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Women and Breast Cancer

Women and Breast Cancer

Breast cancer causes more than 450,000 deaths each year.¹ It is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women² and the second-leading cause of cancer death among women.³ If detected early, when the cancer is localized in the breast, five-year survival statistics are approximately 98%.⁴

1.4 million women globally are diagnosed with breast cancer each year.⁵
By 2020, there will be over 1.7 million new cases of breast cancer annually.⁵
In 2009, breast cancer resulted in an economic burden of $28.4 billion.⁵

Breast cancer forms in the ducts and in the lobules for the breast.^3,5,6 Many breast cancers can be estrogen-, progesterone-, or HER-2/neu-positive, which causes the cancer to grow. HER-2/neu positivity is associated with more-aggressive disease, decreased overall survival, and a higher probability of recurrence.^6,7

Risk Factors

There are numerous risk factors⁸ for breast cancer:

Age—women over 50 years
Gender
Reproductive history, such as menstruation before 12 years, first pregnancy after 30 years, never having given birth, or menopause before 50 years
Family history
Gene mutations, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2
Alcohol consumption
Obesity
Insufficient exercise
Race/ethnicity—Caucasian persons are more at risk
Hormone replacement

Symptoms

Breast cancer symptoms⁹ present in a variety of ways, and some people have no signs or symptoms. Breast cancer may be diagnosed after a routine mammography.

Signs or symptoms of breast cancer include changes in the breast, such as:

Lump in the breast or armpit
Thickening/swelling
Irritation or dimpling of skin
Nipple indention or pain
Nipple discharge other than breast milk (including blood)
Change in size or shape
Any pain

Solutions

Reducing the burden of breast cancer in women includes:

Understanding risk factors
Making rapid, accurate diagnoses when symptoms occur
Implementing appropriate therapies
Monitoring treatment

Laboratory diagnostic testing plays an integral role in caring for women with breast cancer. Siemens' comprehensive solutions follow the complete continuum of care for breast cancer, including risk assessment and early prevention, diagnosis, therapy, and aftercare. In addition, our solutions in healthcare IT support the exchange of data for making informed decisions.

Siemens Solutions for Breast Cancer Testing

	^{ADVIA Centaur Systems}	^{ADVIA® Chemistry Systems}	^{Dimension® Systems}	^{Dimension EXLTM Systems}	^{Dimension Vista® Systems}	^{IMMULITE® Systems}	^{Other Siemens Systems}	^{Siemens Imaging Systems}
Detection								X
Monitoring/ Management								X
BR 27.29	X
CA 15-3	X				X	X
CEA	X				X	X
HER-2/neu	X
Potassium		X	X	X	X
Sodium		X	X	X	X
Creatinine		X	X	X	X
Alanine- transaminase		X	X	X	X
Albumin		X	X	X	X
Alkaline Phosphatase		X	X	X	X
Bilirubin		X	X	X	X
Lactate dehydro- genase		X	X	X	X
Calcium		X	X	X	X
Chloride		X	X	X	X
CRP		X	X	X	X
Gamma- glutyl- transferase		X	X	X	X
Urea		X		X	X
Hemoglobin							X
Leucocytes							X
Thrombocytes							X

Services & Support

Education & Training

GLOBOCAN Cancer Fact Sheets: Breast Cancer [Internet]. [cited 2013 Mar 29] Available from: http://globocan.iarc.fr/factsheet.asp

Website [Internet]. [cited 2013 Apr 16] Available from: http://www.who.int/cancer/detection/breastcancer/en/index1.html

Breast Cancer Screening (PDQ®) [Internet]. National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health. [cited 2013 Mar 29] Available from: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/screening/breast/Patient/page2

Cancer of the Breast – SEER Fast Fact Sheets [Internet]. [cited 2013 Apr 16] Available from: http://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html

Website [Internet]. [cited 2013 Mar 29] Available from: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/breast

National Cancer Institute. What You Need to Know About™ Breast Cancer. Internet Edition. August 2012.

Slamon DJ, et al. Science. 1987;235:177.

Website [Internet]. [cited 2013 Apr 4] Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/symptoms.htm

The products/features (mentioned herein) are not commercially available in all countries. Due to regulatory reasons their future availability cannot be guaranteed. Please contact your local Siemens Healthineers organization for further details.