Breast cancer is the first cancer type seen in women. One in every 8 women has a lifetime risk of developing cancer. Breast cancer is a tumor formation that consists of cells that proliferate uncontrollably as a result of various factors and have the potential to spread to other organs, in the mammary glands of the breast and among the cells that line the ducts that carry the produced milk to the nipple. The most common type; These are cancers called "ductal" cancers that originate from the breast milk ducts. Lobular cancers originating from the milk-producing glands are also common. Only 7-9 percent of breast cancers are hereditary. There are two genes responsible for 80 percent of hereditary breast cancers: BRCA-1 and BRCA-2... The occurrence of breast cancer and male breast cancer at a young age, especially on the mother's side, may indicate a familial transmission.
Risk Factors: Female gender and aging are the most important risk factors for breast cancer. The risk increases in those who give birth for the first time after the age of 30 compared to those who give birth before the age of 18. Those who have their first menstrual period at an early age and those who enter menopause at an older age (>55 years) have an increased risk because they will be exposed to estrogen hormone for a longer period of time throughout their lives. Long-term use of birth control pills increases the risk of developing breast cancer. The risk of breast cancer, heart attack and stroke increases with use for more than 10 years and especially if you start using it at a young age (before the age of 20). The risk of breast cancer and uterine cancer increases in women who use hormone therapy drugs used after menopause for 5 years or longer. The risk of breast cancer increases in tall women. The risk of breast cancer increases in women who are overweight before menopause and in women who are overweight after menopause. There is a relationship between eating foods high in fat and the development of breast cancer in the post-menopausal period. On the contrary, a vegetable-based diet has a protective effect. Consuming more than one glass of alcohol a day may increase the risk of cancer development in women because it increases estrogen hormone levels. Detection of benign (non-malignant) tumors of the breast such as cysts, fibroadenomas and hyperplasia as a result of biopsy is a risk factor. In his mother, on his mother's side, The risk of developing breast cancer in women whose fathers, aunts and/or sisters have breast cancer is higher than the normal population. Some risk factors are under your control. In order to protect your general health condition; You can engage in activities such as eating a balanced diet, losing weight or maintaining your weight, not smoking, limiting alcohol, and regular exercise. However, these do not completely eliminate your risk.
Symptoms: The most common symptom of breast cancer; It is the feeling of a painless mass in the breast that grows over time. However, in a minority of patients, pain may accompany the symptoms. Less commonly, nipple symptoms include breast shrinkage, skin thickening, swelling, skin irritation or deterioration, and nipple tenderness or inversion. Contrary to popular belief, pain and bloody discharge occur in advanced stages.
Diagnosis: Breast cancer in the early stages may not cause any obvious symptoms until it reaches advanced stages, as is the case with other types of cancer. The most important factor in early diagnosis is to raise the person's awareness about this issue. Diagnosing breast cancer at an early stage increases the chance of treatment success and survival. Three basic methods can be applied for early diagnosis. These ; These include breast self-checks at home, annual breast examinations by a doctor, and mammography (breast x-ray). Women should self-examine their breasts every month after the age of 20. In the pre-menopausal period, 7-10 days after the beginning of menstruation. In the post-menopausal period, you should have an examination on the same day of each month. If you detect any suspicious mass within the breast tissue, consult a doctor immediately.
Staging: Breast cancer formation is not a very rapid process. The tumor reaches a size of 1 cm in an average of 5-7 years. It spreads first to the armpit lymph nodes via lymph channels and then to distant organs such as the liver and bone via the blood. Staging is done to detect the spread of the tumor and treatment is decided. A staging system called the TNM system is used. T indicates tumor diameter, N indicates the number of diseased axillary lymph nodes, and M indicates distant spread (metastasis). Accordingly, 4 phases can be mentioned. When early stage disease is mentioned, stage I, II and some stage III tumors are understood. Some of the stage III tumors and stage IV tumors are called advanced stage.
Treatment: Breast cancer treatment should be performed by a team specialized in the field. The main members of this team are the breast surgeon, medical oncologist, and radiation oncologist. The main treatment for breast cancer is surgery. The preferred type of surgery is mastectomy, in which breast tissue is completely removed. However, it is also appropriate to perform breast-conserving surgery in early-stage small tumors. Removing the cancerous tissue from the breast, leaving a piece of healthy breast tissue around it, is called 'lumpectomy'. However, it is necessary to give radiotherapy to the lumpectomy breasts afterwards. As a result of the studies, it has been understood that the results of breast-conserving surgery are similar to mastectomy. After surgery, if necessary, complementary chemotherapy or hormonal therapies are performed by medical oncologists. In some cases, radiotherapy may also be required. When deciding on treatment, factors such as the size of the tumor, whether it has spread to the armpit lymph nodes, the hormone dependence status of the tumor, and the presence of the cancer gene called Her2 (c-erb-B2) are taken into consideration. In cases where the tumor is large, treatment may first begin with chemotherapy and the tumor may need to be reduced in size and made suitable for surgery. Your doctor will decide on these treatments and guide you.
Screening: According to the breast cancer screening protocol implemented in our country; Between 20-40 years old; breast self-examination once a month, clinical breast examination every two years, and ages 40-69; Breast self-examination once a month, clinical breast examination once a year, and mammography every two years are required. It has been determined that cancer can be detected at very early stages in women who are followed in this way and that there is a 30% decrease in breast cancer-related deaths.
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