Breast Cancer Questions and Answers
Latest Version Graded A+
What is the most common type of breast cancer?
✔✔Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) is the most common type of breast cancer, originating in
the milk ducts and then spreading to surrounding tissue.
What are the key risk factors for developing breast cancer?
✔✔Key risk factors include gender, age, family history, inherited gene mutations (like BRCA1
and BRCA2), personal history of breast cancer, and hormonal factors such as early menstruation
or late menopause.
How can mammography help in the early detection of breast cancer?
✔✔Mammography helps detect abnormalities in breast tissue, such as lumps or calcifications,
which can indicate the presence of breast cancer, often before symptoms appear.
What role does genetic testing play in breast cancer management?
✔✔Genetic testing can identify inherited mutations in genes such as BRCA1 and BRCA2, which
significantly increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancers, guiding treatment and preventive
measures.
1
,What is the significance of hormone receptor status in breast cancer?
✔✔Hormone receptor status refers to whether cancer cells have receptors for estrogen (ER) or
progesterone (PR). Tumors that are hormone receptor-positive tend to grow more slowly and
may respond to hormone therapy.
How does breast cancer staging affect treatment decisions?
✔✔Breast cancer staging, which includes determining the tumor's size, lymph node involvement,
and spread to other parts of the body, helps guide treatment options, such as surgery,
chemotherapy, radiation, or targeted therapy.
What is the purpose of lymph node biopsy in breast cancer diagnosis?
✔✔A lymph node biopsy helps determine whether breast cancer has spread to the lymph nodes,
which is crucial for staging and planning treatment.
What are common symptoms of breast cancer?
✔✔Common symptoms include a lump in the breast or underarm, changes in breast shape or
size, skin dimpling, nipple discharge, or pain in the breast or nipple.
2
, How does chemotherapy work in the treatment of breast cancer?
✔✔Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill or slow the growth of cancer cells, and it is often used for
more advanced breast cancer or to shrink a tumor before surgery.
What is the role of targeted therapy in breast cancer treatment?
✔✔Targeted therapy focuses on specific molecules involved in cancer cell growth and survival,
such as HER2-positive breast cancer, and it aims to attack cancer cells with less harm to normal
tissue.
What is the significance of HER2-positive status in breast cancer?
✔✔HER2-positive breast cancer has higher levels of the HER2 protein, which promotes cancer
cell growth. Targeted therapies like trastuzumab (Herceptin) are effective for treating this type of
cancer.
What is the role of radiation therapy in breast cancer treatment?
✔✔Radiation therapy is used after surgery to destroy any remaining cancer cells in the breast or
surrounding tissues, reducing the risk of recurrence.
What is a mastectomy, and when is it performed?
3
Latest Version Graded A+
What is the most common type of breast cancer?
✔✔Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) is the most common type of breast cancer, originating in
the milk ducts and then spreading to surrounding tissue.
What are the key risk factors for developing breast cancer?
✔✔Key risk factors include gender, age, family history, inherited gene mutations (like BRCA1
and BRCA2), personal history of breast cancer, and hormonal factors such as early menstruation
or late menopause.
How can mammography help in the early detection of breast cancer?
✔✔Mammography helps detect abnormalities in breast tissue, such as lumps or calcifications,
which can indicate the presence of breast cancer, often before symptoms appear.
What role does genetic testing play in breast cancer management?
✔✔Genetic testing can identify inherited mutations in genes such as BRCA1 and BRCA2, which
significantly increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancers, guiding treatment and preventive
measures.
1
,What is the significance of hormone receptor status in breast cancer?
✔✔Hormone receptor status refers to whether cancer cells have receptors for estrogen (ER) or
progesterone (PR). Tumors that are hormone receptor-positive tend to grow more slowly and
may respond to hormone therapy.
How does breast cancer staging affect treatment decisions?
✔✔Breast cancer staging, which includes determining the tumor's size, lymph node involvement,
and spread to other parts of the body, helps guide treatment options, such as surgery,
chemotherapy, radiation, or targeted therapy.
What is the purpose of lymph node biopsy in breast cancer diagnosis?
✔✔A lymph node biopsy helps determine whether breast cancer has spread to the lymph nodes,
which is crucial for staging and planning treatment.
What are common symptoms of breast cancer?
✔✔Common symptoms include a lump in the breast or underarm, changes in breast shape or
size, skin dimpling, nipple discharge, or pain in the breast or nipple.
2
, How does chemotherapy work in the treatment of breast cancer?
✔✔Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill or slow the growth of cancer cells, and it is often used for
more advanced breast cancer or to shrink a tumor before surgery.
What is the role of targeted therapy in breast cancer treatment?
✔✔Targeted therapy focuses on specific molecules involved in cancer cell growth and survival,
such as HER2-positive breast cancer, and it aims to attack cancer cells with less harm to normal
tissue.
What is the significance of HER2-positive status in breast cancer?
✔✔HER2-positive breast cancer has higher levels of the HER2 protein, which promotes cancer
cell growth. Targeted therapies like trastuzumab (Herceptin) are effective for treating this type of
cancer.
What is the role of radiation therapy in breast cancer treatment?
✔✔Radiation therapy is used after surgery to destroy any remaining cancer cells in the breast or
surrounding tissues, reducing the risk of recurrence.
What is a mastectomy, and when is it performed?
3
