Understanding Breast Cancer Terminology

Overview

Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that develops from cells in the breast. The stage of breast cancer is described on a scale of 0 through IV, with stage 0 referring to non-invasive cancers that stay in their original location, and stage IV referring to invasive cancers that spread outside the breast to other parts of the body.

Here are some key medical terms related to breast cancer:

• Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS): This is a type of non-invasive breast cancer where abnormal cells are found in the lining of the milk ducts but have not spread into surrounding breast tissue.
• Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC): This is the most common type of breast cancer. It starts in the milk ducts but then invades nearby tissue.
• Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC): This type of breast cancer starts in the milk-producing glands (lobules) and then spreads to nearby tissues.
• Hormone receptors: Breast cancer cells may have receptors for hormones like estrogen or progesterone. Testing for hormone receptors helps determine if hormonal therapy may be an effective treatment option. Positive means the receptors are present on the cancer cells. Negative means the receptors are not found on the cancer cells. Breast cancer may be described as estrogen-receptor positive (ER+), estrogen-receptor negative (ER-), progesterone-receptor positive (PR+), or progesterone-receptor negative (PR-).
• Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2): HER2 is a protein that can promote the growth of cancer cells. Testing for HER2 status helps guide treatment decisions, as there are targeted therapies available for HER2-positive breast cancers.
• Triple negative breast cancer: This refers to breast cancers that do not have hormone receptors (estrogen or progesterone) or HER2 receptors. Triple negative breast cancers tend to be more aggressive and may require different treatment approaches.

Breast cancer diagnosis and treatment options involve several procedures and strategies:

• Triple assessment: To thoroughly investigate any breast abnormality and diagnose breast cancer, a triple assessment is performed. It consists of a clinical examination, imaging (such as mammography or ultrasound), and cytology (taking samples from the suspicious area for further testing).
• Breast surgery: There are different types of surgery for breast cancer. All aim to remove as much of a tumor as possible. Breast-conserving surgery (BCS) also aims to preserve as much of the breast tissue and shape as possible. Some types of mastectomies can be breast-conserving.
  • Lumpectomy: This involves removing only the tumor and a small amount of surrounding tissue. A lumpectomy is a type of breast-conserving surgery.
  • Mastectomy: This involves removing the entire breast. There are different types of mastectomies:
    • Total (simple): This surgery removes the entire breast, including the nipple, areola, and most of the overlying skin.
    • Skin-sparing: This surgery removes the breast tissue, nipple, and areola while leaving as much healthy breast skin as possible. This technique may facilitate later reconstructive procedures.
    • Nipple-sparing: This surgery removes the breast tissue while leaving the nipple, areola, and overlying skin.
    • Modified-radical: This surgery removes the entire breast, including the nipple, areola, overlying skin, and lining over the chest muscles. Lymph nodes near the breast may also be removed.
• Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy plays an important role in managing breast cancer. It involves using high-energy X-rays or proton rays to kill cancer cells or prevent them from growing and dividing. There are two types of radiation therapy:
  • External radiation: A special machine is used to delivery radiation from outside the body. The machine is focused to deliver rays to specific areas of the body.
  • Internal radiation: This is also called brachytherapy. For internal radiation, a small device such as a wafer or pellet is temporarily placed inside the body in the area of the cancer. The device releases low levels of radiation into the area.
• Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill or slow down the growth of cancer cells throughout the body. It can be given before surgery (neoadjuvant chemotherapy) to shrink tumors or after surgery (adjuvant chemotherapy) to kill any remaining cancer cells.
• Targeted therapy: Targeted therapy is a newer type of treatment that specifically targets certain characteristics of or molecules within cancer cells required for the cancer cells to survive, grow, or spread. Targeted therapy is sometimes referred to as precision medicine.
• Immunotherapy: Immunotherapy is a newer type of treatment that stimulates or boosts the body’s immune system to help fight against cancer cells. Immunotherapy sometimes is referred to as biological therapy.

It's important to note that these definitions provide a general understanding of key terms related to breast cancer, but individual cases may vary. Always consult with a healthcare professional for personalized advice and guidance regarding diagnosis and treatment options for breast cancer.

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