Breast cancer is a common cancer. The frequency of its occurrence increases sharply with age, but pathology occurs in women of the reproductive period. Let us consider in more detail the violation, identify its causes, the symptoms of breast cancer in women, and the methods of therapy.
Why does breast cancer occur?
The causes of breast cancer are diverse, because of this, it is often problematic to single out directly the one that led to the disease. With careful, differential diagnosis, it turns out that the disease is provoked by several factors. Among the main causes of the development of the pathological process of causes, oncologists identify:
- Age. Oncological processes are more often diagnosed in women 40-60 years old. However, this does not exclude the need to examine young girls.
- Heredity. Oncologists note the increased rate of pathology among women whose close relatives suffer from oncology. The risk of developing pathology in such patients can increase up to 5 times, depending on the degree of kinship.
- Injuries of the mammary gland. Often, when diagnosing a tumor, it is established that it is associated with a blow, a chest injury.
- Violation of the nervous system. Frequent stress and overstrain causes functional exhaustion, disrupting normal metabolism in the body.
- Disturbance of nutrition. An overabundance in the diet of animal fats, foods with high caloric content, a lack of vitamins A, E, C leads to an increase in body weight. The development of obesity can provoke oncological processes.
- Violations related to childbearing function. To these changes, provoking the onset of oncological diseases, it is possible to attribute:
- earlier onset of menstruation (before 12 years);
- late menopause (after age 55);
- late first labor (after 30);
- pregnancy after 40;
- short duration of active lactation;
- frequent abortions;
- inflammatory processes in the appendages;
- primary infertility;
- irregular sexual life.
- Violation of the liver, thyroid, ovaries. Failure of the synthesis of hormones by these organs often causes breast cancer.
- Ionizing radiation. The frequency of pathology development increases in patients exposed to radioactive radiation. A greater oncogenic effect was noted in patients who were exposed to radiation at the age of 10-19 years, to a lesser degree - in women older than 35.
- Wrong way of life. The presence of bad habits, hypodynamia increase the frequency of development of oncological processes in the mammary gland.
Forms of breast cancer
Depending on the area of the lesion, the depth of the changes and their nature, the following types of breast cancer are distinguished:
- nodular;
- diffuse (infiltrative form, edematous-infiltrative, inflammatory);
- mastitis-like;
- erysipelas (carapaceous form);
- cancer of Paget .
Infiltrative-edematous form of breast cancer
Infiltrative breast cancer is always accompanied by swelling, flushing of the breast. Upon examination, the doctor diagnoses a painful or, if not palpable, discomfort, an infiltrate (densification). In its consistence it is dense, has no clear boundaries, and often takes up most of the gland. As a result, the breast increases in volume, the skin becomes reddened.
When trying to put the skin in a fold, the woman can do it with difficulty. It looks like an orange peel. This is due to the blockade of lymph vessels with tumor-shaped emboli or compression of their large tumor. At the same time puffiness is noted in the area of areola and surrounding tissues. In the armpit, dense lymph nodes are diagnosed.
Nodular form of breast cancer
Such breast cancer in women is more common than others. This form is 80% of all cases. In the early stages, the tumor does not cause a woman inconvenience, does not manifest itself. The only symptom is the presence of a painless, tight formation, or a seal in the chest. More often the tumor is localized in the outer upper square of the breast.
When examined, mammologists assess the symmetry of the location and shape of the glands. The wrinkled syndrome is a change in the skin of the breast, it develops already at the size of the formation up to 2 cm. When the breast cancer occupies a central position, the woman fixes the nipple's traction, the change in its location - the nipple turns to the side. This gives the patient and aesthetic discomfort.
Diffusive form of breast cancer
Breast cancer of this form is characterized by swelling of the skin and breast tissue. At the place of education, a woman registers redness. The disease often begins with a rise in body temperature, which does not reach high marks. Over time, the hearth spreads-new seals appear in the breast, the gland becomes deformed. The forecast is unfavorable for this form of pathology. Metastases in breast cancer of this form can be present in neighboring organs and tissues.
Invasive breast cancer
Breast cancer is characterized by the penetration of pathogenic cells directly into the ducts of the glands. Often this form proceeds according to the type of mastitis - the chest turns red, the temperature rises, and swelling arises. When palpation, a compaction is found. It is small in size. At the same time, several foci may be present. Because of the similarity of symptoms, often doctors are confused with mastitis. Prescribing treatment does not work. Additional diagnostics establishes an oncological process.
Inflammatory form of breast cancer
Rozhistopodobny breast cancer differs from other forms of pathology by sharp hyperimia. Immediately with such a symptom, women turn to a doctor. In this hyperemia has uneven edges resembling flames. This is due to the spread of tumor cells through the lymphatic vessels. Swelling of the skin accompanies these changes. In addition, pathologies are accompanied by inflammatory reactions:
- increased body temperature;
- accumulation of pus in the thickness of tissues.
