As the world was gripped by fear of the COVID-19 pandemic, people have turned their attention towards their health. One thing is killing nearly as many people though and many of those deaths could be prevented. 

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women. The current pandemic is taking on average 6 000 lives daily as of September 2020, yet according to WHO statistics breast cancer is impacting 2.1 million women each year and causes almost 2 000 deaths daily.

Remember that effective treatment for breast cancer exists if it is diagnosed early enough!

Read this and our following posts to learn more about:

• what breast cancer is
• what are its signs and symptoms of this serious illness
• who might be at risk group of breast cancer
• how is it diagnosed and what are the current breast cancer therapeutic approaches

WHAT IS BREAST CANCER

What we commonly refer to as breast cancer is not a single disease, but a group of them, as each type of cancer has its own unique symptoms and treatment. They have one thing in common though – they are malignant changes located in a breast.

Mutations in the genetic make-up of the cells cause their internal mechanisms to malfunction. As they start reproducing out of control, tumor mass grows and new blood vessels form (a process known as neoangiogenesis) to supply it with nutrients. Cancer will continue its growth and spread to surrounding tissues and lymph nodes. At later stages, some cells may travel with blood or lymph to other parts of the body giving rise to “mini-cancers” – metastases – which will grow independently of the primary tumor. 

Our goal is to identify the disease at its early stage when it is still relatively easy to remove the tumor completely.

WHAT CAUSES BREAST CANCER

While this is a fairly popular question, there is no simple answer. Certain risk factors for the disease have been identified nonetheless. Remember that having several of them doesn’t mean you will develop breast cancer, and having only a few risk factors doesn’t mean that you will never develop the disease.

• Female gender
  is the main risk factor, as breast cancer occurs 100 times more often in women than in men.  The reason for this is that the majority of breast cancers are fueled by estrogens. Estrogens are hormones that occur naturally in women in higher concentrations than in men. The longer the exposure to estrogens, the greater the risk. Women who started menstruating (having periods) younger than age 12 and/or had menopause at an older age (after age 55) have a higher risk of breast cancer. Early pregnancy is a protective factor, as the main hormone allowing to maintain a pregnancy is progesterone.
• Inherited factors 
  About 5 to 10 percent of breast cancer cases may be linked to gene mutations passed in a family. If you have a close relative who has had breast cancer or ovarian cancer, you might be at risk then. The most common mutations are found in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Thanks to Angelina Jolie, who decided to have both of her breasts removed as a preventive measure upon discovery that she carries the faulty BRCA1 gene, the whole world could learn about this problem.
• Having a history of cancer 
  If you have ever been diagnosed with breast cancer, you are 3 – 4 times more likely to develop cancer in the other breast. Also, if you have been diagnosed with breast cell hyperplasia (a non-cancerous change in breast structure) or Lobular Carcinoma in Situ (LCIS) you are in the increased risk group. Other cancers that increase the risk of breast cancer are ovarian, colon, and endometrial cancers.
• Having dense breasts
  may also be an issue as having them doubles the chance to develop cancer when compared to non-dense breasts. They also make it harder to detect cancer during breast cancer screening (mammogram). Did you know that as much as 50% of women have dense breast tissue?  To explain what a “dense” breast is, we need to know that breasts are made up of two main types of tissue – fibroglandular tissue and fatty tissue. Breasts appear denser on a mammogram the more glandular and fibrous tissue they contain.
• Age
  The average age of breast cancer diagnosis is 50 years and older. Only 5% of breast cancers are diagnosed in women under the age of 40.
• Lifestyle factors
  such as being overweight and / or consuming large quantities of alcohol regularly may also increase your chances of developing breast cancer.

References:

1. Our World in Data. Coronavirus (COVID-19) Deaths. [cited 06.09.2020]  Available from: https://ourworldindata.org/covid-deaths#what-is-the-daily-number-of-confirmed-deaths
2. World Health Organization. Breast Cancer. [cited 07.09.2020]  Available from: https://www.who.int/cancer/prevention/diagnosis-screening/breast-cancer/en/

3. Harvard Health Publishing. Risk Factors for Breast Cancer. [cited 07.09.2020]. Available from: https://www.health.harvard.edu/cancer/risk-factors-for-breast-cancer

4. Mayo Clinic. Breast Cancer [ciited 07.09.2020] Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/breast-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20352470
5. Breastcancer.org Breast Cancer Risk Factors.  [cited 07.09.2020].  Available from: https://www.breastcancer.org/risk/factors

6. Cancer Treatment Centers for America. Breast cancer risks factors. [cited 07.09.2020].  Available from: https://www.cancercenter.com/cancer-types/breast-cancer/risk-factors