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Breast Cancer

Anne Campbell Larkin, MD Reviewed 06/2022
 


BASICS

Most commonly diagnosed cancer (CA) in women and the second most common cause of CA death for U.S. women. Females have a ~2.6% or 1 in 39 chance of dying from breast cancer in the U.S. 

DESCRIPTION

DIAGNOSIS

HISTORY

  • Painless lump in breast or axilla

  • Swelling, thickening, redness, or dimpling of the skin

  • Nipple discharge (bloody), erosion, or retraction

  • Abnormal findings or calcifications on screenin...

TREATMENT

GENERAL MEASURES

  • Multiple treatment modalities: surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and hormone therapy

  • National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) provides clinical treatment guidelines for BC.

MEDICATION

ONGOING CARE

FOLLOW-UP RECOMMENDATIONS

  • Every 4 to 6 months for 5 years and then annually

  • No evidence to support the use of routine complete blood count, LFTs, “tumor markers,” bone scan, chest x-ray, li...

REFERENCES

1
American Cancer Society. About Breast Cancer.. Atlanta, GA: American Cancer Society; 2021. http://www.cancer.org. Accessed August 11, 2021.

CODES

ICD10

  • C50.52 Malignant neoplasm of lower-outer quadrant of breast, male

  • C50.929 Malignant neoplasm of unspecified site of unspecified male breast

  • C50.812 Malignant neoplasm of overlapping sites of ...

CLINICAL PEARLS

  • U.S. women; lifetime risk of 1 in 8

  • Excessive alcohol use, high body mass index (BMI), and physical inactivity are modifiable risk factors.

  • Normal mammography does not exclude the possib...

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