Paget Cancer of the Breast
With this form of pathology, the breast tumor is formed directly from the mouths of the excretory mammary ducts of the nipple region. In this case, the defeat of the nipple and areola comes to the fore. Patients feel in this area tingling, burning sensation, mild itching. The initial stage is characterized by the appearance of scales, superficial erosive lesions of the nipple, areola. As a result, the area of the breast increases in volume.
As the progression progresses, the nipple becomes flat, and in its place an ulcer is formed. Gradually, the process goes to the areola. This leads to a complete change in the appearance of the breast. The process spreads from the center to other areas of the gland, capturing an increasing volume of tissues. Over time, they can accurately palpate the tumor-like formation.
Medullary Breast Cancer
Medullary cancer is externally similar to fibroadenoma . A distinctive feature is the rapid growth of education to large sizes in a short time span. As a result, from the pathological cells within the gland, strands are formed, which are separated from each other by thin interlayers of connective tissue cells. At a microscopy of a sample of a tissue the cells of the round form, with a large volume of a cytoplasm are identified. The tumor is clearly limited from surrounding tissues and this is noticeable during examination. On the periphery there are seals, which push aside adjacent tissues.
Breast Cancer - Symptoms and Signs
In 70% of cases, women determine the disease on their own. However, the pathological process is already in full swing. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to examine the glands at least once a month, even in the absence of discomfort, pain, and additional symptoms. Diagnosis itself should be performed on the 5th-7th day of the cycle. To determine the cancer of the breast in a timely manner, every woman should know the symptoms of the disease. The main ones are:
- abrupt change in the shape, size of the breast;
- the appearance of discharge from the nipple;
- retraction of the nipple;
- change in the structure, coloration of the skin of the breast - redness, peeling;
- the appearance of edema in the form of a lemon peel.
The first signs of breast cancer in women
Itching, burning, tingling in the chest, in the nipple and areola are the first signs of breast cancer. However, it is necessary to correctly differentiate these symptoms with phenomena associated with cyclic changes. Often, women can note the discomfort, swelling and tenderness of the mammary glands during ovulation and in the second half of the cycle, shortly before menstruation. A clear sign of a tumor is a condensation that is palpable in the early stages.
Discharge from the nipple region - obvious signs of breast cancer in women, which can be fixed already at the beginning of the pathological process. Over time, their volume increases. In this case, the color can vary - from transparent, to bloody, yellow-green, with purulent impurities. When the area begins to peel off the nipples, it becomes red and swollen. Soreness increases, which forces the woman to seek help.
Diagnosis of breast cancer
Diagnostic measures are always carried out in a complex way to identify the type of disease and the cause that provoked it. So hormone-dependent breast cancer can confirm the change in the hormonal background - a woman donates blood to hormones. Among other diagnostic tests for breast cancer:
- mammography - sets the type, shape, size of the tumor;
- doktografiya - a method for determining the ductal form of cancer, suggesting the introduction of contrast agent in the gland;
- Ultrasound - helps to determine the size, localization of the tumor;
- cytological research - determines the type of pathological process, helps to make the correct treatment algorithm;
- biopsy - histological examination of the sample;
- diagnostic sectoral resection - is performed in the presence of non-palpable glandular formations or when it is impossible to determine the nature of the pathology by other methods.
Treatment of breast cancer
The choice of the oncology therapy is based on the type, prevalence of the disease, its stage, the presence of concomitant pathologies. To treat a disease such as breast cancer, you can use:
- surgical method;
- radiation therapy;
- chemotherapy;
- hormonal treatment;
- immunotherapy.
So the surgical method is used in the absence of the effect of conservative therapy. Radiation therapy for breast cancer helps to reduce the rate of growth of the tumor. Chemotherapy for breast cancer is used as a means of eliminating the foci of the pathological process. Hormonotherapy and immunomodulators help bring the body back to normal and dramatically reduce the likelihood of a relapse.
Breast Cancer - Prognosis
When breast cancer is diagnosed, the prognosis depends largely on the type of education, the stage of the pathological process, the age of the patient, the presence or absence of concomitant diseases. The early stages of pathology are excellent for therapy (1 and 2). In late cases there is a high probability of relapse, the formation of new foci even after the complete removal of the existing ones. Thus, a ten-year prognosis for survival at grade 1 is 98%, and in stage 4, only 10% of patients live more than 10 years after diagnosis. In addition to the stage, the forecast is affected by:
- tumor localization;
- size of education;
- clinical form of pathology.
Prevention of breast cancer
Breast cancer in women can be prevented by following a number of doctor's recommendations. Doctors advise:
- Avoid stressful situations.
- Limit the length of stay in the sun in summer.
- Eliminate possible injuries of the mammary glands.
- Underwear, bra , should be selected according to size.
- To refuse from bad habits.
- Hormonal means of contraception with a gynecologist.
- Exclude from the diet food that is rich in fat.
- Avoid prolonged physical exertion.
- To visit the doctor at least once a year.