Breast cancer: News from the front lines
October brings with it pumpkins and pink ribbons. Breast Cancer Awareness Month began in 1985 as a weeklong awareness campaign by the American Cancer Society. In 1992, the pink ribbon came into play.
In 2024, more than 360,000 women and men will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Advancements in early detection and treatment continue to increase the chances of survival. When caught in its earliest, localized stages, the five-year relative survival rate of breast cancer is 99%.
Thanks to more than 100 years of refinement and research, we’ve come a long way. Here are some of the latest headlines from the front lines of the fight against breast cancer.
Mammography continues to improve
To catch breast cancer at its most curable stage — before it’s had a chance to reach other parts of the body — early detection is critical. Mammography, from its infancy in the 1960s, is still the gold standard for early detection, but the technology is has improved.
Today, digital mammography and 3D mammography give radiologists a better view of what’s going on inside a breast, which is especially important for the 50% or so of women with dense breasts.
Insurers, including Medicare and Medicaid, are required to pay for screening mammograms for women over 40. If you fall into that group and haven’t had a mammogram in two years, it’s time. Uncomfortable? You bet, but a little pain now may avoid more pain down the road.
More detection methods are being used
No one screening method can identify every abnormality, so doctors are also making more use of ultrasound and MRI. An ultrasound has a particular sound signature that is different for a solid mass versus a cyst filled with liquid. MRI can help diagnose breast cancer for women whose mammograms and ultrasounds are inconclusive.
A newer form of detection is molecular breast imaging (MBI), which looks for signs of breast cancer using a radioactive tracer and special camera. Your doctor may recommend this as a supplement to a mammogram if you have dense breasts.
A small amount of the tracer is injected into your arm and then travels to the breast. Since cancer cells grow faster than normal cells, they “light up” when viewed through the camera.
MBI is covered by Medicare and most insurance policies, but check with your insurer.
Detection methods on the horizon
An emerging field of detection is a so-called “liquid biopsy,” which uses a blood sample to detect DNA from cancer cells that travel around the body through the bloodstream. Researchers hope that this method will better tell doctors what’s going on in the entire body, not just a localized region.
Researchers are also testing whether artificial intelligence (AI) can be a better detector of cancer. AI techniques can help radiologists identify breast cancer that would have otherwise been undetectable in its early stages. AI-powered tools can detect subtle abnormalities and identify patterns and characteristics that may not be immediately apparent to the radiologist’s human eye.
Personalized breast cancer treatments
We have come to understand that cancer in general, and breast cancer specifically, has a variety of causes, some genetic, some age-related, some lifestyle-related. This has led researchers to create therapies tailored to specific types of breast cancer.
The hormone receptor status of breast cancer is one variable. It refers to whether your breast cancer cells are fueled by estrogen and/or progesterone (the naturally occurring hormones in the female body) due to special proteins inside the tumor cells, called hormone receptors. When hormones attach to hormone receptors, the cancer cells grow.
Depending on which hormone is involved and what the hormone receptor is, treatment will vary.
Breast cancer is a tenacious foe that we are learning more and more about. Even with improved early detection and treatment methods, we all must remain vigilant and maintain healthy habits to minimize our risk.
According to the American Cancer Society, the lifetime risk of male breast cancer is about 1 in 726. The average age for male breast cancer diagnosis is 67. Men’s Breast Cancer Awareness Week is observed every Oct. 17-23.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month, held in October every year, aims to promote screening and prevention of the disease, which affects one in eight women in the United States every year and 2.3 million women worldwide.
In 2024, more than 360,000 people will be diagnosed with breast cancer. But there is hope. Advancements in early detection methods and support continue to increase the chances of survival. When caught in its earliest, localized stages, the five-year relative survival rate of breast cancer is 99%.
• Teri (Dreher) Frykenberg is a board-certified patient advocate. A critical care registered nurse for 30+ years, she is founder of NShore Patient Advocates (www.NorthShoreRN.com). Her book, “How to Be a Healthcare Advocate for Yourself & Your Loved Ones,” is available on Amazon. She is offering a free phone consultation to Daily Herald readers; email her at teri@northshorern.com.