October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. According to the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, 11,000 otherwise healthy women younger than 40 will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. One of the biggest problems with younger women is that they believe they are not old enough to get breast cancer. Many women are misdiagnosed the first time they visit the doctor, and are told they have a cyst instead of cancer. The most important issue for young women with breast cancer is that the cells are often more destructive and rapid than for older women.
There are a few reasons that younger women aren’t being diagnosed as quickly as they should. Although they are not positive, some doctors believe that slower developing cancers are too small to be detected until the woman is older. Also, younger women have denser breast tissue, which shows up white on a mammogram. The problem is that tumors appear white as well. As women get older, they develop more fat tissue in their breasts and the regular tissue appears darker on a mammogram, making tumors more visible.
While most women are probably already aware that they should frequently be screened for signs of breast cancer, many do not know of the recent advancements that have been made for treating the disease.
For a long time, the most effective way of getting rid of the cancerous cells was to have a complete mastectomy, which involves removing the breasts, lymph nodes and chest muscles. This surgery is highly invasive and very personal. According to Lillie Shockney, an R.N. and administrative director for the Johns Hopkins Avon Foundation Breast Center, many women now have a multitude of options. “Today, more than 80% of women are candidates for lumpectomy surgery and most are candidates for sentinel node biopsy, two procedures with far less impact on how a patient’s breasts look and how quickly she rebounds from surgery,” she said.
Many women must have chemotherapy to treat their breast cancer. In the past, there was only one chemo drug available, but today there are more than a dozen that are able to target and wipe out the disease at a faster pace. Also, radiation was once unable to focus on one spot, so it not only got rid of cancerous cells but destroyed perfectly healthy tissues and organs.
Though the most important issue is getting rid of the cancer as a whole, many women are highly concerned with their appearance after having such treatments. With the advancements in reconstructive surgery, women now have the option of using fat from other areas of their bodies and using it to build a new breast.
Although breast cancer is still one of the biggest issues among women, much progress has been made towards fighting the disease. The best tool is awareness, which is necessary for catching it early. “Knowledge is mounting that will help us create ‘designer therapies’ specifically suited to an individual woman’s breast cancer. Also, research is underway to determine if laser ablation can be used to kill breast cancer cells, eliminating the need for lumpectomy or mastectomy surgery,” said Shockney.