While symptoms of breast cancer are not always obvious, you should be checked for lumps and other suspicious symptoms immediately. Early detection can improve your chances of successful treatment. In most cases, breast cancer is diagnosed by a physical examination, but you may feel an abnormal mass in the breast for no apparent reason. If you think you might have cancer, make an appointment for a mammogram or ultrasound to rule out other causes. Depending on the location and size of the lump, you may need more than one test.
Stage II or stage IIIa breast cancer is generally not dangerous, but it can spread to lymph nodes in the axilla or beneath the collarbone. Stage III or stage IV cancer has spread to other parts of the body. In stage IV, the cancer has spread to distant organs or lymph nodes, or even the chest wall. In this case, it is more likely to have spread. Cancer in stage IV or metastatic breast cancer has spread to distant organs.
Although breast cancer usually starts in the ducts and lobules that supply milk to the womb, it can spread to other parts of the body. The cancer cells are capable of spreading through the blood and lymphatic system. However, most cancer cells die while spreading to other organs. This process, known as metastasis, can take years. While it is highly unlikely that a woman will develop breast cancer in her lifetime, it is still possible for it to spread.
A biopsy will help determine if the cancer has spread. This procedure may be a viable option in small tumors that do not spread, or it may be necessary to create a prosthesis for your breast. Breast reconstruction is an operation to create a new breast after removing the old one. Before surgery, however, chemotherapy may be necessary to shrink the tumor, or if the cancer has spread beyond the breast. Chemotherapy may also be necessary if the cancer is HER2-positive or does not respond to hormone therapy.
Fortunately, most forms of breast cancer are treatable, and can even be cured if detected in its early stages. Localized cancer may be treatable, and with appropriate treatment, you can control the disease for years to come. Early detection can be important, however, as a lump may not be large enough to feel, even after it has spread. But it is still possible to find a lump in your breast. You can also check for changes in the skin of your breast or nipple. A lump may be puckered or dimpled and may be breast cancer in its early stages. In some cases, the cancer has not spread past the duct or lobule and is small enough to be ignored for several years.
The two main types of breast cancer are invasive and infiltrative. Invasive cancer, on the other hand, is more likely to occur in a breast’s fatty tissue. It starts inside the milk ducts and breaks through the wall of these milk ducts. Approximately 80% of invasive cancers are adenocystic. As the name implies, adenosquamous cancer is often slow-growing and looks like the medulla.
