Malignant Neoplasm of Breast (Carcinoma Breast): Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

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Welcome to the ultimate guide on malignant neoplasm of breast or carcinoma breast. Here, you'll find answers to the most common questions to help you or your loved ones understand and manage this condition better.

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Questions Covered:

what is malignant neoplasm of breast or carcinoma breast?
What are the usual symptoms of malignant neoplasm of breast or carcinoma breast?
How do doctors usually figure out if someone has malignant neoplasm of breast or carcinoma breast, diagnosis?
How do doctors usually treat malignant neoplasm of breast or carcinoma breast?
What are the potential risk factors associated with malignant neoplasm of breast or carcinoma breast?
What are the ways to prevent malignant neoplasm of breast or carcinoma breast?

Answers:

Question: what is malignant neoplasm of breast or carcinoma breast?

Breast cancer occurs when breast cells develop mutations and begin to divide and multiply. People may first notice a lump in the breast, discoloration, texture changes, or other symptoms.
We will often use 'men' and 'women' in this article to reflect the terms that have been historically used to gender people. But your gender identity may not align with your breast cancer risk. Your doctor can help you better understand how your specific circumstances will translate into breast cancer risk factors and symptoms.

Question: What are the usual symptoms of malignant neoplasm of breast or carcinoma breast?

In its early stages, breast cancer may not cause any symptoms. In many cases, a tumor may be too small to be felt, but an abnormality can still be seen on a mammogram.
If a tumor can be felt, the first sign is usually a new lump in the breast that was not there before. However, not all lumps are cancer.
Each type of breast cancer can cause a variety of symptoms. Many of these symptoms are similar, but some can be different. Symptoms for the most common breast cancers include:
a breast lump or tissue thickening that feels different from surrounding tissue and is new
breast pain
red or discolored, pitted skin on the breast
swelling in all or part of your breast
a nipple discharge other than breast milk
bloody discharge from your nipple
peeling, scaling, or flaking of skin on your nipple or breast
a sudden, unexplained change in the shape or size of your breast
inverted nipple
changes to the appearance of the skin on your breasts
a lump or swelling under your arm
If you have any of these symptoms, it doesn't necessarily mean you have breast cancer. For instance, pain in your breast or a breast lump can be caused by a benign cyst.
Still, if you find a lump in your breast or have other symptoms, contact your doctor for further examination and testing.
Learn more about possible symptoms of breast cancer.

Question: How do doctors usually figure out if someone has malignant neoplasm of breast or carcinoma breast, diagnosis?

To determine if your symptoms are caused by breast cancer or a benign breast condition, your doctor will do a thorough physical exam in addition to a breast exam. They may also request one or more diagnostic tests to help understand what's causing your symptoms.
Tests that can help your doctor diagnose breast cancer include:
Mammogram. The most common way to see below the surface of your breast is with an imaging test called a mammogram. Many women ages 40 and older get annual mammograms to check for breast cancer. If your doctor suspects you may have a tumor or suspicious spot, they will also request a mammogram. If an atypical area is seen on your mammogram, your doctor may request additional tests.
Ultrasound. A breast ultrasound uses sound waves to create a picture of the tissues deep in your breast. An ultrasound can help your doctor distinguish between a solid mass, such as a tumor, and a benign cyst.
Your doctor may also suggest tests such as an MRI or a breast biopsy.
Learn about other tests that can be used to detect breast cancer.
If you don't already have a primary care doctor, you can browse doctors in your area through the Healthline FindCare tool.
Breast biopsy
If your doctor suspects breast cancer based on tests like a mammogram or an ultrasound, they may do a test called a breast biopsy.
During this test, your doctor will remove a tissue sample from the suspicious area to have it tested.
There are several types of breast biopsies. With some of these tests, your doctor uses a needle to take the tissue sample. With others, they make an incision in your breast and then remove the sample.
Your doctor will send the tissue sample to a laboratory. If the sample tests positive for cancer, the lab can test it further to tell your doctor what type of cancer you have.
Learn more about breast biopsies, how to prepare for one, and what to expect.

Question: How do doctors usually treat malignant neoplasm of breast or carcinoma breast?

