Compare conditions

Put any two — or three — conditions side by side, adult or pediatric, to spot the look-alike differences fast, row by row.

Breast Cancer

—

In one line

·Breast cancer survival depends on catching it early and knowing the exact type, because each type responds to different treatments.

—

Normal physiology

·The breast is a gland made of lobules (milk-making sacs), ducts (tubes that carry milk to the nipple), fat, and connective tissue. Hormones like estrogen and progesterone control when breast cells grow and when they rest. Normally, old cells die and new ones replace them in an orderly, controlled way.

—

What goes wrong

·One cell in the breast starts copying itself over and over without stopping, ignoring all the normal "stop" signals. That runaway copying forms a lump. The cell's DNA has damage—either from aging, inherited mutations (like BRCA1 or BRCA2), or bad luck—and it loses the ability to repair itself or die when it should.

—

Hallmark signs

·A new lump or thickening in one breast or underarm
·One breast becomes larger or changes shape
·Dimpling, puckering, or skin that looks like an orange peel
·Nipple turns inward or changes position
·Clear or bloody fluid leaking from the nipple without squeezing
·Redness, scaliness, or thickening of the nipple or breast skin
·Pain or tenderness in one breast (less common but possible)

—

Red flags · escalate now

·A hard lump that does not move and has irregular edges
·Skin dimpling, puckering, or orange-peel texture on the breast
·Nipple discharge that is bloody or clear and comes out on its own
·Sudden redness, warmth, and swelling of the breast (inflammatory breast cancer)
·Nipple turning inward or a new change in breast size or shape that does not go away

—

Workup

·Diagnostic mammogram (X-ray picture of breast tissue)
·Breast ultrasound
·Core needle biopsy of the lump
·Estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and HER2 testing on biopsy tissue
·Sentinel lymph node biopsy
·CT scan of chest, abdomen, and pelvis OR PET scan (if advanced cancer suspected)
·Genetic testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations (if under age 60, triple-negative cancer, or strong family history)

—

Treatment

·Lumpectomy (remove lump only) plus radiation OR mastectomy (remove whole breast)
·Sentinel lymph node biopsy or axillary lymph node dissection
·Hormone therapy: tamoxifen (premenopausal) or aromatase inhibitor like letrozole (postmenopausal) if ER or PR positive
·HER2-targeted therapy: trastuzumab plus pertuzumab, often with chemotherapy, if HER2 positive
·Chemotherapy (usually doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide, then paclitaxel) plus pembrolizumab if triple-negative breast cancer
·PARP inhibitor (olaparib or talazoparib) if BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation present
·Radiation therapy to the breast (or chest wall after mastectomy) and sometimes lymph node areas

—

NCLEX trap

·A lump that does NOT hurt is more likely to be cancer. Pain usually means infection (mastitis), a benign fluid-filled sac (cyst), or a rubbery benign growth (fibroadenoma). Cancer quietly grows without pain until late. Never flip this rule.
·First, do a biopsy (take a tiny piece of tissue) to know if it is cancer and what type of cells it is. Then use imaging (CT scan, bone scan, or PET scan) to see if it spread to other organs. Then pick the right drug based on the type. Giving chemotherapy without knowing the enemy wastes time, harms healthy cells, and may not kill the actual cancer.
·Young age and no family history make breast cancer less common, but it still happens. Any new lump needs imaging (ultrasound or mammogram) and biopsy, not watching and waiting. Finding cancer early—before it spreads—saves lives. Never assume rare means impossible.
·A lump that slides and moves is more likely to be benign—a fibroadenoma (rubbery ball of tissue) or a lipoma (fat lump). Cancer usually feels stuck to the tissue around it, like it is glued in place. But you cannot tell by touch alone. Always biopsy to know for sure.
·Hormone-receptor-positive cancer can spread just like any other type. Treatment includes surgery to remove the lump, radiation to kill leftover cells, and hormone-blocking drugs (like tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor) to starve any cells that feed on estrogen. Skipping the hormone drugs lets hidden cancer cells grow back.
·Exercise helps during cancer treatment. It lowers the chance of cancer coming back, keeps the heart strong (important because some chemo drugs can weaken the heart), reduces tiredness, and lifts mood. Rest is important when tired, but moving your body is medicine too. Cancer does not spread because you walked or lifted your arm.

—

Install Maldek by Hill as an app — studies work even offline