BREAST CANCER
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. It ranks second among the causes of cancer-related death, after lung cancer. One in every 8 women in the USA and one in every 10 women in European countries; gets breast cancer. In our country, nearly 30 thousand women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year. Nowadays, increased opportunities for early diagnosis and many studies and studies on this subject reduce the rate of breast cancer-related deaths.
WHAT IS BREAST CANCER?
It is the uncontrolled proliferation of the cells that form the milk glands and ducts in the breast. Tumor cells seen only in this area of the breast then spread to other parts of the breast and body via blood and lymph vessels. The first place to go is usually the ipsilateral armpit lymph nodes.
WHAT CAUSES BREAST CANCER?
The causes of breast cancer are still not fully known. However, many risk-increasing reasons can be listed. Being a woman and getting older should be considered the most important of these.
RISK FACTORS IN BREAST CANCER
- Presence of breast cancer in the family (The presence of breast cancer in the family, especially at a young age and in more than two individuals, is a significant risk),
- Obesity,
- Starting of the menstrual period at an early age (before the age of 12),
- Entering menopause at a late age (after the age of 55),
- Long-term hormone replacement therapy,
- Delivering the first baby at an older age,
- Not giving birth at all or not breastfeeding the baby
HOW DOES BREAST CANCER PRESENT IN THE EARLY STAGE?
- Mass in breast,
- Retraction of the nipple (collapse, displacement to the right or left),
- Discharge without squeezing the nipple,
- Persistent wound, itching, redness on the nipple
- Orange peel appearance on breast skin,
- Disruption of symmetry in breasts and nipples,
- Sudden enlargement of a breast,
- A palpable mass under the armpit,
- Unusual pain in the breast.
EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF BREAST CANCER
If you are in the Breast Cancer Risk Group, whether you have the symptoms listed above or not, you should consult a specialist physician without delay. The physician, who carefully listens to the story of the incident, will carefully examine the breast and surrounding tissues and then direct the person to some tests within the framework of the person’s age and findings.
3 GOLDEN RULES OF EARLY DIAGNOSIS IN BREAST CANCER
- Examination of oneself,
- Going for periodic doctor’s examination,
- Mammography and Ultrasonography Examinations, which are Early Diagnosis Devices
Breast Self-Examination: Every woman should check her own breast once a month, starting from the age of 20. Breast tissue in every woman; It shows some physiological changes during menstruation and pregnancy, menopause, use of birth control pills or hormones, and with advancing age. Breast tenderness and swelling due to menstruation are normal. If there is a significant difference in the breast that is different from these normal changes, the person should consult a doctor without delay.
Having a lump in the breast is perhaps the most frightening process in a woman’s life. Because it immediately reminds of cancer. Statistics show that; One in every two women experiences this phenomenon. But remember! Most of the masses found in the breast are benign. There is only one way to definitively understand whether this mass is benign or malignant. Biopsy; Biopsy performed with advanced stereotactic marking method is essential for definitive diagnosis. Only at the end will the most appropriate treatment method be decided.
Annual Periodic Doctor’s Check-Up: Whether they are in the risk group or not, every woman after a certain age (35-40 years) should have an annual check-up by a general surgeon. During the meeting with the doctor, the findings to be alert for and anything that comes to mind should be discussed. For this reason, it is useful to take notes in advance.
Mammography and Ultrasound: After the age of 40, every woman should have an annual breast examination and accompanying mammography + ultrasonography. Mammography; It is done using low doses of x-rays. In order for the film to be clear, the nozzle must be compressed between the 2 plates for a few seconds. It is considered the gold standard in breast cancer diagnosis. It has been shown in many studies that screening mammograms reduce the risk of death due to cancer by increasing the rate of early diagnosis. Women who reach the age of 40 should definitely have a mammogram, and then mammograms should be continued annually. Peak; It can never replace mammography. Mammography enables the detection of tumors that do not yet show clinical signs.
Ultrasonography; It is a harmless method that examines fluid-filled cystic structures or masses within the breast tissue using sound waves. It is especially important in the evaluation and diagnosis of masses in young patients and can be repeated as many times as desired. There is a chance to see even masses smaller than one centimeter and to perform a needle biopsy. It is a cheap, safe and easy test.
“The Prevalence of Breast Cancer Is Increasing”
But as the number of patients caught at an early stage increases, the death rate from cancer is gradually decreasing!
Breast cancer is a treatable disease. Moreover, there is a chance of treatment without removing the breast. Every year, new cancer drugs are developed that have a stronger effect on the tumor but have fewer side effects on the patient. In breast cancer, 20 years ago the patient’s entire breast was removed along with the chest wall muscles, but in today’s surgeries, the breast is preserved and only the tumor is removed. In the treatment of cancer; Apart from surgical treatment, radiotherapy, hormone therapy and chemotherapy are applied in a multidisciplinary manner depending on the stage of the disease, the age of the patient and the characteristics of the tumor.