Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Preface to the first edition
- Preface to the second edition
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- 1 Practical issues in the use of systemic anti-cancer therapy drugs
- 2 Biological treatments in cancer
- 3 Hormones in cancer
- 4 Pathology in cancer
- 5 Radiotherapy planning 1: fundamentals of external beam and brachytherapy
- 6 Radiotherapy planning 2: advanced external beam radiotherapy techniques
- 7 Research in cancer
- 8 Acute oncology 1: oncological emergencies
- 9 Acute oncology 2: cancer of unknown primary
- 10 Palliative|care
- 11 Management of cancer of the head and neck
- 12 Management of cancer of the oesophagus
- 13 Management of cancer of the stomach
- 14 Management of cancer of the liver, gallbladder and biliary tract
- 15 Management of cancer of the exocrine pancreas
- 16 Management of cancer of the colon and rectum
- 17 Management of cancer of the anus
- 18 Management of gastrointestinal stromal tumours
- 19 Management of cancer of the breast
- 20 Management of cancer of the kidney
- 21 Management of cancer of the bladder
- 22 Management of cancer of the prostate
- 23 Management of cancer of the testis
- 24 Management of cancer of the penis
- 25 Management of cancer of the ovary
- 26 Management of cancer of the body of the uterus
- 27 Management of cancer of the cervix
- 28 Management of cancer of the vagina
- 29 Management of cancer of the vulva
- 30 Management of gestational trophoblast tumours
- 31 Management of cancer of the lung
- 32 Management of mesothelioma
- 33 Management of soft tissue and bone tumours in adults
- 34 Management of the lymphomas and myeloma
- 35 Management of cancers of the central nervous system
- 36 Management of skin cancer other than melanoma
- 37 Management of melanoma
- 38 Management of cancer of the thyroid
- 39 Management of neuroendocrine tumours
- 40 Management of cancer in children
- Multiple choice questions
- Multiple choice answers
- Index
- References
19 - Management of cancer of the breast
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 November 2015
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Preface to the first edition
- Preface to the second edition
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- 1 Practical issues in the use of systemic anti-cancer therapy drugs
- 2 Biological treatments in cancer
- 3 Hormones in cancer
- 4 Pathology in cancer
- 5 Radiotherapy planning 1: fundamentals of external beam and brachytherapy
- 6 Radiotherapy planning 2: advanced external beam radiotherapy techniques
- 7 Research in cancer
- 8 Acute oncology 1: oncological emergencies
- 9 Acute oncology 2: cancer of unknown primary
- 10 Palliative|care
- 11 Management of cancer of the head and neck
- 12 Management of cancer of the oesophagus
- 13 Management of cancer of the stomach
- 14 Management of cancer of the liver, gallbladder and biliary tract
- 15 Management of cancer of the exocrine pancreas
- 16 Management of cancer of the colon and rectum
- 17 Management of cancer of the anus
- 18 Management of gastrointestinal stromal tumours
- 19 Management of cancer of the breast
- 20 Management of cancer of the kidney
- 21 Management of cancer of the bladder
- 22 Management of cancer of the prostate
- 23 Management of cancer of the testis
- 24 Management of cancer of the penis
- 25 Management of cancer of the ovary
- 26 Management of cancer of the body of the uterus
- 27 Management of cancer of the cervix
- 28 Management of cancer of the vagina
- 29 Management of cancer of the vulva
- 30 Management of gestational trophoblast tumours
- 31 Management of cancer of the lung
- 32 Management of mesothelioma
- 33 Management of soft tissue and bone tumours in adults
- 34 Management of the lymphomas and myeloma
- 35 Management of cancers of the central nervous system
- 36 Management of skin cancer other than melanoma
- 37 Management of melanoma
- 38 Management of cancer of the thyroid
- 39 Management of neuroendocrine tumours
- 40 Management of cancer in children
- Multiple choice questions
- Multiple choice answers
- Index
- References
Summary
Introduction
Breast cancer accounts for 7% of all deaths from cancer and 15% of female deaths from cancer. It is the second most common cause of cancer death among women in the UK. Breast cancer most commonly presents as a lump in the breast, but the use of screening has also allowed very early cancers to be diagnosed before they can be detected clinically. The management of breast cancer has changed significantly over the past 50 years. Standard surgery used to be radical mastectomy and axillary node clearance, whereas today, patients are usually treated with breast-conserving techniques: wide local excision and sentinel lymph node biopsy followed by radiotherapy. The past few decades have also seen the development and wider use of systemic therapies: hormonal treatments, chemotherapy and targeted therapies such as trastuzumab. The mortality from breast cancer has steadily decreased over the last 20 years.
Anatomy
The female breast extends from the second to the sixth rib, and it is made up of 15–20 lobes which radiate out from the nipple. The nipple is surrounded by the areola. Each breast is divided into a central portion and four quadrants. The upper outer quadrant also contains the axillary tail. The lymphatic drainage from the breast is primarily to the axillary lymph nodes, but also to the internal mammary nodes, which lie in the thorax alongside the internal thoracic artery. A few lymphatic channels also communicate with those in the opposite breast and in the abdominal wall.
In the male and prepubertal female, the nipple and areola are small, and the breast tissue does not usually extend beyond the areola.
Types of tumour affecting the breast
Table 19.1 shows the range of tumours that can affect the breast. The most common are invasive ductal carcinoma and invasive lobular carcinoma. Invasive ductal carcinomas are positive for E-cadherin, whereas lobular carcinomas are negative for E-cadherin.
Incidence and epidemiology
Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women in the UK and accounts for 30% of all new cancers in women. In 2011 there were 50,285 new cases of breast cancer in the UK, with 349 of these occurring in men.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Practical Clinical Oncology , pp. 262 - 292Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2015