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Getting Down to Basics
Basic Breast Anatomy
The Critical Role of the Lymph System
What is Breast Cancer?
Are All Breast Tumors Dangerous?
What Causes Breast Cancer?
If You've Been Diagnosed with Breast Cancer
To understand breast cancer, it helps to know the basic anatomy and physiology of the breast. Then, when healthcare providers use these terms, you'll be speaking the same language.
Getting Down to Basics
Basic Breast Anatomy
Breast Profile
A - Ducts
B - Lobules
C - Dilated section of duct to hold milk
D - Nipple
E - Fat
F - Pectoralis major muscle
G - Chest wall/rib cage
Enlargement
A - Normal duct cells
B - Basement membrane
C - Lumen (center of duct) |
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1. There's no muscle in breast tissue, but the pectoralis major and pectoralis minor muscles lie beneath it.
2. Lobules are the milk-producing glands situated throughout the breast.
(Breast cancer originates in one of these locations. Which one defines the particular type of breast cancer.)
3. Ducts are the tiny tubes that connect to the lobules and carry milk to the nipple.
(Breast cancer originates in one of these locations. Which one defines the particular type of breast cancer.)
4. Nerves give the breast feeling and are higher in density around the nipple and Areola (dark area surrounding the nipple).
5. Stroma is the fatty and connective tissue all around the ducts, lobules, nerves, blood vessels and lymph vessels. It makes up most of the breast.
6. Arteries and veins carry blood to and from the breast, supplying nutrients and oxygen.
7. Lymph vessels and lymph fluid flow through the breast. Their function as a kind of waste disposal system deserves particular attention in understanding breast cancer.
[Top of page]
The Critical Role of the Lymph System
The lymph system can be especially important in the diagnosis of breast cancer. It consists of:
1. Lymph vessels-the small veins that carry lymph fluid.
2. Lymph fluid-fluid from tissue and blood vessels that carries away debris, bacteria, and dead or unwanted cells.
3. Lymph nodes-small, bean-shaped structures that appear throughout the body. Lymph fluid flows to the nodes, which in turn trap the waste products the fluid contains.
Several lymph nodes in the breast region deserve special attention. By examining the contents of these lymph nodes, physicians can predict the how likely it is that the cancer has spread from the breast to other parts of the body.
Insert lymph system anatomical illustration with callouts
((Callouts with indicator lines))
Supraclavicular nodes-above the collarbone
Axillary nodes-in the armpit
Internal mammary nodes-beside the breastbone
[Top of page] What is Breast Cancer?
Every cell in your body is on a mission to duplicate itself. But for life systems to function correctly, each cell must do so at a controlled rate and in an orderly fashion. Normal cells also must know when to die. It's how they make way for the vital, new cells.
Usually, all goes well. The trouble comes when the cell's basic building block, DNA, somehow gets damaged. The abnormal cells that result seem to lose the wisdom of when to die. They outlive normal cells and keep on dividing, forming more and more abnormal cells, that is, cancer cells. Eventually the speed and disorderliness of cancer cell division causes lumps and tumors to form.
[Top of page] Are All Breast Tumors Dangerous?
No, some lumps and tumor form but do not invade or damage other parts of the body. These are called benign or noncancerous tumors. Fortunately, they're the most common kind.
But a few tumors are more aggressive and destructive. These malignant or cancerous tumors attack surrounding cells, which is bad enough. But the real threat comes when these cancer cells travel to other parts of the body and start trying to replace normal cells and tissue there, too.
One of the most critical characteristics of any tumor is its growth rate. Some cancers grow fast enough to show up in a year or two. Others grow slowly and may not be detected for five years or longer. But there's no doubt about one thing. By the time a lump shows up in your breast, it's been there for quite some time. That's why when cancer is detected, it's not an emergency condition per se.
[Top of page] What Causes Breast Cancer?
What causes the damage to the cell DNA in the first place is the subject of exhaustive medical research. Understanding how the damage happens is thought to be the keystone to finding a breast cancer cure. But for now, the precise mechanism remains unknown.
Nevertheless, researchers and physicians have gained considerable understanding of breast cancer risk factors, that is, factors that make the damage more likely to occur. For example, there's a clear-cut link between smoking and increased risk of breast cancer. Women who've had long-term hormone replacement therapy (HRT) also are at greater risk. Some risks can be reduced by lifestyle choices, but others cannot. The good news is that early detection is always the best plan for beating breast cancer.
[Top of page] If You've Been Diagnosed with Breast Cancer
Above all, remember that hope is not mere wishful thinking. To start with, you're not alone. Over two million Americans are breast cancer survivors. That means breast cancer is very beatable. And there are plenty of more reasons for remaining optimistic:
1. 98% of people diagnosed early with breast cancer are successfully treated.
2. New discoveries are made all the time, improving the methods and outcomes of breast cancer prevention and treatment.
3. There are now more organizations and resources that support breast cancer patients than ever before. You can take advantage of these to help formulate your best strategy.
4. Breast cancer treatment is becoming increasingly focused and individualized. This is good news because, just as each woman's breasts are unique, so is her particular form of cancer.
5. Research proves that having a positive attitude gives you a decided edge when it comes to surviving breast cancer. [Top of page]
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