Mammary Carcinoma: Pathophysiology

by Susanti Santalia, 1706039345, Medical Surgical Nursing III – A

Undergraduate Student of FoN UI batch 2017

santalia.susanti@gmail.com

Cancer is a disease characterized by neoplasia, an uncontrolled growth of abnormal

cells [ CITATION Whi13 \l 1033 ]. Neoplasms, the new abnormally growth tissue can be
divided into benign (non-progressive) and malignant (progressively worsening and
often offer death prognosis). Cancer is the malignant form of neoplasia. Else than the
progressive growth, cancer can also spread via bloodstream (blood-borne) or lymph
system (lymphatic spread) [ CITATION Ign18 \l 1033 ]. Cancer cells are very similar to
cells of the organism from which they originated and have similar (but not identical)
DNA and RNA[ CITATION Sha10 \l 1033 ] . Cancer develops if the immune system is
not working properly and / or the amount of cells produced is too great for the
immune system to eliminate.

Breast is the organ that contains mammary glands. In adult woman, breast is divided
to three main parts: glandular tissue, connective tissue, adipose tissue [ CITATION
Cir17 \l 1033 ]. Breast is attached to the pectoral muscles of each side of chest. The
glandular tissue consists of lobules, ducts, and epithelial cells called alveoli (alveolar
cells). Glandular tissue of breast reacts to hormones as they have receptors for
estrogen, progesterone, and prolactin hormones.

Breast cancer refers to cancers originating from breast tissue, most commonly from
the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk [ CITATION
Sha10 \l 1033 ]. Breast cancer is also determined as the erratic growth and proliferation
of cells that originate in the breast tissue. Most breast cancers begin in the cells that
line the ducts (ductal cancers). Some begin in the cells that line the lobules (lobular
cancers).
According to the origin site, breast cancer is divided to Non-Invasive Breast Cancer
and Invasive Breast Cancer. The Non-Invasive Breast Cancer exists in the ducts and
does not invade surrounding tissues. The non-invasive breast cancer then divided
again into Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS).
The DCIS is reported to be the most common form while LCIS is less common but
considered as a marker for increased breast cancer risk [ CITATION Sha10 \l 1033 ] . The
invasive breast cancer usually breaks through duct and lobular wall, invading
surrounding tissues. Invasive breast cancer can be invasive without spreading to
lymph nodes or other organs.

Another two types of cancer are inflammatory breast cancer and the paget’s diseases
of the nipple. Inflammatory breast cancer is the appearance of inflamed breasts (red
and warm) with dimples and/or thick ridges caused by cancer cells blocking lymph
vessels or channels in the skin over the breast. Though inflammatory breast cancer is
rare (accounting for only 1% of breast cancers), it is extremely fast-growing
[ CITATION Sha10 \l 1033 ]. Paget’s disease of the nipples is the rare form of breast
cancer beginning in the milk duct then spreads to the skin of nipple and areola.

Age, reproductive factors, personal or family history of breast disease, genetic pre-
disposition and environmental factors have been associated with an increased risk for
the development of female breast cancer [ CITATION Sha14 \l 1033 ].
Below is the staging of breast cancer:

Stages of breast cancer, Breast cancer.org. 2010.

http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/diagnosis/staging.jsp . In [ CITATION Sha10 \l 1033 ]
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