Question

Discuss the reasons why the axillary lymph nodes were removed and it was recommended that the patient continue with chemotherapy and radiation. (See Spread of Malignant Tumors.) Discuss the different treatments that the patient is going through, including advantages and disadvantages of each type and overall prognosis. (See Treatment.) .What are some things that women like Mrs. Y might do to help reduce their risk of ovarian cancer and the need for future treatment?

Answer 1

1

Characteristic Benign Malignant

Encapsulated Usually Rarely

Differentiated Normally Poorly

Metastasis Absent Capable

Recurrence Rare Possible

Vascularity Slight Moderate to marked

Mode of growth Expansive Infiltrative and expansive

Cell characteristics Fairly normal Cells abnormal ,become more unlike parent cells.

2 The main complication of breast cancer is reccurence .it maybe local or regional or distant.However ,metastatic disease can be found in any distant site.widely disseminated or metastaic disease involves the growth of colonies of cancerous breast cells in parts of the body distant from the breast

Skin-firm discreted nodules;occasionally pruritic ,usually painless.

Lymph nodes-enlarge nodes in axilla or supraclavicular area ,usually nontender.

Skeletal-localized pain of gradually increasing intensity,percussion tenderness at involved sites,pathologic fracture caused by involvement of bone cortex.

Spinalcord-progressive back pain ,localized and radiating.

Liver-abdominal distention.

Bonemarrow-anaemia,infection,increased bleeding,petechiae,weakness and fatigue,mild confusion,lightheadedness;dyspnea.

3 Axillary lymph node involvement is one of the most important prognostic factors in breast cancer.Lymphatic mapping and sentinel lymph node dissection helps the surgeon identify the lymph nodes that drain first from the tumor site.Tumor site is a valuable prognostic variable,the larger the tumor ,the poorer the prognosis.Another diagnostic test useful both for treatment decisions and prediction of prognosis is estrogen and progesterone receptor status.