Breast; It consists of the glands that produce milk and 16-20 mammary lobes formed by them, the ducts carrying the milk, the nipple and its ring, and the fat and connective tissue between these tissues, vessels, nerves and the ligaments that hang the breast towards the skin (Cooper).
What is Breast Cancer?
Cancer is caused by the uncontrolled and continuous proliferation of cells in the mammary glands and ducts carrying milk. Approximately 80% of breast cancers develop from the ducts carrying the milk (invasive ductal carcinoma), and the remaining 20% from the glands that produce the milk (invasive lobular carcinoma) and where they join with the carrier ducts. But apart from these, there are also different histological types of breast cancer such as medullary, tubular and mucinous, albeit rarely. It usually takes 7-8 years for a single cell to proliferate and form a mass in breast cancer. This period varies according to the growth rate of the cancer. After the cancer cells multiply, they can spread to the lymph nodes and other parts of the body through the bloodstream.
Breast cancer is characterized by the presence of swelling and mass in the breast tissue or armpit. However, it can also cause symptoms such as discharge from the nipple and deformity of the breast. Early diagnosis of breast cancer greatly increases the chances of cure. Therefore, in the presence of a suspicious mass in the breast tissue, a physician should be consulted. It is also recommended that women between the ages of 40 and 69 have mammograms and health screenings every two years. In this way, cancers that are not yet palpable can be detected and very early diagnosis can be achieved. Before moving on to breast cancer diagnosis and treatment methods, "What is breast cancer?" must answer the question. Breast cancer, which starts in the cells of the breast region, is one of the diseases that cause the most death after cardiovascular diseases. Breast cancer, which is the most common type of cancer in the world combined in women and men, can rarely be seen in men. As in other cancer types, some deteriorations occur in the DNA of healthy cells in breast cancer. occurs by sneezing. In breast cancer, the formation and proliferation of cancer cells is extremely slow in the initial period. During this period, it does not cause any symptoms that can be noticed by the person.
As the cancer stage progresses, the proliferation rate of the cells also increases. This causes it to spread rapidly to different parts of the body through the circulatory system and lymph nodes. The incidence of breast cancer, which is very common between the ages of 50 and 70, is higher in people with a family history of breast cancer. Therefore, it is recommended that all women from the age of 40 should have mammography, which is the only early diagnosis and screening test of breast cancer against breast cancer. In addition to all these, some hormone drugs used during menopause also increase the risk of breast cancer. Frequently asked questions "What are the risk factors in breast cancer?" Before answering the question "What are the symptoms of breast cancer?" It is necessary to answer the question.
What are the Symptoms of Breast Cancer?
In breast cancer cases that do not cause symptoms in the early period, but can be diagnosed by mammography, symptoms also occur as the stage of the cancer progresses. Some of the symptoms in the presence of breast cancer can be listed as follows:
- Painless swelling or mass felt in the breast tissue or armpit area, Bloody or transparent discharge from the nipple,
- Wound or redness on the nipple,
- Deformity such as collapse of the nipple (areola), discoloration,
- The presence of skin problems such as skin rash and peeling on the nipple,
- Breast skin deterioration, orange peel appearance or thickening
- Asymmetrical enlargement of the breast,
- Pain in the breast
Breast Cancer What are the Stages?
The stages of breast cancer can be listed as follows:
Stage 0: In this period, which is the initial stage of cancer, cancer cells have not yet spread beyond their existing capsule to the breast tissue.
Stage 1 : The mass formed by cancerous cells is smaller than 2 cm and the cancer has not yet reached the lymph nodes.
Stage 2: The tumor is 2 to 5 cm. has a size in the range. Cancer may have spread to lymph nodes.
Stage 3: Cancerous 5 cm. It has spread over or through the skin or chest wall and has metastasized to the lymph nodes.
Evr e 4: Breast cancer has spread or metastasized to other tissues and organs in the body.
What are the Risk Factors in Breast Cancer?
In the development of breast cancer, which is seen in one of every 8 women, there are some known to have risk factors. Just being 50 years or older is a risk factor for breast cancer. However, in our country, which has a young population, nearly half of all women with breast cancer are under the age of 50 and 20% are under the age of 40. In other words, breast cancer is seen at younger ages in our country compared to developed countries. For this reason, the age of mammographic screening for breast cancer in our country is 40, not 50, as in western society. Approximately 70% of women diagnosed with breast cancer in developed countries are women aged 50 and over. Menopause after the age of 55 also increases the risk of breast cancer. The incidence of breast cancer is also higher in women who take estrogen therapy for more than 5 years during menopause. >Being obese or obese,
How to Diagnose Breast Cancer
Early diagnosis and treatment in breast cancer It facilitates the treatment as well as increases the chance of success. The aim of early diagnosis is to detect cancer findings before breast cancer symptoms occur in the person. For early diagnosis of breast cancer, women should manually examine their own breasts once a month after the age of 20 in the first week after the menstrual period. Women who feel differences such as asymmetry in the breast, mass, collapse of the skin and nipple should consult their family doctor, obstetrician or surgical specialist. ir.
After the woman's application to the doctor, first of all the patient's anamnesis is taken, physical examination is performed and diagnostic methods such as mammography, ultrasound, and MRI may be requested. If necessary, breast biopsy is performed and diagnosis is made. One of the important early diagnosis and screening methods of breast cancer is breast examination in the clinic. Women should be examined by their family doctor, obstetrician or surgical specialist every year, starting from the age of 40. It is recommended that women who are not in the high-risk group have a mammogram at least once every two years after the age of 40. Thanks to this procedure, which takes about 20 minutes, breast cancer can be detected at a very early stage. In people with breast cancer risk factors, different radiological imaging methods such as ultrasound and MR can be started earlier in addition to mammography.
How to Treat Breast Cancer?
Breast cancer Treatment is done in different ways according to the general health status of the patient and the stage of breast cancer. If the tumor is detected at an early stage, treatment is started with surgery. If the disease has spread to the armpit, a biopsy is taken from the lymph node in the breast where cancer and metastasis are considered. A marker is placed on them so that they can be found after chemotherapy. After chemotherapy, surgery is then followed by radiotherapy. With the multidisciplinary treatment methods applied, the chance of complete recovery of the disease is quite high. During the treatment of breast cancer, efforts are made to protect the breast. With the lumpectomy method, cancer cells and surrounding tissues are removed. In obligatory cases, the breast tissue is completely removed by the method called mastectomy and new breast tissue is created with a silicone implant in suitable patients.
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