1. Briefly describe the disease, including the types of people affected by it and how it develops.
I chose breast cancer for this learning journal.
Breast cancer is caused by abnormal growth of breast cells in the ducts, lobules, or other cells and tissues within the breast (1Mayo Clinic Staff, 2022). These abnormal cells "divide more rapidly than healthy cells do and continue to accumulate, forming a lump or mass" (1Mayo Clinic Staff, 2022, para.2). Without early detection and treatment, the abnormal cells can spread from the breast to lymph nodes and other parts of the body, and in the worst cases, death.
Different types of breast cancer are based on where the abnormal cells grow. For example:
・The place where breast milk is produced is called lobular, and cancer that develops in this place is called lobular carcinoma.
・The ducts that carry milk to the nipple are called ducts, and cancer that develops in these areas is called ductal carcinoma.
Most patients develop ductal carcinoma first and metastasize to lobules and other parts as it progresses.
Risk Factor
Because women have more developed mammary glands than men, the risk of developing breast cancer is higher than that of men, and the risk of breast cancer increases with age. Those who started menstruating at a young age of 12 or younger, or who had a long period until menopause, who had never been pregnant, or who had their first pregnancy after the age of 30, etc., who had their bodies exposed to female hormones for an extended time, increasing the risk of breast cancer (1Mayo Clinic Staff, 2022). There is an increased risk of breast cancer if the body, especially the chest, is exposed to radiation during childhood or adolescence for any reason, including medical treatment, and lifestyle factors such as obesity and alcohol consumption are also associated with breast cancer (1Mayo Clinic Staff, 2022). Additionally, approximately 5-10% of breast cancers are related to genetic factors, and a family history of breast cancer increases the risk of breast cancer (1Mayo Clinic Staff, 2022).
2. Provide information on each of the treatment options (if a disease has many options you may want to describe a variety of them, but no more than 5 treatments are necessary).
・Surgery (eliminate cancer physically)
If the breast cancer is not advanced and the tumor is small, or if chemotherapy was given before surgery to shrink the tumor, surgery is done to remove a small margin of the tumor and surrounding healthy tissue (2Mayo Clinic Staff, 2022).
On the other hand, if the tumor has spread and spread to other parts of the breast or to prevent secondary breast cancer, Surgery for removing all breast tissue, including lobules, ducts, fatty tissue, and areola, can be performed (2Mayo Clinic Staff, 2022). In that case, patients can also take breast reconstruction surgery after the surgery.
・Chemotherapy (Destroy cancer cells by administering chemicals)
Chemicals such as anticancer drugs stop cancer cells from dividing and destroying them. Anticancer drugs can be administered orally, by injection, or by intravenous drip. Therefore, it is also effective for advanced cancers and cancers that have spread to other body parts. If the breast tumor is large, chemotherapy may be given before surgery to shrink the tumor. Anticancer drugs are very effective in destroying cancer cells, but they also attack and destroy normal cells, causing side effects of various sizes. Common side effects include hair loss, nausea, vomiting, extreme fatigue, weakened immune systems, and, less commonly, infertility and damage to other organs (2Mayo Clinic Staff, 2022).
・Radiation therapy
Destroy cancer cells by directing a high-energy beam at the tumor from outside the body. Differing from Chemotherapy, the destruction of normal cells can be limited by focusing the beam on the tumor and can reduce side effects. There is also a treatment called brachytherapy in which radioactive substances are ingested into the body (2Mayo Clinic Staff, 2022).
・Hormone therapy
Hormone therapy takes advantage of the fact that breast cancer proliferates under the influence of estrogen and suppresses the production of estrogen or blocks the binding of estrogen to its receptors, thereby suppressing the growth of cancer cells.
3. Compare the treatment options and provide a conclusion for the best course of action. You may wish to provide information on what the medical community regards as the best option and what your personal decision would be.
Chemotherapy is a standard treatment method for breast cancer in my country, but considering that it also destroys normal cells and weakens the immune system, I would like to avoid chemotherapy as much as possible when if I had breast cancer. In some cases, those actions hinder the body's natural resilience and healing power; it is like putting the cart before the horse.
Therefore, my primary treatment options are tumor reduction using radiation and surgery. When a complete cure is expected to be difficult, I will choose hormone therapy or immunotherapy, aiming to control the disease and improve QoL rather than treatment.
(744 words except for question texts)
References
1Mayo Clinic Staff. (2022). Breast cancer - Symptoms & causes. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/breast-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20352470
2Mayo Clinic Staff. (2022). Breast cancer - Diagnosis & treatment. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/breast-cancer/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20352475
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