Breast cancer

By Gianna Corbacio
 What is
breast cancer?
Breast cancer is a type of
cancer in which is located in
the breasts. It is the 2nd most
common type of cancer in
women. And, although you
may not know it, men can get
it too.
 Where is it generally located?
Breast cancer is generally
Defining located in your breasts.
breast cancer
What is breast cancer? Overall
cancer is caused by the division
of cells when they divide at an
uncontrollable pace. Breast
cancer specifically happens when
the cancer cells form in the
tissues of the breast.
signs/effects Breast cancer also has many side effects to
certain treatment plans. For example,
chemotherapy. Here are some side effects
Breast cancer has many signs to it….
to it. Here are some of them…
● Hair loss
● Nausea
● Lumps in the breast ● Pain
● size/shape change of the
breast
● red/swollen skin around
the breast.

How is the cancer
diagnosed?
What tests are done? Most
commonly, Breast Cancer is
found through mammograms.
Mammograms not only find the
cancer but are incredibly
beneficial as they can find it early
on before it has the chance to
spread.
Are scans done with MRI, CAT scan,
PET scan, X-ray, or ultrasound
machines? There are more ways to
diagnose/find breast cancer. One of
which is screening. Screening is a
test that mainly focuses on the
symptoms or signs of the cancer.
The goal of it is to find the cancer at
an early stage where you can
cure/treat it easier.
Mammogram machine

Possible causes
Are there environmental or health
factors that can cause the cancer?
Yes, most breast cancer is sporadic. If
the breast cancer is sporadic, the
cause of the cancer is due to
environmental factors. Along with
that there are some health factors
such as your diet. Obesity is a factor
to getting breast cancer.
Can the cancer be inherited?
Yes, Breast cancer can be
inherited. Although, for breast
cancer to be genetically passed
down is a lot less common.
Are there specific gene
mutations that contribute to
the cancer? Yes, there are gene
mutations which are BRCA1,
BRCA2, and PALB2. These are
tumor suppressor genes. Their
original job is to keep the genes
from going out of control but
when mutations occur, they
cannot do that which then leads
to the genes going out of
control.
 What is a Prophylactic
prevention Mastectomy? This is a surgery when they
remove the BRCA1 or BRCA2. These genetic
What can be done to prevent mutations can increase the risk of getting
breast cancer therefore if you have them, a
getting this cancer? There is
prophylactic mastectomy is the surgery in
nothing that will 100% stop you which they remove it.
from getting breast cancer but
could lower your risk dramatically.
Here are some things you can do…
● Exercise regularly
● Breastfeeding
● Limit alcohol intake
● prophylactic mastectomy
● Taking specific drugs
(tamoxifen, raloxifene,
aromatase inhibitors)

How is breast
cancer treated?
In all cancers, depending on the
conditions and factors, the treatment
that’s best for you will be determined by
your doctor. For Breast cancer
specifically here are some treatment
options…
The surgery is the most common
type of treatment as it removes
the tumor overall.
Chemotherapy, radiation therapy,
targeted therapy, and hormonal
therapy are what they do after
surgery to get rid of any
remaining bits of cancer.

● Surgery (removing the tumor)

● Radiation therapy
● Chemotherapy
● Targeted therapy
● Hormonal therapy
 How common is it? 1 in 8 women are
diagnosed with breast cancer which is 13%
How many and what and is the 2nd most common cancer in the US

type of people are likely

to have the disorder?
Is it more common in a certain
gender or group of people?
Yes, you’re more likely to find
this cancer in women although
men can get it too. Studies have
also shown that black women
are more likely to face delays in
their treatment.
 In black women, the 5 year survival
rate will drop down around 9%
prognosis
What is the 5 year survival rate
and/or annual deaths? A survival
rate is what gives you a percentage on
how many people survive within 5
years of diagnosis. For invasive breast
cancer the 5 year survival rate is
91%. But, if the breast cancer has
spread to the regional lymph nodes
the percentage goes down to about
86%. If the cancer spreads to another
part of the body, it dramatically goes
down to 27%.