Your breast cancer's stage, how far it has invaded (if it has), and how big the tumor has grown all play a large part in determining what kind of treatment you'll need.
To start, your doctor will determine your cancer's size, stage, and grade. Your cancer's grade describes how likely it is to grow and spread. After that, you can discuss your treatment options.
Surgery is the most common treatment for breast cancer. Many people have additional treatments, such as chemotherapy, targeted therapy, radiation, or hormone therapy.
Surgery
Several types of surgery may be used to remove breast cancer, including:
Lumpectomy. This procedure removes the tumor and some surrounding tissue, leaving the rest of the breast intact.
Mastectomy. In this procedure, a surgeon removes an entire breast. In a double mastectomy, they remove both breasts.
Sentinel node biopsy. This surgery removes a few of the lymph nodes that receive drainage from the tumor. These lymph nodes will be tested. If they don't have cancer, you may not need additional surgery to remove more lymph nodes.
Axillary lymph node dissection. If lymph nodes removed during a sentinel node biopsy contain cancer cells, your doctor may remove additional lymph nodes.
Contralateral prophylactic mastectomy. Even though breast cancer may be present in only one breast, some people elect to have a contralateral prophylactic mastectomy. This surgery removes your healthy breast to lower your risk of developing breast cancer again.
Radiation therapy
With radiation therapy, high-powered beams of radiation are used to target and kill cancer cells. Most radiation treatments use external beam radiation. This technique uses a large machine on the outside of the body.
Advances in cancer treatment have also enabled doctors to irradiate cancer from inside the body. According to Breastcancer.org, this type of radiation treatment is called brachytherapy.
To conduct brachytherapy, surgeons place radioactive seeds, or pellets, inside the body near the tumor site. The seeds stay there for a short period of time and work to destroy cancer cells.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a drug treatment used to destroy cancer cells. Some people may undergo chemotherapy on its own, but this type of treatment is often used along with other treatments, especially surgery.
Some people will have surgery first followed by other treatments, such as chemo or radiation. This is called adjuvant therapy. Others may have chemotherapy first to shrink the cancer, called neoadjuvant therapy, then surgery.
In some cases, doctors prefer to give chemotherapy before surgery. The hope is that the treatment will shrink the tumor, and then the surgery will not need to be as invasive.
Chemotherapy has many unwanted side effects, so discuss your concerns with your doctor before starting treatment.
Hormone therapy
If your type of breast cancer is sensitive to hormones, your doctor may start you on hormone therapy. Estrogen and progesterone, two female hormones, can stimulate the growth of breast cancer tumors.
Hormone therapy works by blocking your body's production of these hormones or by blocking the hormone receptors on the cancer cells. This action can help slow and possibly stop the growth of your cancer.
Additional medications
Certain treatments are designed to attack specific irregularities or mutations within cancer cells.
For example, Herceptin (trastuzumab) can block your body's production of the HER2 protein. HER2 helps breast cancer cells grow, so taking a medication to slow the production of this protein may help slow cancer growth.
Your doctor will tell you more about any specific treatment they recommend for you.
Learn more about breast cancer treatments, as well as how hormones affect cancer growth.

Question: What are the potential risk factors associated with malignant neoplasm of breast or carcinoma breast?

There are several risk factors that increase your chances of getting breast cancer. However, having any of these doesn't mean you will definitely develop the disease.
Some risk factors can't be avoided, such as family history. You can change other risk factors, such as smoking. Risk factors for breast cancer include:
Age. Your risk of developing breast cancer increases as you age. Most invasive breast cancers are found in women over 55 years old.
Drinking alcohol. Alcohol use disorder raises your risk.
Having dense breast tissue. Dense breast tissue makes mammograms hard to read. It also increases your risk of breast cancer.
Gender. According to the ACS
, white women are 100 times more likely to develop breast cancer than white men, and Black women are 70 times more likely to develop breast cancer than Black men.
Genes. People who have the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations are more likely to develop breast cancer than people who don't. Other gene mutations may also affect your risk.
Early menstruation. If you had your first period before you were 12 years old, you have an increased risk of breast cancer.
Giving birth at an older age. People who have their first child after 35 years old have an increased risk of breast cancer.
Hormone therapy. People who took or are taking postmenopausal estrogen and progesterone medications to help reduce their signs of menopause symptoms have a higher risk of breast cancer.
Inherited risk. If a close female relative has had breast cancer, you have an increased risk of developing it. This includes your mother, grandmother, sister, or daughter. If you don't have a family history of breast cancer, you can still develop breast cancer. In fact, most people who develop it have no family history of the disease.
Late menopause start. People who start menopause after they're 55 years old are more likely to develop breast cancer.
Never having been pregnant. People who have never become pregnant or carried a pregnancy to full term are more likely to develop breast cancer.
Previous breast cancer. If you have had breast cancer in one breast, you have an increased risk of developing breast cancer in your other breast or in a different area of the previously affected breast.

