Breast Cancer

Shannan McQuade & Ashley Haman

History of Breast Cancer

• Ancient Egyptians discovered Breast Cancer– Over 3,500 years ago

• Hippocrates discovered it• Named the disease karkinos

– Greek name for “crab”

History Cont.• Henri Le Dran• In 1957 suggested that surgical removal of

the tumors could help treat it• Infected lymph nodes of the armpit must

be removed• 1900 & 2000• William Halsted developed radical

mastectomy that removed breast and auxiliary node

What happens?• There are no known

symptoms (early breast cancer)

• Later symptoms (women):– Lump on breast or

near armpit• Hard, uneven

edges• Usually doesn’t hurt

– Change in size, shape, or feel of breast/nipple

– Fluid from nipple

• Symptoms in men:– Breast lump– Breast pain and

tenderness

• Advanced Symptoms:– Bone pain– Breast pain– Skin ulcers– Swelling of armpit by

breast– Weight loss

Treatment Factors

• Discovery:– Breast MRI– Breast ultrasound– Breast biopsy– CT scan– Mammography– PET Scan

• Type and stage• Sensitive to

hormones• Over produces

HER2/neu– Transmembrane

protein

Treatment• Local

– Only area of disease• Radiation and surgery

• Systemic– Affects whole body

• chemotherapy

• Lumpectomy (remove lump)

• Mastectomy (removes all of breast)

• Targeted therapy (Biologic therapy)– Anti-cancer drug target

certain cell

• Hormone therapy– Block hormones that

fuel cancer growth• Drug tamoxifen• Aromatize inhibitors

• Chemotherapy• Radiation therapy

How is Breast Cancer passed on?

• Only 10% of Breast Cancer is inherited.– Caused by mutated gene– The gene is usually passed down from mother

(sometimes father)• Only know of two genes that cause breast cancer:

– BRCA 1 & BRCA 2

• Other causes include:– Late pregnancy– Age:

• ¼ affect women under 50• ½ affect women between the ages of 50-69• ¼ affect women 70 years or older

Interesting Facts

• Kathy Bates• Sheryl Crow• Ann Romney• Richard Roundtree• Judy Bloom• 1/8 women will have breast cancer• 226,000 women in the US will be diagnosed this

year• 2,200 men in the US will be diagnosed

Works Cited• American Institute for Cancer Research.

American Institute for Cancer Research. 12 Feb. 2013. Web. 25 Feb. 2013.

• Mandal, Ananya Dr. MD. “History of Breast Cancer.” News Medical. n.p. Web. 25 Feb. 2013.

• Donnelly, Kaitlin. “17 Celbs Who Lived with Breast Cancer.” Prevention. Prevention. Sep. 2012. Web. 25 Feb. 2013.

• Pub Med Health. U.S. National Library of Medicine. 18 Sep. 2012. Web. 25 Feb. 2013.