Breast cancer natural history
|
Breast Cancer Microchapters |
|
Diagnosis |
|---|
|
Treatment |
|
Case Studies |
|
Breast cancer natural history On the Web |
|
American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Breast cancer natural history |
|
Risk calculators and risk factors for Breast cancer natural history |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1], Assistant Editor(s)-In-Chief: Jack Khouri
Overview
The natural progression of breast cancer hinges largely on several prognostic factors such as: stage at diagnosis, presence of estrogen and progesterone receptors, and HER2/neu status.
Prognosis
There are several prognostic factors associated with breast cancer. Stage is the most important, as it takes into consideration local involvement, lymph node status and whether metastatic disease is present. The higher the stage at diagnosis, the worse the prognosis. Breast cancer patients whose lymph nodes are cancer-free have a much better prognosis than those whose lymph nodes are positive for cancer.
The presence of estrogen and progesterone receptors in the cancer cell is another important prognostic factor which may guide treatment. Hormone receptor positive breast cancer is usually associated with much better prognosis compared to hormone negative breast cancer.
HER2/neu status has also been described as a prognostic factor. Patients whose cancer cells are positive for HER2/neu have more aggressive disease and may be treated with trastuzumab, a monoclonal antibody that targets this protein.
Psychological aspects of diagnosis and treatment
The emotional impact of cancer diagnosis, symptoms, treatment, and related issues can be severe. Most larger hospitals are associated with cancer support groups which can help patients cope with the many issues that come up in a supportive environment with other people with experience with similar issues. Online cancer support groups are also very beneficial to cancer patients, especially in dealing with uncertainty and body-image problems inherent in cancer treatment.