Breast cancer develops from mutated cells within the ducts, lobules or nipple. The cells acquire multiple genetic mutations that increase their proliferation rate, allow them them to divide indefinitely and evade normal cell death mechanisms. Women with a family history of breast cancer may have inherited mutations of genes that make them extremely susceptible to developing breast cancer, as well as related cancers. Specifically, women carrying mutations to two genes known as BRCA1 and BRCA2 are at a high risk for developing breast and ovarian cancers. Women carrying these genes have a number of options available to reduce or abolish the risk of developing these cancers in the future.
Tamoxifen Treatment
The breasts are hormonally responsive organs, and they grow in response to circulating levels of hormones. Estrogen, a female hormone, is important in regulating breast growth during puberty, over the course of the menstrual cycle and during pregnancy. Estrogen stimulates growth of normal breast cells, and stimulates the growth of estrogen-sensitive breast cancer cells. In women predisposed to breast cancer, estrogen may accelerate the growth and development of tumors.
According to the National Cancer Institute, some women with a genetic predisposition for breast cancer may opt to undergo hormonal therapy to prevent the development of breast cancer. A therapeutic used in this type of therapy is Tamoxifen. Tamoxifen works by preventing cells from sensing circulating levels of estrogen within the blood, therefore abolishing estrogen-dependent cell growth. Tamoxifen therapy has been shown to decrease the risk of developing breast cancer in women prone to the disease.
Double Mastectomy
One way to prevent the development of breast cancer is to undergo a double mastectomy at a relatively young age, before cancer has a chance to develop. A double mastectomy involves removing the entire breast tissue for both breasts, preserving the overlying skin, areolas and visible parts of the nipple. The procedure can be followed by breast reconstruction surgery to preserve the appearance of the breasts.
A double mastectomy may also be performed in women who have already had cancer in one breast, in order to prevent cancer recurrence in the other breast. BreastCancer.org reports that as of 2010, the number of women requesting double mastectomies is increasing in the United States, and that getting a double mastectomy before cancer develops virtually eliminates future risk of breast cancer.
Hysterectomy
Women carrying BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations are at an increased risk of developing other forms of cancer, such as uterine cancer. Uterine cancer occurs when cells within the endometrial layer that lines the uterus mutate and begin to form a tumor. In a 2006 study published in Gynecologic Oncology, Dr. M. Beiner reported that women aged 45 to 70 with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations were about five times more likely to develop uterine cancer over the course of three years.
One way to prevent the development of uterine cancer is a hysterectomy, the surgical removal of the uterus. The surgery may also involve removing the cervix, the tissue that connects the uterus to the vagina. A hysterectomy will lead to infertility, but women who have undergone the surgery can lead a normal life with virtually no risk of uterine cancer.
