What you should know about Breast Cancer (Part 1)

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide. It accounts for one in three cancer cases diagnosed in women and over two million cases yearly. If you or a loved one is diagnosed with breast cancer, one of the first things you can do is educate yourself about the disease and available treatment options. 

What is breast cancer?

Breast cancer is a common term for a cancerous (malignant) tumour that starts in the cells that line the breast’s ducts and/or lobules. Breast cancer is not one disease; instead, it is several diseases that behave differently. 

What causes breast cancer?

Breast cancer’s causes are not exactly clear. Studies have identified numerous risk factors for breast cancer in women, including hormonal, lifestyle and environmental factors that may increase the risk of breast cancer. Other factors include: 

• Increasing age 
• Personal history of breast cancer 
• Early menstruation 
• Late menopause 
• A first pregnancy after age 30 or no prior pregnancies 
• Use of oral contraceptives 
• Family history of breast cancer 
• Presence of certain inherited genetic changes 
• History of radiation therapy to the chest 
• Long-term use of combined hormone therapy  
• Alcohol use 
• Obesity after menopause 

It’s unclear why some people who have no risk factors develop cancer, while others with risk factors never do. 

What is inflammatory breast cancer?

Considered a rare disease, inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) typically forms in the soft tissues blocking lymph vessels in the skin of the breast. The breast often becomes firm, tender, itchy, red and warm from increased blood flow and a build-up of white blood cells. IBC differs from other forms of breast cancer, especially in symptoms, prognosis and treatment. The term “inflammatory” is not meant to reflect what’s happening inside the breast, only in how the breast appears. When an infection or injury causes the breasts to become inflamed, they often become tender, swollen, red and itchy but the underlying cause is not inflammation.

When should I begin screening for breast cancer?

The following screening procedures are for women at average risk for breast cancer:

• Optional mammograms beginning at age 40
• Annual mammograms for women ages 45 to 54
• Mammograms every two years for women 55 and older, unless they choose to stick with yearly screenings
• MRIs and mammograms for some women at high risk of breast cancer starting at the age of 30

Dr Ntomboxolo Mboyi has a BSc (UKZN), MBCHB (Medunsa), Fc Rad Onc (SA), and is a Postgraduate in Cancer Biology and Therapeutics: High Impact Cancer Research Program (Harvard Medical School). She is a member of the South African Oncology Consortium (SAOC), South African Society of Clinical and Radiation Oncology (SASCRO), American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), and American Brachytherapy Society (ABS) and a Chairperson of the leading body of CanSurvive, a non-benefit association offering support to cancer patients.