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Breast cancer
What are the symptoms of breast cancer in the nipple?
Breast cancer typically results in bloody nipple discharge. If the condition progresses, it can cause the breast to shrink, harden, and the nipple to elevate. Due to the pulling of the milk ducts, the nipple may flatten, retract, or even become inverted. Over several months, there may also be significant enlargement, causing the affected breast's volume to increase and protrude. Breast cancer can invade the chest muscle fascia and muscles, causing the tumor to fix to the chest wall and become difficult to move. Cancer cells block the subcutaneous lymphatic vessels, leading to lymphatic retention and resulting in dermal edema. The skin will then exhibit an orange peel-like texture.
How is breast cancer treated?
The treatment of adenocarcinoma is a systematically planned treatment, involving five major types of treatments in the field of Western medicine. The first is surgical treatment, the second is chemotherapy, the third is endocrine therapy, the fourth is biological targeted therapy, often referred to as targeted therapy, and the fifth is radiation therapy, commonly known as radiotherapy. These are the five major treatments in Western medicine. However, not every patient with breast disease will need all five treatments; it depends on their specific conditions. Additionally, there are treatments from Chinese medicine, which primarily serve as supportive care. Of course, there is also psychological support therapy from a psychological perspective, which is part of this so-called systematic treatment.
Can being angry cause breast cancer?
Frequent anger in women is associated with a higher risk of breast cancer. The causes of breast cancer are not yet fully elucidated, but recent research suggests that its development may be related to various factors. These include familial factors, reproductive factors, levels of sex hormones, and relevant genes. Frequent anger in patients can cause instability in the body's hormones, leading to exacerbated breast hyperplasia. Increased breast hyperplasia can then lead to the formation of small nodules in the breast. Due to the stimulation of estrogen in the body, these breast nodules are more likely to become cancerous. Therefore, it is important to maintain a cheerful mood, minimize anger, and eat more foods containing vitamins, as Vitamin A plays a role in protecting breast cells.
Is IDC breast cancer easy to treat?
Breast cancer IDC refers to invasive ductal carcinoma. Its treatments currently include surgical treatment, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, endocrine therapy, and biological therapy. However, the specific treatment plans and prognoses are influenced by many factors. These factors include pathological causes, hormone receptors, as well as the patient's age, pregnancy or lactation period, tumor grading and staging, specific pathological types, and other factors. Therefore, it is essential to visit the breast surgery department of a reputable hospital for systematic and comprehensive treatment to achieve the best therapeutic effects.
Can breast cancer be cured?
Breast cancer is one of the few curable solid malignant tumors; a solid tumor refers to one that forms a mass or has a tangible tumor body. However, the prerequisite is that the breast cancer must be in its early stages, as advanced breast cancer is currently difficult to cure, and not all early-stage breast cancers can be cured. With standardized systematic treatment in modern medicine, about 60% to 70% of early-stage breast cancers can be completely cured. However, 30% to 40% of early-stage breast cancers still develop into advanced-stage breast cancer. This is one of the reasons why long-term monitoring, close follow-up, and regular re-examinations are necessary for breast cancer management later on.
Clinical manifestations of breast cancer
The clinical manifestations of breast cancer mostly present as painless lumps in the breast. Many early-stage breast lumps are found during physical examinations or screenings. Lumps commonly develop in the upper outer quadrant and are typically solitary on one side, though occasionally there are multiple lumps, or they may appear bilaterally. The size of the clinically observed lumps varies, with diameters of up to 5 centimeters being common. Generally, the lumps are hard in consistency, have unclear boundaries, and are not easily movable within the breast. Sometimes, the nipple may be inverted and there may be bloody discharge. Enlarged lymph nodes may also be present under the armpit.
Does breast cancer require chemotherapy?
Not all breast cancer requires chemotherapy, which is just one method in the comprehensive treatment of breast cancer. Comprehensive treatment for breast cancer includes surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, endocrine therapy, biological targeted therapy, and also traditional Chinese medicine treatment. Chemotherapy, in particular, can be described as a double-edged sword that kills both cancerous and normal cells. If the breast cancer is in an early stage, especially if the genetic typing is favorable, there might be an opportunity to forego chemotherapy. However, unfortunately, as of now, a significant portion of breast cancer cases still require chemotherapy. Therefore, it is necessary to communicate with professional doctors and analyze each specific case individually; one cannot generalize the treatment.
Does early-stage breast cancer hurt?
Early-stage breast cancer almost has no symptoms, and over 90% of breast cancer cases do not involve pain symptoms, especially in the early stages. This means that only early-stage breast cancer combined with breast hyperplasia-like diseases might involve pain. Generally speaking, early-stage breast cancer has no pain symptoms, and one might not feel anything abnormal. It is only during a health checkup that breast cancer can be detected by a breast specialist through palpation or imaging techniques such as color Doppler ultrasound or mammography without the patient feeling any symptoms. Pain may occur only if there is early-stage breast cancer combined with hyperplasia, or if the breast has been injured.
Early symptoms of breast cancer
The symptoms of early-stage breast cancer mainly include breast lumps, abnormal nipple discharge, and changes in breast skin. Breast cancer is a common type of malignant tumor among women in China, with adenocarcinoma being the most common pathological type, although other types can also be seen clinically. Patients exhibiting abnormal breast lumps, abnormal nipple discharge, and changes in breast skin should consider the possibility of breast cancer. Patients suspected of having breast cancer should undergo breast imaging tests, including mammography and breast MRI, among others. Patients in whom abnormal breast masses are found during imaging tests can obtain a definitive diagnosis by surgical removal or percutaneous biopsy. Patients diagnosed with breast cancer should undergo surgical treatment as soon as possible.
Breast cancer surgical methods
There are many surgical methods for breast cancer, but specifically, they are related to the stage of the disease. Generally speaking, the surgical methods for breast cancer include the following types: The first type is the modified radical mastectomy, which is the most traditional and has the broadest scope of excision. This often involves the complete removal of the breast, and the axilla may be cleared, or a sentinel lymph node biopsy may be performed instead, which is a possibility. The second type of breast cancer surgery is the best, used for early-stage breast cancer, which can preserve the breast, known as breast-conserving surgery. The third method of surgery involves removing all the glandular tissue inside the breast while preserving the skin, nipple, and areola complex, and then reconstructing the breast by placing an implant.