EVALUATION OF CYTOKERATIN 18 IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF CANCER BREAST

Abstract

Diseases of the breast include inflammatory and infectious disorders (e.g., lactational mastitis). Also, benign non-proliferative lesions and benign proliferative lesions (e.g., fibroadenoma). The last and most important entity of breast diseases is breast cancer. Breast cancer is the most common site-specific cancer in women, and is a leading cause of death from cancer accounting for 32% of female cancers and 19% of the cancer-related deaths in women according to the worldwide breast cancer distribution. Despite the steady increase in incidence, the overall breast cancer mortality has remained static. This relative decrease in mortality reflects the detection of an increasing percentage of early disease. Breast cancer etiology varies between genetic factors, hormonal usage, dietary influences, obesity, irradiation and others. Breast cancer is divided into three grades and is staged by the TNM system in Alexandria· University Hospital. The histopathologic types of breast cancer include non-infiltrating and infiltrating variants. The diagnosis of breast cancer is still dependent on some dangerous and/or invasive techniques. This favours the use of tumor markers to diagnose breast cancer as non-invasive and less dangerous tools. Tumor markers can be divided into many types including enzymes, hormones, receptors, carbohydrate antigens and others.