancer risk is high for the second breast due to family history or a genetic predisposition.
For radiation therapy, protons or X-rays (high-energy beams) are used to kill the cancer. It can be done with a machine (beaming the energy at the body) or using radioactive chemicals (also called brachytherapy). This may require 3 days to 6 weeks of treatment. A radiation oncologist will determine the best course of treatment for each patient. Side effects can include swelling of the breast tissue, a rash (like sunburn), fatigue, heart/lung damage, or additional cancer at the treatment site (rare).
For chemotherapy, drugs are used to kill the cancer cells. This may be done after surgery to prevent a recurrence. Side effects include vomiting, nausea, hair loss, infection risks, infertility, premature menopause, heart or kidney damage, nerve damage, or even blood cell cancer (rare).
For hormone therapy, hormones are blocked for cancer that is sensitive to them. These are progesterone receptor positive cancers and estrogen receptor positive cancers.
Aucun commentaire