What is Breast Cancer?
One of our body’s amazing functions is the ability for cells to reproduce themselves so that growth and repair of body tissues is possible. Usually, cells reproduce by dividing themselves in an orderly and regular way. However, mutation or ‘abnormal changes’ in the genes within body cells that control and regulate the growth of cells and keep them healthy can cause some genes to overwork, causing uncontrolled growth of cells. These growths or tumours can be either benign which are not dangerous, or malignant, which is cancerous.
Breast cancer is a term used to describe a malignant tumour that has developed within the cells of the breast. The most common area in the breast for breast cancer to develop is in the ducts, and less commonly in the lobules of the breast. Over time the cancerous cells can invade nearby healthy breast tissue, or cells can break off from the tumour and travel to the lymph nodes and into the lymphatic system which could take them to other parts of the body.
Secondary breast cancer is where the cancer has spread from the breast to other parts of the body. This is called metastasis, where the cancer cells have metastasised or ‘changed location’ and become established in another part of the body.
Various Treatments for Breast Cancer
Surgery
There are various treatments used to combat breast cancer. Most often treatment starts with surgery to remove the malignant tumour from the breast. In some cases it is possible to remove only the tumour, especially in cases where the breast cancer has been detected early. In other cases the patient undergoes a mastectomy where the breast itself is removed.
Radiotherapy
Surgery is usually followed by a course of Radiotherapy, which is a treatment using radiation. Cells that are dividing are damaged by radiation and as the cancer cells are more likely to be dividing they are more likely to be killed during radiation than normal cells.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a treatment that uses drugs to kill cancer cells. The drugs circulate through the body in the blood they can get to cancer cells wherever they are. They too, like radiation, target dividing cells and damage them. Although they also affect normal cells, they are more effective on cancer cells as they are less able to repair themselves than normal cells.
Hormone Therapy
Hormones are naturally occurring substances which control the growth and activity of normal cells. Although hormones do not usually affect cancer cells with breast cancer the situation is different. These hormones can affect the growth of some breast cancer cells so hormone therapy is used to lower the levels of oestrogen and progesterone and block the effects of these hormones.
Biological Therapy
Antibodies occur naturally in our bodies and are produced by our immune system. Their function is to seek out foreign cells, such as bacteria and viruses, and kill them. Biological therapy uses laboratory made antibodies designed to target certain cells. Herceptin, a laboratory developed antibody, targets cancer cells.