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Breast cancer
Breast Cancer Self-Examination Method
Breast self-examination helps to detect changes in the breasts in a timely manner, and to discover breast diseases promptly. For instance, breast lumps are often found by patients themselves during self-examination. However, finding a breast lump does not necessarily mean it is breast cancer, as many conditions can present as breast lumps, such as the most common one, fibrocystic breast changes. Besides breast self-examination, early detection of breast cancer also relies on regular physical check-ups. It is recommended that women of childbearing age should develop the habit of regular breast self-examinations and routine physical check-ups, and consult a doctor promptly if abnormalities are found.
Types of breast cancer surgery
Breast cancer surgery types are generally still dominated by modified radical mastectomy. Modified radical mastectomy can be divided into two types; one preserves both the pectoralis major and pectoralis minor muscles, and the other removes the pectoralis minor muscle but preserves the pectoralis major muscle. Another option is breast-conserving surgery, which is feasible for tumors smaller than three centimeters and at least two centimeters away from the nipple. Nowadays, sentinel lymph node biopsy has become popular. If it proves that the sentinel lymph node has no metastasis, a single mastectomy can be performed.
Breast cancer is a disease.
Breast cancer is a malignant tumor of the breast that can occur in both women and men, though it is more commonly seen in women. Breast cancer arises when breast epithelial cells undergo genetic mutations under the influence of various carcinogenic factors, losing the characteristics of normal cells. Consequently, the structural organization of breast cancer tissue is disrupted, with loose cell connections, allowing cancer cells to easily detach and spread throughout the body via pathways such as blood or lymphatic fluid, leading to metastases in the lungs, brain, bones, etc. Therefore, this disease directly affects patient survival outcomes and should be taken seriously by everyone.
Late-stage symptoms of breast cancer
The first symptom of advanced breast cancer is a lump in the breast, which may be larger than before, or there may be multiple lumps that are fixed to the surrounding tissues and have limited mobility. The second symptom is nipple discharge, which could be watery, serous, or milky. The third possible sign is changes in the skin, such as dimpling or an orange-peel texture. The fourth point includes the retraction of the nipple, abnormalities in the areola, and thickening and reddening of the nipple skin. The fifth point can involve pain in the breast. In advanced stages, the cancer may directly invade the nerves. Sixthly, advanced breast cancer may lead to metastases; for example, brain metastases might cause symptoms like nausea, vomiting, headaches, and dizziness. If there are bone metastases, especially multiple bone metastases, symptoms could include pain in the lower back and pain along the sciatic nerve, among others.
early symptoms of breast cancer
60% of early-stage breast cancer presents as a lump, most commonly in the upper outer quadrant. The primary symptoms include a painless, solitary, small lump that is hard, uneven in surface, irregular in shape, and not clearly demarcated from surrounding tissues. The lump is hard to move within the breast, indicating adhesion to the surrounding tissue. The skin over the lump may show signs of redness, swelling, indentation, orange peel-like texture, dimpling, and ulceration. Sometimes, there may also be nipple discharge, typically bloody, and early-stage enlargement of the axillary lymph nodes can occur.
Differences between Breast Hyperplasia and Breast Cancer
Both breast hyperplasia and breast cancer can present as breast lumps. The lumps in breast hyperplasia are generally softer or of medium hardness, often occurring bilaterally with multiple lumps of varying sizes. They may appear nodular, plaque-like, or granular, are quite mobile, and have no adhesion to surrounding tissues. The size and characteristics of the lumps commonly change with the menstrual cycle and emotional fluctuations, and they tend to grow slowly, predominantly affecting young and middle-aged women. In contrast, breast cancer lumps are generally harder, usually unilateral and solitary. These lumps may be round, oval, or irregular in shape, can grow quite large, have limited mobility, and tend to adhere to the skin and surrounding tissues. The lumps are not related to the menstrual cycle or emotional changes, can increase in size rapidly over a short period, and are more commonly seen in middle-aged and older women. Sometimes breast cancer can be confused with breast hyperplasia, necessitating a hospital visit for examination and diagnostic differentiation by a doctor.
Breast cancer chemotherapy regimen
Breast cancer chemotherapy regimen. Thus, chemotherapy occupies a very important position in the treatment of breast cancer. The commonly used chemotherapy drugs in breast cancer treatment include alkylating agents, such as cyclophosphamide; antimetabolites like fluorouracil, methotrexate, gemcitabine, and capecitabine; anthracyclines, such as doxorubicin and others. In recent years, taxanes, particularly docetaxel, have been used more frequently. Other drugs include mitomycin and cisplatin, among others. However, the specific chemotherapy regimen for breast cancer should be assessed by a professional oncologist. The regimen should consider the pathological stage, pathological type, whether surgery was performed, whether the surgery completely removed the tumor, lymph node metastasis, and other factors to devise a suitable chemotherapy plan. Therefore, it is possible that each individual might have a regimen that is specifically suited to their situation, and not all regimens are suitable for everyone.
early symptoms of breast cancer
Breast cancer, in the majority of cases, manifests as a painless lump, often accidentally discovered by the patient without any adverse discomfort. During self-examinations or routine screenings, a few patients might detect them. These lumps are commonly found in the upper outer quadrant, typically appearing as a single lesion on one side, with no obvious abnormalities on the skin. Dimpling, an orange-peel-like texture, the appearance of satellite nodules in later stages, nipple retraction, bloody discharge, and eczema-like changes can be observed. There is also swelling of regional lymph nodes.
How is breast cancer treated?
For the comprehensive treatment of malignant (breast cancer), it needs to be specifically addressed based on case analysis, considering the patient's physical condition, economic factors, and other circumstances. There isn't a one-size-fits-all treatment plan suitable for everyone, as each case requires specific analysis. The treatment options for breast cancer include, firstly, surgery, which can be either a mastectomy or breast-conserving surgery, depending on lymph node metastasis and pathological staging. The second option includes radiation therapy, the third is endocrine therapy, the fourth is chemotherapy, the fifth is targeted therapy, and the sixth and subsequent options may include immunotherapy.
How to cure breast cancer?
In the treatment of breast cancer, early detection is very important. In the early to mid-stages of breast cancer, the cure rate is quite high, generally up to 99%. Therefore, if it is breast cancer, timely surgical treatment should be carried out. In the later stages, depending on the specific pathological conditions, it should be evaluated whether radiotherapy or chemotherapy is needed. Breast cancer patients, with active cooperation in treatment, have a great chance of being cured.