Pathology Exam 4

Breast Diseases and Disorders

Mastitis

An infection of an area of the breast.

Most common during breastfeeding.

Causes inflammation in the ducts. Has a pie appearance that starts from the nipple and the bacteria from the babies mouth.

Treatment is lots of liquids, frequent nursing, and anti-biotics.

The Breasts are made up of __-__ sections called what?

15-20, Lobes

What are Ducts?

Tiny tubes that carry milk from the lobules to the nipple

What are lobules/ “Glandular Tissue”?

Lobules produce milk

What gives the breasts their size and shape?

Fibrous tissue and fat

Describe Fibrocystic Breast Tissue (FCT)

Breast lumps, thick tissues, pain or tenderness in the upper outer quadrant of the breast.

Hormonally sensitive (symptoms fluctuate with menstrual cycle).

Typically affects women between 20 and 50

Mammograms are?

The best screen breast cancer

The American Cancer Society recommends all women screen for breast cancer @?

45

what is a Breast Ultrasound?

Another screening tool for breast cancer.

Can determine whether a breast lump is a solid mass or fluid cyst.

When is a MRI used?

As a supplemental tool to breast screening.

Used alongside mammography or ultrasound.

What is Fibroadenoma, and what are the risks?

A benign tumor common in women under 30.

Small risk of malignant degeneration.

Patients who have one fibroadenoma are predisposed to getting more.

How are Fibroadenomas removed?

Surgical biopsy

What are the screening methods for fibroadenomas?

Mammography, Ultrasound, and Fine needle aspiration

Which is the best screening method for Fibroadenomas?

Fine needle aspiration

Are PET scans used to screen for breast cancer?

False

What is a Breast Tissue Sample?

The ONLY definitive way to make a diagnosis of breast cancer.

What do Breast samples determine?

• If the cells are cancerous

• The types of cells

• The aggressiveness/grade of the cancer

• If the cancer cells have hormone receptors (If the hormone receptor sites bind to estrogen or progesterone it will divide more rapidly and aggressively.)

• Other receptors that may influence treatment

What are the Breast Biopsy options?

• Fine-needle aspiration (FNA)

• Stereotactic Biopsy

• Surgical Biopsy

What is a Stereotactic biopsy?

A breast biopsy that uses mammography to produce images of deep breast lump

What is a Fine-needle aspiration?

A breast biopsy that uses a thin needle to withdraw tissues from a suspicious are. Used to evaluate breast lumps.

What is the incidence of breast cancer for women in the U.S

1 in 8

What is the incidence of breast cancer for men in the U.S

1 in 1,000

Breast cancer incidence rates in the U.S began decreasing when?

The year 2000

What is the theory that attempts to explain the drop in BC incidence rates?

The reduced use of hormone replacement therapy

Breast cancer is the # __ fatal cancer for women in the U.S

2

Lung cancer is the # __ fatal cancer for women in the U.S

1

When a woman has a first-degree relative who’s been diagnosed with breast cancer, her risk _____.

Doubles

About ____ of breast cancers can be linked to gene mutations.

5-10%

Which gene mutations are most common?

Mutations of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes

Women with a BRCA1 mutation have a 55-66% lifetime risk of developing breast cancer

True

Is breast cancer the most common cancer diagnosis for women in the United States

Obvi

What is the second most common cancer diagnosis for women in the U.S

Skin Cancer

The most common site for breast cancer is where?

The upper outer

What are the breast cancer signs and symptoms?

• newly Inverted nipple

• lumps or thickening

• change in appearance

• peeling/scaling/flaking

• redness

Breast cancer Causes?

About 5-10% are linked to gene mutations BRACA1 and 2

What percentage of people with BRCA1 gene will develop breast cancer?

55-65%

What percentage of people with BRCA2 gene will develop breast cancer?

45%

Does menstruation before 12 or menopause after 52 increase risk of breast cancer?

yIKES (yes)

What about postmenopausal hormone therapy, obesity, and drinking? Are they BC risks?

Most definitely!

Okay, and what about Having kids as an Unc or having a dried up wound? (lol jk)

…Yes

Does getting radiation treatments to the chest as a youngin increase the risk of breast cancer?

Yes

What is a lumpectomy?

removes a small cancerous tumor and a small margin of healthy tissue surrounding it.

What is a mastecomy?

Removal of the breast and tissue (for implants)

What is a sentinel node biopsy?

A surgical biopsy removing a limited number of lymph nodes to determine whether a cancer has spread there

What is a skin-sparing mastectomy?

A surgical biopsy that leaves the skin over the breast intact to improve reconstruction and appearance.

What is chemotherapy?

The use of drugs for cancer treatments. Can work throughout the whole body.

What is radiation therapy?

One of the most common treatments for cancer. Uses high-energy particles/waves to destroy/damage cancer cells.

What is hormone therapy?

A common breast cancer treatment that uses tamoxifen Meds to block estrogen and progesterone receptors to prevent cancer division.

What are Aromatase inhibitors used for?

Aromatase inhibitors block the enzyme aromatase.

Aromatase is an enzyme that turns the hormone androgen into estrogen.

These are given to women who are menopausal, who have this enzyme.

What are targeted drug treatments?

A breast cancer treatment that uses drugs to attack specific abnormalities within cancer cells.

What are the recommended lifestyle changes for those with breast cancer?

• Limit alcohol

• Don’ smoke

• Control weight

• be active

• limit hormone therapy for menopause ( therapy for more than 3-5 years increases the risk of breast cancer