Breast Cancer Basics
This is the abnormal growth of cells in the breast that can lead to the formation of a tumor.
What is breast cancer?
This treatment involves the surgical removal of the tumor and surrounding breast tissue.
What is surgery?
Regular exercise and maintaining a healthy diet are effective strategies for reducing the risk of this type of cancer.
What is breast cancer?
This stage of breast cancer is characterized by non-invasive growth and is often referred to as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).
What is Stage 0?
This imaging technology allows for better visualization of breast tissue, increasing the chances of detecting small tumors.
What is 3D mammography or tomosynthesis?
This type of screening is essential for detecting breast cancer early and is recommended to begin at age 40.
What is a mammogram?
This treatment modality uses chemical agents to target and destroy rapidly dividing cancer cells throughout the body.
What is chemotherapy?
Genetic predisposition, especially from family history, can increase the likelihood of developing this disease due to inherited mutations.
What is genetic risk?
Tumors classified in this stage may be larger than 2 cm or have spread to nearby lymph nodes but not to distant organs.
What is Stage II?
Testing for mutations in genes that increase breast cancer risk helps to identify individuals who may benefit from enhanced screening and preventive measures; this is known as what?
What is genetic testing?
Mutations in these two genes are strongly associated with an increased risk of developing breast cancer.
What are BRCA1 and BRCA2?
This form of treatment utilizes high-energy radiation to eliminate cancer cells in a localized area, often used after surgery.
What is radiation therapy?
These are environmental substances known to cause cancer, which include chemicals in tobacco smoke and pollutants.
What are carcinogens?
Cancer cells are known to have this characteristic that enables them to invade nearby tissues and spread through the bloodstream.
What is invasiveness?
Personalized treatment plans for breast cancer are based on understanding an individual’s unique genetic makeup; this concept is called what?
What is precision medicine?
This term describes the process where cancer cells spread from their original site to other parts of the body.
What is metastasis?
Therapies targeting specific molecular features of cancer cells, such as HER2-positive breast cancer, fall under this category.
What is targeted therapy?
Lifestyle factors such as high-fat diets and sedentary behavior are linked to increased risk of breast cancer and are often referred to as what?
What are modifiable risk factors?
Hormone receptor-positive breast cancers often require specific treatments targeting these hormones, such as estrogen and progesterone.
What are hormone receptors?
Current research continues to explore potential therapeutic targets in breast cancer cells, contributing to the development of these types of treatments.
What are targeted therapies?
Approximately 1 in this many women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.
What is 8?
This advanced form of treatment employs the body’s immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells more effectively.
What is immunotherapy?
Accumulation of mutations over time can lead to breast cancer, typically requiring this many genetic alterations for a cell to become malignant.
What are approximately six mutations?
This process describes the transition of normal cells to cancerous cells, often initiated by genetic mutations that disrupt normal growth controls.
What is carcinogenesis?
Ongoing clinical trials for breast cancer treatment are vital for discovering new and innovative methods to improve patient outcomes; this research field is essential for what purpose?
What is advancing cancer treatment?