Breast Cancer

What is breast cancer? 

Breast cancer develops when the cells within your breast grow and change in an abnormal way. When these cells group, they can form a tumour. 

I know I should check my breasts regularly, but what should I look out for?  

It is important for you to become familiar with how your breasts look and feel at different times of the month and know what is normal for you. Whatever your age, size or shape, it is important to take care of your breasts. If you are concerned about anything unusual with your breast you should make an appointment with your GP who can either reassure you or refer you for an appointment. It is also important that you attend for breast screening when invited by the National Cancer Screening Service. 

 

Symptom checker:   

  • A change in size, shape or swelling of the breast: one breast may become larger than the other.
  • Changes in the nipple: in direction or shape, pulled in or flattened, or unusual discharge. 
  • Changes on or around the nipple: a rash, flaky or crusted skin. 
  • Changes in the skin: dimpling, puckering or redness. 
  • Swelling in your armpit or around the collarbone.
  • A lump, any size, or thickening in your breast. 
  • Constant pain in one part of the breast or armpit.  

What are the risk factors associated with developing breast cancer? 

Research has shown that there are several risk factors associated with the development of breast cancer, including: 

  • Age: breast cancer is most common in women over the age of 50. 
  • Family history: if you have close relatives (mother, grandmother, sister, aunt) who had breast cancer, you may be at a higher risk. 
  • Genetics: mutations of the BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 genes can increase your risk of developing breast cancer. 
  • Smoking & drinking alcohol: your risk of developing breast cancer is increased if you are smoking or have smoked in the past, and drink alcohol on a regular basis. 
  • Obesity: excess weight leads to an increased production of oestrogen. Increased exposure to oestrogen can lead to the development of different cancers, including breast cancer. 

How is breast cancer diagnosed? 

If you are referred to the Specialist Breast Centre for tests by your GP, you will most likely have a combination of the following tests before a diagnosis can be confirmed: 

  • Mammogram is a low dose x-ray used to take pictures of the breast. Each breast is x-rayed from the side and from the top by a professionally trained radiographer. Screening mammograms are performed on a routine basis on women to detect breast cancer at an early stage, before it has been discovered by a woman or her GP. 
  • Breast ultrasound is used when something suspicious has been detected during a mammogram or self-examination. Sound waves are used to create images of the inside of your breast on a monitor. Ultrasound imaging is helpful for determining the precise location of a breast lump and whether the lump is solid or filled with fluid. 
  • Fine needle aspiration is where a fine needle is inserted into the breast lump and the surgeon attempts to withdraw fluid. If fluid is removed and the lump disappears, no further testing or treatment will be required. If fluid appears but the lump does not go away, or if no fluid can be removed, further tests and treatment will be required. 
  • Breast biopsy is where a small amount of tissue is removed  from a breast lump, if it is found during your ultrasound that the lump is solid. This will then be tested in a laboratory and the results discussed with you. 

I’ve been told that I have breast cancer. How common is it?  

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in Ireland, affecting over 3,000  women in Ireland every year. Male breast cancer is very rare; but there are approximately 30 men diagnosed with breast cancer each year. 

When you family member come to us for your diagnosis and treatment we hope that we can take at least one worry in relation to your care. Our Specialist Breast Centre is the largest specialist cancer service in a private hospital in Ireland. You are in good hands.  

Is there more than one type of breast cancer?  

Yes there is. Breast cancer can occur in different parts of the breasts such as the ducts, lobules or in some cases in between tissue. It includes the following types: 

  • DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ): considered as “pre-cancer”, DCIS began to form in the milk duct but has not spread to other parts of the breast. 
  • LCIS (lobular carcinoma in situ) occurs when abnormal cells form in the lobules (milk-producing glands). LCIS is not cancerous, however, it might mean you are at a higher risk of developing it.  
  • IDC (invasive ductal carcinoma) formed in the milk duct and spread to nearby breast tissue. There are different less common types of IDC, including: 
  • Paget’s disease of the nipple 
  • Inflammatory breast cancer 
  • Recurrent and metastatic breast cancer
  • ILC (invasive lobular carcinoma) occurs when a cancer developed in the lobules spreads to other breast tissue. 

What treatment options are available?  

There are a range of treatment options including radiation therapy, chemotherapy and surgery. Your oncology team will tailor your treatment to your particular needs and will discuss the side effects and impact of each option with you.  

 

Chemotherapy  

Chemotherapy is a treatment which uses drugs to destroy cancer cells in the body by stopping or slowing the growth of cancer cells. 

Depending on the type of cancer and the stage it is at, chemotherapy is used to: 

  • Cure cancer - by destroying cancer cells so they are no longer detected in your body. 
  • Control cancer - by keeping cancer from spreading, slowing its growth, or destroying cancer cells that has spread to other parts of your body. 
  • Ease cancer symptoms - when chemotherapy is used to shrink tumors that are causing pain or discomfort. 

 

Radiotherapy  

Radiotherapy uses high-energy rays to damage cancer cells and stop them from growing and dividing. Radiotherapy is a local treatment which targets cancer cells in the treated area and can be given inside the body (internally) or outside the body (externally). 

 

Hormone therapy 

Hormone therapy works by blocking the oestrogen hormone and might be recommended if the breast cancer is found to be sensitive to oestrogen when tested in the lab after the surgery.  

Can men get breast cancer? 

Breast cancer in men is not common with less than 1% of all breast cancers occurring in men. Therefore, most studies of men with breast cancer are very small. 

Men and women both have breast tissue. The difference between the breast tissue in men and women comes down to the presence of hormones. In women, there are various hormones in the body which stimulate the breast tissue to grow into full breasts. In comparison, men normally don't make many of these breast-stimulating hormones, resulting in their breast tissue staying flat and small. However, there are some men with medium-sized or bigger breasts but generally these breasts are only collections of fat. 

There are times when men develop actual breast gland tissue, most usually because they are taking particular medicines or have abnormal hormone levels.

What are the risk factors of men developing breast cancer? 

While some of the risk factors of men developing breast cancer are similar to those of women, including age, weight, family history and genetics, others may include: 

  • High oestrogen levels: high oestrogen levels in men can occur due to an underlying condition, obesity or genetics.  
  • Kleinfelter’s syndrome: this rare genetic disorder occurs when men are born with an additional female chromosome. For men with Kleinfelter’s syndrome, the risk of developing breast cancer is approximately 20 times higher.