Vim & Vigor - Spring 2010 - North Mississippi - (Page 42)

ductal carcinoma in situ “Ductal carcinoma in situ [DCIS] is when tumor cells are contained in the breast ducts,” says Karen Swenson, R.N., Ph.D., an expert on breast cancer and a member of the Oncology Nursing Society. In other words, the cancer hasn’t spread beyond the ducts to surrounding breast tissue. “It’s almost like a precancer,” Swenson says. “It shows up as calciﬁcations on a mammogram. And it’s usually cured by surgery and radiation.” DCIS is the most common type of noninvasive breast cancer, and it accounts for about one in ﬁve new cases of breast cancer, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). Almost all patients who have this type of breast cancer diagnosed at an early stage survive. inflammatory Although rare (accounting for 1 percent to 3 percent of breast cancers), inﬂammatory breast cancer is important to be familiar with because it is difﬁcult to detect. “It’s not usually picked up on a mammogram like other breast cancers,” says Debbie Saslow, Ph.D., director of breast and gynecologic cancers with the ACS. “It’s usually diagnosed by changes in the skin of the breast.” Those changes include redness and warmth in the affected breast as well as a thick, pitted texture resembling the peel of an orange. The breast also may become larger, ﬁrmer, tender or itchy, or the nipple may retract or produce invasive ductal carcinoma Nearly eight out of 10 cases of invasive breast cancer are ductal carcinomas, reports the ACS. “Invasive ductal cancers have spread outside the ducts, but may still be contained in the breast,” Swenson says. But once cancer cells break out of the duct, they can spread to other parts of the body. “There is almost a 90 percent survival rate, but [invasive] ductal carcinomas need more treatment— surgery, radiation, hormone therapy and, depending on the tumor size, chemotherapy.” pass the test Screening mammogramS are an X-ray of the breast to detect breast cancer. Usually the test detects cancer long before it can be found through physician examination or other methods of diagnosis. DiagnoStic mammogramS include special views of the breast and are used in evaluating problem cases. Diagnostic mammograms are used to evaluate women with a breast problem or symptom, or a woman with an abnormal finding on a screening mammogram. BreaSt mri is an advanced tool using sophisticated computers and 3-D techniques that looks deep into the breast to discover abnormalities that might not be visible in other exams. If a mammogram detects a problem, specialized mammography and/or breast ultrasound may be used. If your doctor is still concerned, a breast MRI may be considered. Visit www.nmhs.net/breast_care for more information. To schedule a mammogram at any North Mississippi Medical Center location, call 800-tHe DeSK (800-843-3375). vim & vigor · sp rin g 2 010 http://www.nmhs.net/breast_care

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Spring 2010 - North Mississippi

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2010- North Mississippi
Contents
Opening Thoughts
Weight-loss Success Stories
Come See Us
Hit the Links
Excuses, Excuses
Easing the Pressure
Prostate Predicament
On Mended Knees
Imaging IQ
Will Power
Caregiving: A Survival Guide
Form Factors
Wake-Up Call
Stroke of Luck
Weight Matters
History Lesson
Catch the Spirit

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2010 - North Mississippi