Breast Cancer is a disease that we have become accustomed to primarily because of the aggressive informational campaigns by the different bodies around the world that want to inform people as much as possible regards with Breast Cancer, as it is also possible that in today’s age with information being quickly accessible and reliable, there are women who are not aware of Breast Cancer which is why each year there’s a dedicated day for Breast Cancer worldwide primarily to inform more and more people.
Women are greatly exposed to breast cancer, especially between the ages of 40 to 69. Most of the cases of Breast Cancer worldwide have been reported in that particular age bracket. Hence, being a woman, despite taking all of the safety measures for your well-being and good health, a woman in that age bracket should be mentally prepared for breast cancer and tackling it right on time.
Luckily, as the world has progressed, the medical world too has.
In today’s age, Breast cancer can be tackled efficiently and can be diagnosed quickly rather than adopting a wait-and-see approach to diagnose cancer.
In Singapore alone, almost 1 in 16 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. Another metric to consider while shedding the light on Singapore is that almost 25% of all cancers reported or diagnosed in Singapore are Breast Cancer.
There’s also another statistic that also highlights Breast Cancer in Singapore and that is about 1,927 cases of Breast Cancer were reported in Singapore for each year from 2011 to 2015.
Even if the metrics/facts/stats quoted above are historical, it signifies how important Breast Cancer is in Singapore.
Let’s deep dive into what Breast Cancer is, what its symptoms and types are and what courses of treatments are available today. This is going to be a very informative piece, so tag along.
What is Breast Cancer?
Breast Cancer can normally be defined as the abnormal growth of cells in the breasts of a woman. These cells then multiply and develop into a cancerous tumor which has the potential of spreading to other parts of the body.
Symptoms of Breast Cancer-
Breast Cancer symptoms include the following which can be felt or seen by the person herself, these symptoms are-
- A breast lump that isn’t painful.
- Itching and a rash around the nipple.
- Bleeding from the breast or strange discharge.
- The skin around the breasts has grown and expanded.
- Dimpled or wrinkled skin across the breasts.
- Nipple is curled or pulled in.
If you encounter any of these symptoms, it might be probable that you’re starting to get Breast Cancer. It is, therefore, advised and recommended to you to see a doctor as soon as possible without further delay.
How is Breast Cancer Diagnosed?
There are various methods that are able to correctly diagnose a breast cancer. The most widely and commonly used methods are as follows-
1. Examination-
Doctors clinically examine the breasts of the person to identify whether there has been a lump or nipple discharge or an unusual breast change which is usually an indication of breast cancer.
2. Mammogram-
Mammogram is a special x-ray imaging tool which can detect abnormal masses in the breasts such as cysts, tumors, or calcium deposits.
3. Ultrasound Scan-
After using the mammogram, the Ultrasound scan is used to find the abnormalities found in the mammogram. This is essential because the scan can tell the difference if whether the lump or the growth is because of solid masses, which are usually an indication of breast cancer, or fluid-filled cyst which is usually not cancer.
4. MRI or Magnetic Resonance Imaging-
An MRI scan allows for a more thorough examination of areas of concern in the breast. It is beneficial for younger women as they have more dense breast tissue, which makes routine imaging tests (such as mammography and ultrasound) less successful at detecting breast cancer.
Breast Cancer Types in Singapore-
There are many different types of Breast Cancer found in Singapore but the most common ones are as below-
1. Invasive Ductal Carcinoma-
The most frequent kind of breast cancer is IDC. The word in such type of cancer indicates that cancer has spread to the breast tissue near to its origin. In the case of IDC or Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, cancer that starts in the milk duct might migrate to other breast tissues through the duct wall.
2. Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC)-
Instead of starting in the milk duct, ILC starts in the milk glands (called lobules) and spreads to other parts of the breast.
3. Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC)-
IBC does not cause a lump in the breast, unlike other types of breast cancer. Instead, your breast skin may become red, inflamed, thick, or pitted (like an orange), your nipple may also invert, and your breast may become swollen, hard, sore, and uncomfortable, or itching.
Since IBC is an uncommon type of breast cancer that is difficult to detect with a mammogram, it is more likely to be progressed at the time of diagnosis.
After a breast cancer diagnosis is performed by breast cancer doctor singapore, further testing is done to determine the tumor’s receptor status. Cancers are classed as hormone receptor-positive or negative based on whether they contain oestrogen or progesterone receptor proteins. Your breast cancer may be classed as ER+ (oestrogen receptor-positive), PR+ (progesterone receptor-positive), HR+ (one or both of these receptors positive), or HR- (no oestrogen receptors positive) (has neither of these receptors). It’s also possible that your cancer is HER2 positive or negative. HER2 is a protein that stimulates cancer cell growth, and HER2 levels in HER2 positive breast cancer are greater than normal.
1. HR positive HER2 negative breast cancer-
The most frequent type of breast cancer is this one. When a cancer is classified as HR+ HER2, it has oestrogen or progesterone receptors but does not overexpress the HER2 gene. Hormone therapy are commonly used to treat it.
2. HER2 positive breast cancer-
HER2-positive breast cancer accounts for 25% of all breast cancers, and it is more frequent in women under the age of 60. Breast cancer that is HER2 positive spreads more quickly than other types of breast cancer, but it responds effectively to treatments that target the HER2 protein (known as targeted therapies).
3. Triple negative breast cancer-
Triple negative breast cancer is aggressive breast cancer which accounts for 15% of all breast cancer cases. Because it lacks the three proteins found on breast cancer cells, oestrogen, progesterone, and HER2 receptors hence it is categorised as a triple negative cancer. It occurs most frequently in women under the age of 40 or in those who have the BRCA1 gene mutation.
How is Breast Cancer in Singapore Treated-
Breast cancer treatment and the likelihood of recovery differ as it depends on several factors such as-
- whether the cancer has spread to other parts of the body or is it only contained in the breast,
- the type of cancer,
- specific characteristics of the cancer cells,
- whether the cancer is found in the other breast,
- the patient’s age,
- menopausal status (whether the patient still has menstrual cycles), and
- the patient’s general health.
Surgery-
Surgery is a strong method for removing cancer from the body.
Radiotherapy-
High-energy rays are used in radiotherapy to target and kill cancer cells. It can be combined with other treatments to eliminate any leftover cancer cells in or around the breast, reducing the risk of the cancer returning.
Radiotherapy is not required for the majority of women who have had a mastectomy. If the danger of the cancer returning is high, it can be used to treat the chest wall and lymph nodes in the armpit.
Systematic Therapy-
If you’re guided to take drugs to tackle the cancer, then such type of treatment is called Systematic Therapy as it involves the taking of medicine.
Rehabilitation-
Rehabilitation includes Physical and Mental Rehabilitation.
Conclusion
As it has been quoted in the opening of this article that almost 25 percent of the cancer cases reported in Singapore have been found to be that of breast cancer and there had been yearly reported 1,927 cases of breast cancer in Singapore from the year 2011 to 2015.
This suggests that breast cancer in Singapore is growing which needs to be tackled and if not it may result in facing drastic consequences. Yearly check ups by breast cancer doctor are available and we encourage all women to do their yearly checkups to get an early diagnosis.
