Question

Mabel is a white, 63 year-old vice-president of a major bank in New York City. Although married for 35 years to the same man, she does not have any children and has never had any pregnancies. Mabel has recently gained weight and is now about 25 lbs. overweight for her 5’4” height. With her busy career, she has a hard time fitting in exercise, other than a bit of walking, and her diet is a typical “western” diet which includes high fat dairy products, red-meat and refined carbohydrates. She enjoys a glass (or two) of wine with dinner, but has never been a smoker. Mabel was a bit late to begin menstruating (at age 14), but entered menopause right on schedule (at age 52). She has had no previous breast abnormalities, but her older sister was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 72.

Mabel has an annual physical, which includes a Pap smear and mammogram; her most recent physical and mammogram were nine months ago. She is also very conscientious about doing a monthly breast self-assessment.    On her last breast assessment, Mabel palpated a lump in her right breast. She has been feeling fine and had not noticed any pain or discomfort in that breast. Mabel immediately made an appointment with her gynecologist and was scheduled for a meeting the following week.

Please respond to each of the following in your reply:

1. Does the fact that Mabel felt a lump in her breast automatically mean that she has breast cancer? What other condition(s) could she have?
2. What tests could her gynecologist do, or order, to diagnose her condition and determine whether she had breast cancer or something else?
3. Although Mabel’s only sign was a lump in her breast, there are other signs of breast cancer. Name 5.

Answer 1

It doesn't mean that the lump she is having is definitely a brestcancer,but it can be breastcancer.The conditions other than breastcancer she could have are fibroadenosis,fibroadenoma,duct papilloma.

Tests to do for diagnosing or to rule out breast cancer are:Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of lump, Ultradonography of both breast, MRI of both breast ,true cut biopsy, estrogen receptor markers (ER), progesterone receptor markers (PR).

Other signs of breast cancer are:

1.inverted nipple (nipple retraction)

2.nipple discharge

3.axillary lympadenopathy

4.puckering of skin over the breast

5.pea u de orange appearance of skin over breast