Things you need to know about Breast Cancer.

Definition of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is a disease where cells in the breast grow out of control. There are different kinds of breast cancer, based on which cells in the breast turn into cancer. Breast cancer can begin in different parts of the breast.

 Credit: The University of Southampton.

Types of breast cancer 

• Ductal carcinoma breast cancer 
• Mixed tumor breast cancer 
• Inflammatory breast cancer 
• Mucinous breast cancer 
• Lobular breast cancer

Image Source: Lebanese Breast Cancer Foundation

Ages and how prone they are to Breast Cancer

Babies (0-2 years): Extremely Rare 

Toddlers (3-5 years): Extremely Rare 

Children (6-13 years): Extremely Rare 

Teens (14-18 years): Very Rare

Young adults (19-40 years): Rare 

Adults (41-60 years): Common 

Seniors (60+ years): Common

Causes of breast cancer 

Most breast cancer causes are risk factors that cannot be changed 

Examples;

• Getting older, 40+ 
• Genetic mutations 
• Having dense breasts 
• Personal history of breast cancer or certain non-cancerous breast diseases 
• Family history of breast or ovarian cancer 
• Previous treatment using radiation therapy 
• Exposure to the drug diethylstilbestrol (DES)

Symptoms of Breast Cancer

• Swelling of all or part of a breast (even if no lump is felt) 
• Skin peeling 
• Breast or nipple pain. 
• Nipple retraction (turning inward) 
• Nipple or breast skin that is red, dry, flaking, or thickened. 
• Nipple discharge (other than breast milk)

Image Source: World Health Organization

How to do Breast Self Examinations (BSE) 

Doing self examinations can increase the chance of noticing symptoms early

There is no right or wrong way to check your breasts. Understanding the difference between normal lumps and ones you should be suspicious of are key in detecting early signs of breast cancer.

Credit: Check4Cancer

Staging of Breast Cancer 

• The extent (size) of the tumor (T): How large is the cancer? Has it grown into nearby areas?
• The spread to nearby lymph nodes (N): Has the cancer spread to nearby lymph nodes? If so, how many?
• The spread (metastasis) to distant sites (M): Has the cancer spread to distant organs such as the lungs or liver?
• Estrogen Receptor (ER) status: Does the cancer have the protein called an estrogen receptor?
• Progesterone Receptor (PR) status: Does the cancer have the protein called a progesterone receptor?
• HER2 status: Does the cancer make too much of a protein called HER2?
• Grade of the cancer (G): How much do the cancer cells look like normal cells?

Treatments of Breast Cancer 

• Surgery. An operation where doctors cut out cancer tissue. 
• Chemotherapy Using special medicines to shrink or kill the cancer cells.
• Hormonal therapy. Blocks cancer cells from getting the hormones they need to grow. 
• Biological therapy 
• Radiation therapy

For more information, read Artificial Intelligence in Breast Cancer Early Detection and Diagnosis - By Khalid Shaikh , Dr. Rohit T. , Sabitha Krishnadhas at Springer Nature

This book provides an introduction to next generation smart screening technology for medical image analysis that combines artificial intelligence (AI) techniques with digital screening to develop innovative methods for detecting breast cancer. The authors begin with a discussion of breast cancer, its characteristics and symptoms, and the importance of early screening. It then provide insight on the role of artificial intelligence in global healthcare, screening methods for breast cancer using mammogram, ultrasound, and thermogram images, and the potential benefits of using AI-based systems for clinical screening to more accurately detect, diagnose, and treat breast cancer.

Prognica Labs is a Dubai-based AI-powered health-tech company aiming to improve clinical outcomes in the fight against breast cancer and to democratize the cancer diagnosis and treatment

PIRL (Prognica Innovation and Research Lab), we are working on healthcare ecosystem transformation, by focusing on new ways of managing change that allows Private Sector, Government Organizations, Academia & Universities, NGOs, and Youths, to develop and adopt innovations and the ability to spread and scale them when they are proven successful.