Breast Cancer: Preventive Services

Breast Cancer Student’s Name Institution Breast Cancer Question 1 The available preventive services that providers might recommend for patients at risk of breast cancer include screening, biological prevention, and chemoprevention (Sun et al., 2017). Screening can either be done through mammography or MRI. According to Sun et al (2017), mammography is an effective method in that it uses low energy X-rays to get high-resolution breast images. The process takes 20 minutes and it has been shown to reduce breast cancer mortality significantly. MRI is more sensitive compared to mammography and is not affected by breast density (Sun, et al., 2017). Biological prevention majorly targets human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). This is a protein involved in the normal growth of a cell. As informed by Sun et al (2017), biological prevention, which is also referred to as monoclonal antibodies, improves the quality of life of patients at risk of breast cancer. Examples of human monoclonal antibodies are trastuzumab and pertuzumab (Sun, et al., 2017). The author also points out that immunotherapy has shown great potential in cancer therapy. Chemoprevention either blocks the DNA damage that causes carcinogenesis or reverses the advancement of premalignant cells (Sun, et al., 2017). Chemotherapy, in this case, targets estrogen receptors with the main drugs used being tamoxifen, aromatase, and raloxifene. According to Armstrong and Evans (2014), these drugs have been developed as preventive agents for women at risk of breast cancer. They are an alternative to risk-reducing surgery. Question 2 Breast cancer is the number 2 leading cause of cancer deaths according to Sun, et al. (2017). This information may affect significantly the decisions to undertake preventive services. Because of such statistics, one may be prompted to undergo screening, either through mammography or MRI to detect breast cancer early enough and consequently minimize the risk of full development. The harms associated with screening such as false positive results, overdiagnosis, radiation exposure, pain, and anxiety (Nelson et al., 2016) may also impact decisions related to preventive services. The risks associated with other preventive services may also impact decisions. As pointed out by Sun et al (2017), tamoxifen in chemoprevention...