One of the most critical factors of breast cancer development is heredity since it causes a genetically inherent disease. If the patient’s closest relatives have been diagnosed with breast cancer, a tumor’s likelihood is high even at a young age (Coleman & Tsongalis, 2016). Since one of the patient’s close relatives had this disease, this diagnosis is indeed possible for her as well. Another significant factor in developing cancer is various diseases of the mammary glands, for example, “cystic” breasts. In the presence of such conditions, the formation of atypical cells is possible in the mammary gland (Tkaczuk et al., 2016). This can lead to their overgrowth and increase the risk of more severe diseases.
The hormonal factor also has a critical influence on health. In the described case, this aspect is the most significant since it includes various details of the patient’s life. These include the first pregnancy after 30 years, not breastfeeding, and many years of taking hormonal contraceptives. This leads to the fact that the patient’s hormonal background can be disrupted (Tkaczuk et al., 2016). Therefore, with age, it becomes more difficult for the body to deal with abnormal processes.
If there is an initial stage of cancer, there can be no metastasis in the patient’s organs. However, early active metastasis is characteristic of aggressive forms of cancer. There are multiple ways to determine them, and it is necessary to use some of them in any case to avoid future health problems. Histological analysis of tissue can determine the aggressiveness of the cancer type at an early stage. Breast cancer metastases detected by CT or scintigraphy indicate secondary foci in the lungs, liver, bones, and brain. It must be remembered that in breast cancer, metastases are capable of long-term existence in a latent state, even five to ten years after removal of the primary tumor.
References
Coleman, W. B., & Tsongalis, G. H. (2016). The molecular basis of human cancer. Humana Press.
Tkaczuk, K., et al. (2016). Handbook of breast cancer and related breast disease. Springer Publishing Company.