Breast Cancer Breakthroughs

When we hear the word "cancer," we all cringe a little, don't we? Especially when we hear the word breast cancer, women in our country are very scared. But don't be afraid. Medical science is advancing day by day. New methods have now been introduced to the world to detect breast cancer early and treat it more successfully. So today, let's talk about these new, promising methods. Knowing these will be very important for you and your loved ones.

The latest scanning methods to detect cancer

We usually do a mammogram and an ultrasound to check for breast cancer. Sometimes doctors also recommend an MRI scan. But researchers are now looking into more advanced, more accurate scans.

Simply put, these are high-tech, precise methods for identifying cancer cells.

• Optical Imaging: This involves shining a special light beam through the breast. The test measures the amount of light that bounces back or travels through the tissue. Research is currently underway to see if this method can be combined with MRI or 3D mammograms to more accurately detect cancer.
• Molecular Breast Imaging (MBI): This is where something really amazing happens. A very small amount of radioactive medicine (tracer) is injected into the body through a vein. This medicine goes straight to the breast cancer cells and sticks to them. Then, when you look at it with a special camera, you can see where the cancer cells are. They are now looking at whether this method can be used to do this test in addition to a mammogram for women with dense breasts and to further examine suspicious lumps seen on a mammogram.
• Positron Emission Mammography (PEM): This is similar to MBI, but uses a radioactive substance attached to a sugar particle to detect cancer cells. This method can be used when an MRI is not possible.
• Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT): Breast cancer cells conduct electricity differently than normal cells. Isn't that amazing? This test looks for that difference. It measures the difference by sending a very small electrical current through tiny electrodes placed on the skin.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Mammogram Testing

Did you know that in the past, only a radiologist would determine whether a mammogram was cancer-free based on the results of a mammogram? But humans can make mistakes. Studies have shown that about half of people who have a mammogram every year for 10 years will get a false positive , meaning they don't have cancer, at least once in their lives. And between 10% and 30% will get a false negative , meaning they don't have cancer.

Now, AI software is being used to help doctors. This AI can study thousands of mammograms and detect even the smallest changes that the human eye might miss. But this does not mean that AI can do the doctor's job. With current technology, AI cannot replace a doctor. The best thing is that when a doctor's experience and the sharp observation skills of AI are combined, cancer can be detected more accurately and quickly .

Targeted Therapy

In the past, cancer was treated with chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is a treatment that affects all rapidly dividing cells in the body. This means that it affects not only cancer cells, but also healthy cells such as hair cells and blood cells. This is the reason for the increased side effects.

But now there is a new treatment called `(Targeted Therapy)`. This is very special. Some breast cancer cells have a special protein called `HER2` on their surface in large quantities. Targeted therapy only finds cancer cells that have that `HER2` protein and attacks them. This causes very little damage to healthy cells.

There are many types of targeted therapies available today. `Trastuzumab (Herceptin)` and `Pertuzumab (Perjeta)` are just a few of them. Your doctor will decide which treatment is best for you.

'Liquid Biopsy': Detects cancer with a drop of blood

When we think of a biopsy, we think of cutting out a small piece of tissue from a suspicious area and examining it. But imagine how easy it would be if we could find out information about cancer with a simple blood test? That's what's called a ``Liquid Biopsy.''

When you have a cancer, small pieces of broken DNA accumulate in your blood. This is called ``circulating tumor DNA''. A liquid biopsy looks for those pieces of cancer DNA in a blood sample. This has many benefits:

• Changes (mutations) in cancer can be detected quickly during treatment .
• Accordingly, doctors can quickly change treatment methods and provide a more appropriate treatment.
• Sometimes this also helps to detect early whether the cancer has returned after surgery.

Although this method is still in the research stage, everyone believes that it will be very important in the future in the management of breast cancer.

Solutions to cancer through nanotechnology

Nanotechnology is a science that uses particles that are too small to be seen with the naked eye. This is a wonderful aid in cancer treatment.

Imagine if you could deliver a package to the right address, like a courier, by encapsulating chemotherapy drugs in nanoparticles and sending them directly to the cancer cell? That's what nanotechnology does. The biggest advantage of this is that the chemotherapy drugs directly destroy the cancer cells without harming the surrounding healthy tissue. This greatly reduces side effects and increases the success of the treatment.

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are being conducted all over the world to test new drugs and treatments for breast cancer. The main goal of these trials is to find treatments that are more effective, have fewer side effects, and are less uncomfortable for the patient .

Participating in a trial like this can give you the opportunity to try a new treatment years before it hits the market. But it's not for everyone. So it's best to talk to your doctor about whether it's right for you and what the pros and cons are.

Breast Cancer, Cancer Treatment, Mammogram, Targeted Therapy, Liquid Biopsy, Nanotechnology, Women's Health