Oncology

Breast cancer & Prostate cancer

In 2022, according to WHO estimates, there were 20 million new cases of cancer and 9.7 million deaths(6)

Management and treatment of breast cancer

The management of breast cancer calls for a multidisciplinary team: surgeon, radiotherapist, oncologist, treating physician, who in consultation determine the treatment best suited to each woman(3).

The choice of treatment depends on(3):

  • the type of breast cancer and its characteristics defined by its anatomopathological analysis;
  • whether or not there are hormone receptors for estrogen and progesterone at the level of cancer cells (hormone-dependent / hormone receptor-positive breast cancer);
  • the presence of HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) found on the surface of mammary cells (tumor HER 2 positive);
  • the location of the tumor in the breast;
  • its size, whether or not there is damage to the lymph nodes or metastases;
  • the patient’s state of health.

The treatment of breast cancer is mainly based on surgery supplemented by other therapeutic methods (radiotherapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapy)(1).

Almost 1 in 8 women develops breast cancer during her lifetime(1).

Breast cancer is the primary cause of death in women(2).

Prostate cancer ranks third among cancer deaths in men(4)

Prostate cancer

In France, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. This cancer occurs in about 66% of cases in men aged 65 and over.

Prostate cancer is a malignant tumor developed from prostate cells, the gland of the male reproductive system.
In 90% of cases, prostate cancer is an adenocarcinoma resulting from the progressive malignant transformation of epithelial cells that form the lining of the prostate(4). The risk of prostate cancer increases with age and it’s mainly a slowly evolving cancer (10 to 15 years)(4).
This cancer ranks third among cancer deaths in men(4).

Here are the established risk factors(4):

  • Age. The risk of prostate cancer increases with age. It is rare before 50 years of age. It is around 70 that the number of cases diagnosed is greatest.
  • Family history. According to family history, prostate cancer can occur in three forms:
    – the sporadic form which is the non-hereditary form. It’s the most common form;
    – the familial form, when there are at least two cases of prostate cancer in first or second degree relatives. This familial form represents 20% of prostate cancers;
    – the hereditary form, which is defined by the existence of at least 3 cases of prostate cancer in relatives, or of 2 members of the family diagnosed before age 55 (5% of prostate cancers).
  • Certain ethnic origins. Men of African origin (especially Afro-Caribbean) have a higher risk of developing prostate cancer than Caucasians; themselves being more at risk than Asians.

In 2015, in metropolitan France, 50,430 new cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed. There has been a relative decrease in the number of cases in recent years(4).

Management and treatment of prostate cancer

The urological surgeon, the radiotherapist, the oncologist (or oncologist) and the attending physician consult to prescribe the most appropriate treatment or treatments for each person (depending on age, general condition, degree of evolution of prostate cancer, etc.)(5)

The treatment generally involves different therapeutic approaches : surgery, radiotherapy, hormone therapy and possibly chemotherapy.

References

1. AMELI : Comprendre le cancer du sein (accessed 27/02/2022)
2. INSTITUT NATIONAL DU CANCER : Cancers du sein – Quelques chiffres (accessed 27/01/2022)
3. AMELI : Les traitements du cancer du sein (accessed 27/01/2022)
4. AMELI : Comprendre le cancer de la prostate (accessed 2022-01-28)
5. AMELI : Les traitements du cancer du sein (accessed 2022-01-28)
6. WHO News release: Global cancer burden growing, amidst mounting need for services – 1 Frebruary 2024 (accesses 2024-09-12)

JUV-FRA-202408-0211, 09/2024