Arm paresthesia effects following axillary dissection Arm paresthesia is a tingling and numbing sensation in the skin, sometimes called ‘pins and needles‘. Chronic paresthesia is the result of poorly functioning neurons. For breast cancer patients who have undergone some kind of axillary dissection, the arm paresthesia might be caused by poor circulation or inflammation of […]
HER2 Status and Breast Cancer
HER-2 Status indicators for breast cancer diagnosis You may often hear the words ‘HER-2 status’ on diagnosis, staging and the planning for treatment of breast cancer. The HER-2 (Her2/neu, c-erb-2 or erb-2) is a gene that produces a protein which acts as a receptor on the surface of cells. These receptors are very sensitive to hormonal/chemical […]
Stereotactic Breast Biopsy
Stereotactic Biopsy of the Breast A stereotactic breast biopsy uses a specialized mammography device that employs ionizing radiation. This type of biopsy assists the radiologist to find the site of abnormal breast tissue growth. Most of the time a conventional mammogram is sufficient, but in certain situations, a stereotactic biopsy may be necessary to find […]
Yes, as a matter of fact, I do need a nap.
Synaptophysin: neuro-endocrine marker in breast tumors Synaptophysin is a protein which is present in nearly all neurons in the brain and spinal cord. Its exact function is not known but it is involved in the process of synaptic transmission. Synaptophysin is a38-kDa integral membrane glycoprotein of the presynaptic vesicles in virtually all and neuroendocrine cells. […]
Losing zygos… Whatever that means.
Loss of heterozygocity in early and Invasive breast cancers “Loss of heterozygocity” (LOH) is basically a decrease in the genetic diversity of a particular cell in a given area of the body. It occurs when a given cell has lost the normal function of one allele of a gene in which the other allele was […]
Eosinophilic Cytoplasm in Breast Cancer Histology
Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Eosinophilic Cytoplasm If a suspicious breast lesion is identified on a breast cancer screening mammogram, there is a very good chance that a small tissue sample will be taken for histological analysis. During this process, the pathologist will drop various protein-based dyes (and other types of dyes) into the tissue sample. […]
Optical Illusions…
Improved lumpectomy margins using Optical Coherence Tomography During the lumpectomy, the surgical team may employ optical coherence tomography (OCT) to help achieve the cleanest and most thorough tumor removal. Essentially, this technique employs near-infrared light waves and computer imaging to render a three-dimensional view of the breast tumor. The resolution of OCT is outstanding, showing […]
Blame it on the hormones…
Hormone Receptor Positive Breast Cancer Status As part of the staging process for confirmed breast cancer tumors, a pathological-histological evaluation of a biopsy sample will be conducted. In addition to visual features under the microscope, such as:- the shapes of the cells the cell formation the pathologist will also test the tumor to determine the […]
Immuno…blah blah blah.
Breast cancer immunohistochemistry Immunohistochemistry is the process of identifying and labeling individual proteins found in breast tumors. Sometimes abbreviated as IHC, immunohistochemistry allows a pathologist to localize and identify the antigens (proteins) in tissue cells by finding the antibodies which bind to them. The root ‘histo‘ means tissue, while ‘immuno‘ refers to the immune systems, […]
Lymph science something or other…
Definition of lymphoscintigraphy Lymphoscintigraphy is the technical name for the various procedures used to study the lymphatic system. In the context of breast cancer, lymphoscintigraphy is used to identify the sentinel lymph node. (The closest draining lymph node near a breast tumor). A sentinel, is like an army guard posted to stand watch in the […]