CHEMOTHERAPHY (Breast Cancer)

The purpose of chemotherapy and other systemic treatments is to get rid of any cancer cells that may have spread from where the cancer started to another part of the body. Chemotherapy uses these cytotoxic drugs to destroy cancer cells. The drugs work by disrupting the growth of cancer cells. As they circulate in the blood, they can reach them wherever they are in your body.The drugs ust kill cells that are actively growing and dividing into new cells. Cancer cells do this much more often than normal cells, so they are more likely to be killed by the treatment. Cancer cells are not as good at repairing themselves as normal cells. Normal cells can often repair any damage caused by chemotherapy.
It's also important to remember that organs in which the cells do not divide rapidly, such as the liver and kidneys, are rarely affected by chemotherapy. And doctors will keep close track of side effects and can treat most of them to improve the way you feel.

Source : www.cancerhelp.org , www.breastcancer.org

What Causes Breast Cancer?

How some factor cause cells cancer to become cancerous, it is not yet exactly known, hormones not fully-understood role in many cases of breast cancer.

“In breast cancer, some of the cells in your breast begin growing abnormally. These cells divide more rapidly than healthy cells do and may spread (metastasize) through your breast, to your lymph nodes or to other parts of your body. The most common type of breast cancer begins in the milk-producing ducts, but cancer may also begin in the lobules or in other breast tissue.”

Changes in DNA can cause normal breast cells to become cancerous. DNA is the chemical in each of our cells that makes up our genes the instructions for how our cells function.

Certain genes that speed up cell division are called oncogenes. Others that slow down cell division, or cause cells to die at the right time, are called tumor suppressor genes. Cancers can be caused by DNA mutations (changes) that "turn on" oncogenes or "turn off" tumor suppressor genes.

“ it isn't clear what causes normal breast cells to become cancerous. Doctors do know that only 5 percent to 10 percent of breast cancers are inherited. Families that do have genetic defects in one of two genes, breast cancer gene 1 (BRCA1) or breast cancer gene 2 (BRCA2), have a much greater risk of developing both breast and ovarian cancer. Other inherited mutations — including the ataxia-telangiectasia mutation gene, the cell-cycle checkpoint kinase 2 (CHEK-2) gene and the p53 tumor suppressor gene — also make it more likely that you'll develop breast cancer. If one of these genes is present in your family, you have a 50 percent chance of having the gene.”

Inherited gene mutations

Women have already begun to benefit from advances in understanding the genetic basis of breast cancer. Genetic testing can identify some women who have inherited mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 tumor suppressor genes (or less commonly in other genes such as PTEN or p53). These women can then take steps to reduce their risk of developing breast cancers and to monitor changes in their breasts carefully to find cancer at an earlier, more treatable stage.

Most genetic mutations related to breast cancer aren't inherited. These acquired mutations may result from radiation exposure , women treated with chest radiation therapy for lymphoma in childhood or during adolescence when breasts are developing have a significantly higher incidence of breast cancer than do women not exposed to radiation. Mutations may also develop as a result of exposure to cancer causing chemicals, such as the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons found in tobacco and charred red meats.

So how relationship exists between a person's genetic makeup and environmental factors that may increase the risk of breast cancer.?? Researcher trying to discover about that relation.

Breast cancer

“Breast cancer, the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in American women, is the disease women fear most. Experts predict 178,000 women will develop breast cancer in the United States in 2007. Breast cancer can also occur in men, but it's far less common. For 2007, the predicted number of new breast cancers in men is 2,000”. www.mayoclinic.com

Do you ever worried? you might have breast cancer.? SEE YOUR DOCTOR RIGHT AWAY

The breast is formed is by comparing it to an upturned bush. Its leaves are known as lobules and they produce milk that drains into ducts that are the branches of the breast tree. These in turn drain into 12 or 15 major or large ducts which empty onto the surface of the nipple.

Breast cancer develops from the cells that line the breast, lobules and the draining ducts.

