Discuss the pathogenesis, clinical features and treatment of neoplastic disease(s) of the breast. 

 

Neoplastic Diseases of the Breasts

Neoplastic diseases of the breasts cause the growth of a tumour, either benign or malignant. Unlike malignant tumours, benign tumours are not cancerous and hardly spreads to other parts of the body. One major characteristic of malignant tissues is that they grow faster and quickly spread to other body tissues.  

Pathogenesis

The growth of neoplastic diseases results from mutations that occur within the body cells. According to Shah et al. (2014), changes from cell mutations affect the normal functioning of specific genes in the body. Consequently, a discord is formed, which triggers cells to become malignant tumours. Additionally, the development of either malignant or benign tumours depends on several factors, i.e., immune disorders, genes, exposure to chemical toxins, hormones, etc.

Clinical Features

In most case scenarios, neoplastic diseases show little to no symptoms. The primary symptoms associated with cancer include the development of a lump or mass. Nevertheless, not all lumps are cancerous; some occur naturally and have no cancerous effects. Some symptoms that can be used to identify cancer development in the breast include swelling, change in shape, tenderness, redness and discharge (Rafferty et al., 2016). Breast pain also develops during the monthly periods. Swelling in the breasts is a significant symptom of inflammatory breast cancer; it is identified through discolouration.

Treatment

Treatment of neoplastic diseases remains a challenge to medical professionals. However, there are several correction practices developed to control the worsening of the condition. For example, the following remedies are proven effective over the years; chemotherapy (use of specialized medicine to kill the cancerous cells), surgery (the affected tissues are cut and eliminated to prevent further spread to other body parts), hormonal therapy (restricting the cells from accessing hormones that initiate their growth) and biological therapy (boosting the body immune capability to deal with the cancer cells).