Question: What are the ways to prevent malignant neoplasm of breast or carcinoma breast?

While there are risk factors you can't control, following a healthy lifestyle, getting regular screenings, and taking any preventive measures your doctor recommends can help lower your risk of developing breast cancer.
Lifestyle factors
Lifestyle factors can affect your risk of breast cancer.
For instance, people who have obesity have a higher risk of developing breast cancer. Maintaining a nutrient-dense diet and getting regular exercise as often as possible could help you lose weight and lower your risk.
According to the American Association for Cancer Research, alcohol misuse also increases your risk. This can be having more than two drinks per day or binge-drinking.
If you drink alcohol, talk with your doctor about what amount they recommend for you.
Breast cancer screening
Having regular mammograms may not prevent breast cancer, but it can help reduce the chance that it will go undetected.
The American College of Physicians (ACP) provides the following general recommendations for women at average risk of breast cancer:
Women ages 40 to 49. An annual mammogram isn't recommended, but discuss your preferences with your doctor.
Women ages 50 to 74. A mammogram every other year is recommended.
Women 75 years and older. Mammograms are no longer recommended.
The ACP also recommends against mammograms for women with a life expectancy of 10 years or less.
These are only guidelines.
Recommendations from the ACS
differ. According to the ACS, women should:
have the option of receiving annual screenings at 40 years old
begin annual screenings at 45 years old
move to screening every other year at 55 years old
Specific recommendations for mammograms are different for everyone, so talk with your doctor to see if you should get regular mammograms.
Preventive treatment
You may have an increased risk of breast cancer due to hereditary factors.
For instance, if your parent has a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation, you're at higher risk of having it as well. This significantly raises your risk of breast cancer.
If you're at risk for this mutation, talk with your doctor about your diagnostic and prophylactic treatment options. You may want to be tested to find out whether you have the mutation.
And if you learn that you do have it, talk with your doctor about any preemptive steps you can take to reduce your risk of developing breast cancer. These steps could include a prophylactic mastectomy, or surgical removal of a breast. You may also consider chemoprophylaxis, or taking medication, such as Tamoxifen, to potentially reduce your breast cancer risk.
In addition to mammograms, breast exams are another way to watch for signs of breast cancer.
Self-exams
Many people do a breast self-examination. It's best to do this exam once per month, at the same time each month. The exam can help you become familiar with how your breasts usually look and feel so that you're aware of any changes that occur.
Keep in mind, though, that the ACS
considers these exams to be optional, because current research hasn't shown a clear benefit of physical exams, whether performed at home or by a doctor.
Breast exam by your doctor
The same guidelines for self-exams provided above are true for breast exams done by your doctor or other healthcare professional. They won't hurt you, and your doctor may do a breast exam during your annual visit.
If you're having symptoms that concern you, it's a good idea to have your doctor do a breast exam. During the exam, your doctor will check both of your breasts for abnormal spots or signs of breast cancer.
Your doctor may also check other parts of your body to see if the symptoms you're having could be related to another condition.
Learn more about what your doctor may look for during a breast exam.

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Conclusion & Takeaways

Learning about malignant neoplasm of breast or carcinoma breast is the first step toward taking control of your health. By understanding its causes, symptoms, and treatments, you empower yourself to make informed decisions. Remember to consult healthcare professionals for personalized advice and support.