Cancer cells that remain confined to the lobule and the ducts are called 'in situ' or 'non-invasive'. They are sometimes also referred to as pre-cancers in recognition of the fact that these cells have not yet gained the ability to spread to other parts of the body, which is the feature that most people associate with cancer.

An invasive cancer is one where the cells have moved outside the ducts and lobules into the surrounding breast tissue.

What are the signs?

If there are no outward signs of breast cancer that you can see or feel. If there are outward signs, the more common ones include a lump, an area of thickening, or a dimple in the breast. Less common signs include breast swelling and redness or an enlarged underarm lymph node.

But even if you have one or more of these signs, it still doesn't mean you have breast cancer. Remember that most breast lumps turn out to be benign (not cancerous).

So knowing the signs and symptoms of breast cancer may help save your life. When the disease is discovered early, you have more treatment options and a better chance for a cure.

Most breast lumps aren't cancerous. Yet the most common sign of breast cancer for both men and women is a lump or thickening in the breast. Often, the lump is painless. Other potential signs of breast cancer include:

• Any flattening or indentation of the skin over your breast
• Retraction or indentation of your nipple
• A change in the size or contours of your breast
• Redness or pitting of the skin over your breast, like the skin of an orange
• A spontaneous clear or bloody discharge from your nipple, often associated with a breast lump

A number of conditions other than breast cancer can cause your breasts to change in size or feel. Breast tissue changes naturally during pregnancy and your menstrual cycle. Other possible causes of noncancerous breast changes include fibrocystic changes, cysts, fibroadenomas, infection or injury.

If you find a lump or other change in your breast — even if a recent mammogram was normal — see your doctor for evaluation. You may want to wait through one menstrual cycle before seeing your doctor. If the change hasn't gone away after a month, have it evaluated .

Source : breastcancer.org , mayoclinic.com

Mesothelioma

“Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that begins in the lining of the internal organs of the body. Approximately three-fourths of cases of mesothelioma begin in the lining surrounding the lungs (called pleural mesothelioma). Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer in which malignant (cancerous) cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers most of the body's internal organs. Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles.”

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos. In this disease, malignant cell develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs. Its most common site is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and internal chest wall), but it may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity), the heart,the pericardium (a sac that surrounds the heart) ortunica vaginalis.

Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or they have been exposed to asbestos dust and fiber in other ways. Washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos can also put a person at risk for developing mesothelioma.Unlike lung cancer, there is no association between mesothelioma and smoking.

The symptoms of mesothelioma include

· shortness of breath

· pleural effusion

· chest wall pain

· and general symptoms such as weight loss.

· The diagnosis may be suspected with chest X-ray

· CT Scan

· biopsy (tissue sample)

· Microscopic examination examination

· A thoracoscopy (inserting a tube with a camera into the chest)

Despite treatment with

· Chemotherapy

· Radiation Therapy

· Surgery

the disease carries a poor prognosis. Research about screening test for the early detection of mesothelioma is ongoing.

There are three main types of mesothelioma:

· Epithelial type. 50% to 70% of people diagnosed with mesothelioma. It has the best prognosis (chance of recovery) due to its slower growth, and this type is more likely to respond to treatment.

· Sarcoma type. 7% to 20% of people diagnosed with mesothelioma and has a worse prognosis.

· Mixed type. 20% to 35% of people diagnosed with mesothelioma and contains both epithelial and sarcomatous types. This type of mesothelioma has an intermediate prognosis.

Statistics

However, cancer survival statistics should be interpreted with caution. These estimates are based on data from thousands of cases of this type of cancer in the United States each year, but the actual risk for a particular individual may differ. It is not possible to tell a person how long he or she will live with mesothelioma. Because the survival statistics are measured in five-year (or sometimes one-year) intervals, they may not represent advances made in the treatment or diagnosis of this cancer.

Source: American Cancer Society, Cancer net, Wikipedia, Picture: www.Mesotheliomamedical.org