Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor in women, and its incidence rate is increasing year by year. Every year, more than 1.2 million new cases of breast cancer occur in the world, and its incidence rate ranks first among female malignant tumors. In the past ten years, the incidence rate of breast cancer in China has increased at an annual rate of 3%. In recent years, the incidence rate has risen rapidly and the age of patients has a trend of younger. So at present, breast cancer is getting more and more attention from female friends. In order to enable female friends to have a comprehensive and correct understanding of this disease, today I will take you to understand some basic knowledge about breast cancer
1. What is breast cancer?
Breast cancer is a malignant tumor derived from the epithelial cells of the terminal ductal lobule of the breast. More common in women aged 40-60, the pathogenesis is related to family inheritance, long-term effects of estrogen, environmental factors, and long-term high-dose exposure to radiation.
2、 If the following four conditions occur, it may really be a harbinger of breast cancer!
Early breast cancer has no typical symptoms and signs, so it is easy to be ignored and not found. It can be found through regular physical examination or breast cancer screening.
1. breast cancer often presents as "painless mass". If there is no pain in the breast mass, it is hard to feel, with irregular edges and less smooth surface, you should be particularly alert to breast cancer.
2. If there is a breast lump in the first situation mentioned above, it is also necessary to pay attention to whether there are abnormalities in the nipple, such as the recent occurrence of nipple deviation or depression, which often indicates that there may be lesions invading the ducts behind the nipple, leading to traction and shortening. Of course, if nipple retraction has been present for a long time since childhood, there is no need to worry.
3. The nipple appears obvious ulceration and does not heal for a long time, which should also be paid enough attention, because one kind of breast cancer is manifested as eczema like ulceration of the nipple.
4. Skin abnormalities in the breast area. If there are some signs such as "dimple sign" or orange peel change recently, this is a very specific sign of breast cancer, suggesting that breast cancer is more likely and needs to be paid enough attention.
3、 Which female friends should have regular breast health examination
1. Have a family history of breast cancer; Those who have had their first menstrual period before the age of 12 or have been menstruating for more than 40 years; 3. Long term use of hormones or hormone replacement therapy; Children born after 30 years old, those over 40 years old who are not pregnant, single, those who have been married for a long time or have been married for a short period of time; 5. History of radiation exposure and unhealthy lifestyle habits, etc; 6. Those who extensively use beauty and health products containing estrogen; 7. History of benign breast diseases; 8. Overeating high sugar, high fat and low fiber foods, being overweight or accompanied by diabetes.
4、 How to perform breast palpation examination
The examinee usually adopts a sitting or standing position. If the breast is large or sagging, a supine position can also be combined. Breast examination should follow the principle of visual examination first and palpation later, with the healthy side first and the affected side later. During palpation, the fingertips should be used on the ventral side in a certain order, without missing the nipple, areola area, and armpit area. Both hands can be combined. Place one arm behind the head to expand the breast tissue, and gently press and feel the breast with the upper three fingers of the other hand. Starting from above the breast, the fingertips should be moved clockwise and palpated for one week. During the examination, the fingertips should be tightly attached to the skin, and a small amount of soap solution can be applied for lubrication. After one round of palpation, move up 2 centimeters and perform a second round of palpation in the same way until the entire breast is examined, and then examine the opposite breast in the same way.
For some early breast cancer, palpation is negative. In addition to palpation, combined with the local signs, imaging and histopathological examination results of the patient, coarse needle biopsy is feasible when necessary.
5、 Special Tips
Breast mass is not equal to breast cancer! Breast masses, in addition to malignant tumors, also include the following: ① breast hyperplasia nodules; ② Fibroadenoma of the breast; ③ Intraductal papilloma of the breast.
In fact, it is very common for breasts to have lumps, which may be caused by various reasons. Some of them do not require treatment at all, so the key is to clarify the nature of the lumps and then proceed with treatment.
Today's popular science knowledge about breast cancer is here. Although breast cancer has the highest incidence rate, its mortality rate is lower than other tumors, which indicates that breast cancer has better treatment and prognosis than other tumors. Early breast cancer patients can not only be cured, but also achieve breast conservation on the basis of cure. Postoperative breast reconstruction can also enable patients to stand up and face life calmly without psychological burden. Therefore, in the face of breast painless lumps, we must pay attention to stay away from breast cancer and be healthy women.