• Change in the size/shape of the breast
• Nipple discharge • Rash/crusting around
the nipple • Change in nipple appearance
eg becomes inverted • Lump in the armpit
• Rash on/around armpit • Dimpling of skin
on the breast • Change in colour of the
breast eg red /inflamed
DIAGNOSIS?
Mammogram
A mammogram is useful for finding early changes in the
breast, when it may be difficult to feel a lump. It isn't as
helpful in younger women though. If women are under 35, a
consultant is likely to suggest that they have an ultrasound
instead of a mammogram. • A mammogram can be
uncomfortable because the breasts are put between two
metal plates and a little pressure is applied. But most
women describe this as mild to moderate discomfort. The
discomfort only lasts a few minutes and the pressure
doesn't harm the breasts
Breast ultrasound
Ultrasound scans use sound waves to make
a picture of the inside of the body. Breast
ultrasound is painless and takes just a few
minutes. It is usually used for women under
35 whose breasts are too dense or solid to
give a clear picture with mammograms.
Ultrasound can also show if a breast lump is
solid, or if it contains fluid (a cyst).
Fine needle aspiration (FNA)
The doctor uses a fine needle and syringe to
take a sample of cells from the breast lump.
They may also use this test to drain fluid from a
benign cyst. A needle biopsy can be used to take
a core of tissue from a breast lump.
Ultrasound and FNA of the lymph nodes
The doctor uses the FNA
technique, as above,
whilst using an
ultrasound scan to locate
the lymph nodes and
take samples of cells.
Biopsy such as a needle (core) biopsy,
vacuum-assisted biopsy, excision biopsy or wire
localisation
To complete a core needle biopsy, a surgeon will use a
large, hollow-core needle, which has a special tip. The
surgeon puts this needle through the skin and into the
lump. A very small tissue sample will be taken into the
core needle. Sometimes the surgeon will also use
suction, in order to remove a slightly larger sample of
tissue. The sample is then sent for laboratory tests.
Other biopsy techniques can be used if it is problematic
obtaining a tissue sample through a core needle biopsy.
TREATMENTS?
Surgery
The type of surgery individuals have will depend on: • the size
of the cancer in their breast • Whether it has spread to any
other part of the body • The size of the breasts • The
individuals personal wishes and feelings In some situations
individuals may be offered a choice of treatments. They may
need to have: • The whole breast removed (mastectomy) • Only
the lump or area of cancer removed (called lumpectomy or
wide local excision) • About a quarter of the breast tissue
removed (quadrantectomy) Individuals may choose to have a
new breast shape made (breast reconstruction) at the time of
surgery or later. Having a reconstruction sometime after the
original surgery is called delayed reconstruction.
Lumpectomy
Surgery to remove the area of cancer is called lumpectomy or
wide local excision. The surgeon takes away just the cancer and
a border of healthy tissue all around it. They leave behind as
much healthy breast tissue as possible. They send the tissue
that they remove to a pathologist for examination under a
microscope. The pathologist checks for cancer cells in the
border around the lump. If that border does not contain cancer
cells, the report will say there is a healthy margin or clear
margin.
Mastectomy
Some women need to have a mastectomy (removal of the whole breast).
Mastectomy is the most suitable treatment if an individual has: • A large
lump, particularly in a small breast • A lump in the middle of the breast
• More than one area of cancer in the breast • Areas of DCIS in the rest of the
breast There are different types of mastectomy: • A mastectomy removes
the breast tissue (including the skin and the nipple) and the tissues that
cover the chest muscles • A radical mastectomy also removes the muscles of
the chest wall (this operation is rarely done now) The scar from a
mastectomy extends across the skin of the chest and into the armpit
Radiotherapy
Chemotherapy
This is often given before surgery to shrink a large
tumour so that only a part of the breast needs to be
removed, avoiding the need for a full mastectomy. It
may also be given after surgery to reduce the risk of
the cancer coming back
LIFESTYLE CHANGES?
WHAT IS IT?
Breast cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the
breast. New cells are only made when and where they are needed. In cancer, this
orderly process goes wrong and cells begin to grow and multiply. Breast cancer starts
when cells in the breast begin to divide and grow in an abnormal way, forming a
lump or” tumour”