Breast cancer is one of the most common female cancer.
Risk factors
The most significant risk factors for developing breast cancer is considered to be the following:
- inflammatory disease of the ovaries and uterus;
- obesity;
- hypertension;
- atherosclerosis;
- liver disease;
- hypothyroidism;
- mastopathy or breast cancer among blood relatives;
- smoking.
A history of breast disease also is a precancerous condition.
External signs of breast cancer
at independent examination for breast cancer may indicate the following symptoms:
- retraction of the nipple;
- change the color and shape of nipples;
- appearance ulcerations on the nipple;
- changes in the skin of breast (swelling, changes in skin color).
An important symptom of possible breast cancer symptoms are mastitis.
Initial stages of a breast cancer characterized by the presence of small painless swelling in a tight knot. You can define the mobility of the axillary lymph nodes.
Skin symptoms initial stage - umbilikatsiya and wrinkling. "Platform symptom" is also characteristic.
When the presence of cancer stage III or IV, the tumor becomes much more. The mammary gland changes shape, ulceration and a symptom of "lemon peel" can be seen on the skin. Perhaps the swelling hand.
The tumor breast cancer may grow at different rates. The primary tumor may double in size during the period from 1 to 12 months. The faster growth of the higher degree of malignancy.
Photo: breast cancer characteristic symptoms on a mannequin
The technique of self
Early detection of breast cancer is much more easily treatable, and has a favorable prognosis for timely treatment. Therefore, self-examination is an important component of prevention and early detection of disease. It must be carried out for 6-12 days of the menstrual cycle: standing or lying on your back you need to feel the breasts and armpits. >>> read more
The primary diagnostic methods
- Mammography (Use of X-ray method) gives very high diagnostic performance. The accuracy of mammography for suspected breast cancer is 80-90%.
- ductography - diagnostic method by introducing a contrast agent into the ducts of the mammary glands.
- ultrasound It is recommended for women up to 40 years. The effectiveness of this method for diagnosing breast cancer according to different sources is from 60 to 90%.
If any suspicion on the occurrence of a malignant process in the breast must a deeper examination: analysis of the discharge from the nipple and the study of tissue taken (puncture biopsy).
If you suspect the presence of breast cancer medical institution sends patients full examination.
The symptoms of breast cancer in stages
The system described isolation breast cancer stages designed domestic oncologists and the description corresponds to the international classification of breast cancer TNM stages
stage I
Tumor size was not more than 2 cm in diameter. There are no regional metastases, and no sprouting in the skin and surrounding fatty tissue.
stage IIa
Tumor size - 2-5 cm in diameter, sprouting in the tissue does not occur at all or is a partial cohesion of the skin. No metastases.
The main symptoms of breast cancer are step IIa
- "Rugosity symptom" - superficial appearance of wrinkles on the skin of the breast in the capture of the crease; wrinkles perpendicular to the fold,
- "Symptom platform" - the appearance of breast portion with reduced skin elasticity; the skin is not cracked down even after a short infringement.
stage IIb
Tumor size - 2-5 cm in diameter. Not more than 2 metastases on the affected side of the chest. Possible initial manifestations umbilikatsii.
stage III
Tumor size - more than 5 cm in diameter. Sprouting in the skin and surrounding fatty tissue is not.
Symptoms of stage III breast cancer:
- umbilikatsii symptom - drawn into the skin over the tumor;
- symptom "lemon peel";
- swelling of the skin, nipple retraction is possible.
For this stage of tolerance of not more than 2 metastases.
stage IV
The tumor spreads, affecting the entire breast. Extensive ulceration may be metastases.
metastases
Cancerous breast tumor metastasizes to various tissues and organs. metastatic involvement occurs after milk moves through the capillaries and vessels. In breast cancer metastases spread to the axillary, subscapular, sub- and supraclavicular lymph nodes. Distant metastasis occurs in the soft tissues, skin. Metastases can affect the liver, lungs, ovaries, and pelvic and hip bones.
Treatment of Breast Cancer
Modern medicine has several thousand ways to treat breast cancer patients. The treatment regimen is chosen individually and is based on several factors.
At stages I and IIa breast cancer may embodiment 2 surgery:
- mastoektomiya or
- conserving surgery + radiotherapy.
Patients on IIb and III stages are subject to treatment integrated:
- surgery +
- chemotherapy (patients before menopause) operation +
- radiotherapy (in menopause).
Methods of treatment
1. Surgery.
It stands on the leading position in the treatment of breast cancer.
- Mastectomy.
Removing small (in some cases, and large) thoracic breast muscle, cancerous. Can also be removed lymph nodes are found in the sternum area. - Radical resection sectoral breast.
It allows you to save the breast, as only partially removes the pectoral muscles affected by the tumor. At the sectoral resection is quite high risk of relapse. Therefore, after such an operation is usually administered radiation therapy.
2. Radiation therapy.
In the treatment of breast cancer is used for preventing relapse in the postoperative period. Radiation therapy in the preoperative period is designed to reduce the degree of malignancy of the tumor.
3. Chemotherapy.
Aimed at blocking the spread of breast tumor metastases. Chemotherapy often helps to lower breast cancer stage, also improves the results of operations and contributes to the control of the symptoms of the disease. The duration of chemotherapy for breast cancer is 14 days. Repeat the course is necessary every month.
4. Hormone.
estrogens They play an important role during breast cancer. That is why hormone therapy plays an important role in the treatment.
5. Immunotherapy.
Because in the process of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, especially in surgery decreases the body's immune status, the immunotherapy is designed to increase the body's defenses. To this end, various immunomodulators used.
Rehabilitation after treatment
Since the features of the treatment of breast cancer, many patients are associated with social and psychological difficulties, it is currently much attention is paid to rehabilitation measures. In addition to the psychological and social adaptation (maintaining or restoring earning capacity) attention medical directed to the use of reconstructive and plastic surgery to restore the appearance of breast gland.
Forecast
The most important data to predict the results of treatment of patients with breast cancer are tumor incidence, the number of metastases in the lymph nodes, the degree of swelling of the breast, malignant tumors.
From these and many other factors, the effectiveness of treatment depends. Thus, treatment of I with timely treatment efficacy stage breast cancer reaches 96% at stage II - 80 90%. Patients with stage III breast cancer cured in 60-80% of cases.
Under the cure meant no progressive or recurrent tumor within 5 years.
This article is based on materials from the book "Oncology", Moscow, 2006, the author - Sh.Kh. Gantsev Dr. med. Sciences, Professor, Honored Scientist of Russia.