October is breast cancer awareness month – a good time for sales reps to discuss the importance of diagnosis and testing with their physician customers.
Breast cancer – a disease in which malignant cancer cells form in the tissues of the breast – is the most common cancer among women worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. It follows that physicians will have to address this disease with their patients. A basic understanding of the illness and how it is diagnosed can help distributor sales reps relate more closely to their customers’ challenges and help them address the issues at hand.
Who is at risk?
Not only is breast cancer the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women, it is the second leading cause of death in women, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. Each year, it is estimated that more than 220,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with the disease, and more than 40,000 will die. (About 1,250 men are diagnosed each year, of which about 410 are expected to die.)
There are a number of risks associated with breast cancer, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, including the following:
- Sedentary lifestyle.
- Poor diet.
- Being overweight or obese.
- Frequent consumption of alcohol.
- Having radiation therapy to the chest before the age of 30.
- Taking combined hormone replacement therapy.
- Gender. Breast cancer is detected nearly 100 times more often in women than in men.
- Age. Two out of three women diagnosed with invasive cancer are diagnosed after age 55.
- Race. Breast cancer is diagnosed more often in Caucasian women than in women of other races.
- Family history. Patients whose mother, sister, father or child has been diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer have a higher risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer in the future, and their risk increases if the relative was diagnosed before age 50.
- Personal history. Patients who have been diagnosed with breast cancer in one breast have an increased risk of being diagnosed with the disease in the other breast in the future.
- Reproductive history. Early menstruation, late menopause, having one’s first child at an older age or never having given birth all can increase the risk of breast cancer.
- Certain genome changes. Mutations in certain genes, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2, can increase the risk of breast cancer.
Diagnosis
From mammograms to ultrasounds, MRIs and biopsies, there are a number of screening and diagnostic tools available for detecting breast cancer, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation:
- Screening mammogram. A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast. Screening mammograms are administered routinely to detect breast cancer in women with no apparent symptoms.
- Diagnostic mammogram. A diagnostic mammogram is administered following suspicious results on a screening mammogram or another sign of breast cancer (e.g., a lump, breast pain, thickening of skin, discharge, change in shape) detected by the doctor.
- Ultrasound. A breast ultrasound, which is often recommended when a suspicious site is detected through an exam or on a screening mammogram, uses penetrating sound waves that do not affect or damage the tissue.
- MRI. A magnet connected to a computer transmits magnetic energy and radio waves through the breast tissue. The images help the physician distinguish between normal and diseased tissue.
- Biopsy. A biopsy removes tissue or fluid from the suspicious area, and the removed cells are examined. There are three types of biopsies:
- Fine-needle aspiration. Used in the case of a fluid-filled cystic lump.
- Core-needle biopsy. A hollow needle is used to remove a small amount of suspicious tissue. Requires anesthesia.
- Surgical biopsy. Typically performed in hospital settings. The surgeon makes a 1- or 2-inch cut and removes all or part of the abnormal lump, as well as a small amount of normal tissue.
- Lab tests. Once the patient is diagnosed with breast cancer, lab tests may be ordered to assist with prognosis. The two most common lab tests used are the hormone receptor test (recommended for patients diagnosed with invasive breast cancer) and the HER2/neu test (looks for a specific kind of protein that is found with certain types of cancer cells and the gene that produces it).
With more and better tools available to provide early detection and diagnosis, the prognosis for patients may continue to improve – a message that sales reps should share with their customers, who in turn can share with their patients.