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Breast cancer
What are the symptoms of breast cancer?
The first sign of breast cancer can be a lump in the breast, where lumps might be palpable in the upper outer quadrant of the breast; the second symptom might be nipple discharge or bleeding; the third symptom might be pain in the breast; the fourth symptom might involve changes in the skin of the breast, such as the skin becoming rough and possibly developing an orange peel texture; the fifth symptom might be nipple retraction and changes in the areola.
Early-stage breast cancer symptoms
Early-stage breast cancer may exhibit several symptoms. The first is the presence of breast lumps. The second symptom might be nipple discharge, which can be serous, watery, or milky in nature. The third symptom might involve changes in the skin over the breast tumor, including skin adhesion, such as dimpling, engorgement of superficial veins, skin reddening, localized increase in temperature, and an orange-peel texture. The fourth symptom includes abnormalities of the nipple and areola, potentially featuring nipple retraction, erosion of the nipple, thickening of the nipple epithelium, and reddening. The fifth symptom could be breast pain.
What are the symptoms of breast cancer?
Breast cancer is most commonly found (60% of cases) on the outer boundary of the breast. Its symptoms often include a single, painless, small lump that is hard, with an uneven surface and an irregular shape. The boundaries of the lump are not clearly distinguishable from the surrounding tissue, and it cannot be easily moved within the breast. The skin over the lump may show signs of redness, swelling, dimpling or orange-peel-like changes. Additional symptoms might include dimpling, ulceration, and other abnormalities. The lump may be associated with changes in the same side nipple, such as bloody discharge, and enlarged lymph nodes can sometimes be felt under the armpit.
Thymus cancer and breast cancer differences
Thymic cancer, which refers to the malignant tumor that occurs in the thymus, predominantly presents as squamous cell carcinoma. It generally arises in the mediastinum, with clinical symptoms such as chest pain, cough, and breathing difficulties. Breast cancer, on the other hand, refers to the malignant tumor occurring in the breast tissue, with invasive ductal carcinoma being the most common type. Its symptoms often include unintentionally discovered breast lumps, or metastasis to axillary lymph nodes, felt as enlargement of these nodes. Therefore, these two diseases differ in their sites of origin, symptoms, pathological types, and treatments.
What is invasive breast cancer?
Invasive breast cancer is the most common tumor in women, accounting for 22% of all malignant tumors in females. Invasive breast cancer refers to a malignant tumor where cancer cells have broken through the basement membrane of the breast ducts or lobular alveoli and invaded the interstitium. The vast majority of invasive breast cancers are adenocarcinomas, originating from the epithelial cells of the breast parenchyma, especially from the terminal duct lobular units. Its characteristics include the tumor's infiltration into adjacent tissues and a marked tendency for distant metastasis.
How long does breast cancer surgery take?
Generally speaking, for breast cancer surgery, local anesthesia is first used to biopsy the pathology. After removing the pathology, it is quickly determined whether it is malignant or benign. Then, the procedure is switched to general anesthesia to perform either modified radical mastectomy or radical mastectomy, or a sentinel lymph node biopsy. The approximate time is about two hours, plus postoperative care, it usually ends in about two and a half hours, and then the patient is sent back to the ward to rest, generally not exceeding three hours.
How does one get breast cancer?
How is breast cancer caused? Regarding the causes of breast cancer, the primary factor should be family history. If a first-degree relative has breast cancer, then the likelihood of developing breast cancer increases. The second factor is reproductive factors; for instance, if the age at menarche is quite young, menopause age is relatively late, menstrual cycles are short, there is no childbirth or the age at first full-term pregnancy is older, there are fewer childbirths, and there is a lack of breastfeeding, then the incidence of breast cancer is also higher. The third factor involves hormones, possibly related to endogenous hormones or exogenous hormones, such as those mainly associated with oral contraceptives used externally. The fourth major point is a high-fat diet, or habits like drinking alcohol, smoking, and a diet low in vitamins, which may increase the risk of breast cancer. The fifth point involves other factors, such as exposure to significant amounts of ionizing radiation, chemicals from cancer drugs, lack of physical exercise, and occupations, such as working in the beauty industry or pharmaceutical manufacturing, etc., which may also increase the chances of developing breast cancer.
Causes of Breast Cancer
The causes of breast cancer are not yet fully understood, but research has shown that the onset of breast cancer follows certain patterns and is related to various risk factors: The first is the age of onset for female breast cancer, which is generally low from ages zero to twenty-four, gradually increases after twenty-five, and peaks from fifty to fifty-four years old. So, the first factor is related to age; The second factor is genetics. If a mother or sister has breast cancer, then the individual’s likelihood of developing breast cancer may be higher, making family history a relevant factor; The third point involves risk factors related to the breast, including early menarche (before the age of twelve), late menopause (after the age of fifty-five), being unmarried, nulliparous, late marriage, and not breastfeeding. These factors also tend to increase the likelihood of developing breast cancer; The fourth point is that benign breast conditions, if not promptly diagnosed and treated, could potentially transform into malignant tumors; The fifth point includes potential exposure to radiation, long-term use of exogenous estrogens, postmenopausal obesity, chronic alcohol consumption, and an irregular lifestyle, all of which can also have an impact.
Does breast cancer have a genetic component?
Breast cancer is somewhat related to genetics and has a certain familial predisposition. It manifests as a higher incidence rate in relatives with breast cancer, especially in closer blood relations, and daughters may develop the disease at an earlier age than their mothers. There is also a higher risk of bilateral occurrence and a tendency for other malignant tumors to develop in different parts of the body. Additionally, if a family has at least two sisters with breast cancer and their mother is not afflicted by the disease, the susceptibility of this family is about three times higher than average, commonly occurring after menopause, and usually affecting one side. Of course, the influence of human genetic factors on the development of breast cancer is multifaceted. The occurrence of breast cancer is affected not only by genetic factors but also by many other factors, which have a cumulative effect of risks. It is recommended that individuals from families with a history of breast cancer should undergo regular screening, improve their lifestyle, and avoid the accumulation of risk factors, which can also enable earlier detection and treatment of breast cancer that has already developed.
early symptoms of breast cancer
Breast cancer commonly occurs in the upper outer quadrant of the breast, with a hard, stone-like texture, mostly presenting as solitary masses that can be round, oval, or irregular in shape. These tumors have limited mobility and tend to adhere to the skin and surrounding tissues. However, the size of the mass does not change with menstrual cycles or emotional fluctuations, and it can grow rapidly in a short period. It predominantly affects middle-aged and elderly women. Additionally, mammography can reveal tiny calcifications, abnormal vascular patterns, and spiculated changes.