Breast Cancer Pathophysiology. Health, Medicine, Nursing Term Paper

Breast Cancer Pathophysiology
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Breast Cancer Pathophysiology
Introduction
Breast cancer is the commonest type of cancer among women globally. A woman’s risks for breast cancer can be stratified using prediction models that provide guidelines on the screening recommendations depending on the presence of quantifiable or known environmental, hormonal, genetic, or individual risk factors (Shah, Rosso, & Nathanson, 2014). In the detection and screening of the disease, mammography remains to be the method of choice, although other techniques such as ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have become commonplace in diagnosing a select population. Over the past decades, there have been improvements in the management of breast cancer with a multidisciplinary approach and specializations. Accumulating evidence points to the effectiveness of non-invasive interventions such as a surgical operation. However, advances in genomic profiling and molecular biology have opened new possibilities in breast cancer treatment (Shah, Rosso, & Nathanson, 2014). This paper defines breast cancer and related epidemiology and describes the physiology of breasts in healthy individuals. A discussion of breast cancer pathophysiology forms the basis of this paper and includes the clinical manifestation and assessment of breast cancer. Diagnostic testing and clinical management and outcomes of patient treatment sections will be presented before making recommendations and conclusions regarding the future perspectives of breast cancer treatment and management.
Definition of Breast Cancer and Related Epidemiology
Breast cancer is a collection of several types of cancer that affect the breast, and these subtypes can differ depending on the patterns of gene expression, clinical presentation, and molecular and genetic characteristics. The term refers to a condition where malignant/cancer cells form in the breast tissues and can occur in both men and women (Angahar, 2017). Breast cancer is the most common malignancy diagnosed women and is the second leading cause of death among women with cancer (Shah, Rosso & Nathanson, 2014). The incidence of breast cancer in women varies among the different population, with the United States and Northern Europe recording the highest incidents then followed by Southern and Eastern Europe and parts of South America. In Asia, breast cancer cases are relatively low (Angahar, 2017). The risks of breast cancer are also high with an increase in age especially before women attain the age of 50 during their premenopausal stage. Other important etiological factors include race and ethnicity where black women below the age of 40 records higher incidents compared to white women. However, the incident rates over the age of 40 are higher among white women than blacks (Angahar 2017).
Description Of Normal Physiology Of Breasts
The physiology of the woman's breasts during a period when they are not lactating usually plays a critical role in contributing to the etiology of breast cancer as well as other conditions of the breasts (Mills et al., 2011). While there have been extensive studies into the physiology of lactating breasts, there are limited investigations into the physiology of resting mammary glands and the mechanisms through which compounds such as drugs, hormones, and potentially carcinogenic compounds enter the breasts through the breasts. Mills et al. (2011) have explored the transport of exogenous drugs via the breast’s ductal fluids among non-lactating mothers and determined if their concentrations in the fluid are same in those observed in the breast milk of those lactating mothers. The researchers selected two compounds which have been characterized among lactating mothers, including cimetidine and caffeine. According to Mills et al. (2011), caffeine usually diffuses into the breast milk, but cimetidine will actively get transported and concentrated into the breast milk. Following caffeine and cimetidine ingestion, blood was drawn from14 non-locating mothers who underwent ductal lavage at five different stages throughout 12 hours to determine the drug levels in blood and fluid (Mills et al., 2011). The results of the experiment support the previous evidence that cimetidine transporter is not expressed among nonlactating mothers and shows striking differences in the molecular and physiological transport of both lactating and non-lactating breasts.
Explanation of breast cancer pathophysiology
Breast cancer refers to a malignant tumor which often begins in the breast’s cells. Like most cancers, some factors can increase the risks of breast...