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Medical Video: Breast Cancer Blood Test
The breast cancer test plays an important role in dealing with various aspects of the disease. Depending on the purpose, the test can be done to determine genetic risk, detect cancer at an early stage, and determine the characteristics and possible spread of the disease.
This test can help doctors make a treatment plan and monitor the effectiveness of cancer. It is important to understand the various screening and diagnostic tests used in cancer detection and treatment. Consult with your doctor about the complaints you feel.
Self breast examination (Realize)
Women are encouraged to check the condition of their breasts every month to make it easier to recognize changes in their breasts. However, it should be noted that most early breast cancers cannot be detected by daily display.
Procedure Realize:
Step 1: Adjust Position.
This test is better done while lying down than standing to palpate.
Step 2: Preparation.
Place your right hand above your head. Lie on your back and raise your arms so that breast tissue can expand to the chest wall to achieve optimal thinness.
Step 3: Movement.
Use the three fingers (index finger, middle finger and ring finger) of your left hand. Do small movements and rotate on the right breast. Perform movements while moving up and down the breast from the ribs to the collarbone, and the armpit to the sternum.
Step 4: Pressure.
When massaging, change the pressure at each place to check different tissue depths. Use mild pressure on the surface, moderate pressure on deeper areas (about ¼ to ½ inch deeper), and greater pressure for the chest and rib region.
Repeat this movement on the other breast. Lumps, swelling, or changes in any breast form should be immediately examined by a doctor.
Step 5: Visual.
Stand in front of the mirror and press your hips firmly while the heel is in the palm. This movement aims to tighten the chest muscles so that abnormalities in the breast are more easily seen. Look at skin or nipple changes, including the shape, contour, size, color, or texture of the skin (such as scales, wounds, rashes, hollows, or wrinkles on the skin). Lift each arm little by little to make it easier for you to feel the presence or absence of lymph node lumps in the armpit area.
Clinical breast examination
Doctors, nurses, or physician assistants can provide further instructions on how to do a clinical breast examination if you do not feel confident to do it yourself.
Clinical breast examination procedures are generally the same as Realize. The nurse will do your breast examination in terms of shape, size, color, texture, etc. In addition, the nurse will also palpate (massage) the breast in a circular motion using three fingers (index finger, middle finger and ring finger) as well as the movement in realizing.
In many cases, clinical breast examination is a good choice for screening tests. However, women over the age of 40 are recommended to undergo a mammogram in addition to conducting a clinical breast examination.
Laboratory test
Blood tests and tissues in medical laboratories can be done for various purposes. This test can help doctors know genetic risks, diagnosis, treatment options, and to monitor the medical condition of patients after treatment.
Women who have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer can be tested Gene Breast Cancer 1 (BRCA1) or Gene Breast Cancer 2 (BRCA2) Gene Mutation Tests. BRCA gene is a trigger for tumors. According to Breastcancer.org, if this gene mutation is found, the risk of breast cancer will increase by 80%. However, less than 10% of breast cancer cases occur in women who have a BRCA mutation.
Biopsy
A biopsy is a test that takes a small portion of the tissue for further investigation under a microscope. This test does not cause pain and the test results can be obtained immediately from the laboratory. Changes in cells, such as the size of the nucleus or the speed of cell division, can determine the level of cancer malignancy. Carefully, the pathologist will record something abnormal because the information will be used to determine the right cancer treatment.
There are three types of biopsies incorporated to form the ideal standard for tissue evaluation:
- Fine-needle biopsy aspiration used for solid lumps. The doctor inserts a thin needle and takes a small piece of tissue for further investigation by the pathologist. In some cases, the doctor may want to examine the cyst to make sure there is no cancer in the cyst.
- Core needle biopsy performed using a larger needle and tube to take tissue samples up to the size of a pen. The injected needle is guided by palpation, mammography, or ultrasound. The type of biopsy that is mostly chosen is stereotactic biopsy because it uses computer sophistication so the results are more accurate.
- Surgical biopsy done by partially lifting (incisional biopsy) of the whole (excisional biopsy, wide local excision, or lumpectomy) lump to be examined under a microscope. If the lump is too small or difficult to touch, the surgeon can perform the procedure called stereotactic wire localization to look for tumors before surgery.
Prognosis and Monitoring Tests
There are several blood and tissue tests that can be used to provide prognosis and assess the condition of cancer patients, such as tests DX Oncotype and MammaPrint. Both tests can measure up to 90 tumor genes and can be used in certain patients to determine the risk of recurrence, the risk of metastatic cancer, and the use of certain chemotherapy or hormone therapy. Meanwhile, test DNA ploidy and test Ki-67 antigen can measure the rate of growth of tumor cells. The faster the tumor grows, the worse the prognosis. Finally, the CA15-3 and CA27.29 tests are blood tests to measure the levels of cancer antigens that react. If the tumor reacts with this antigen, monitoring test can show recurrence of cancer.
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