Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is a malignant tumor formed by the rapid and uncontrolled proliferation of mammary gland cells that have been diverted from their normal function and are developing, covering normal tissue.
Usually, breast cancer is adenocarcinoma and occurs in the terminal pores and lobes of the mammary gland.
Primary breast cancer – Metastatic breast cancer
It is cancer that occurs in the breast and originates from the mammary gland.We call it primary breast cancer. Rarely, cancers that develop in other organs can metastasize to the breast.
Cancer that is confined to the breast and has a small diameter is called primary breast cancer.
Breast cancer can metastasize to the corresponding lymph nodes. We call these metastases proximal metastases. They are important in cancer staging, treatment and prognosis.
When breast cancer invades the skin, chest wall, or lymph nodes to form a complex of hard lymph nodes that stick together or in adjacent tissues, then we call it locally advanced breast cancer. Breast cancer can also metastasize to the bones, lungs, liver and brain. We call these metastases distant metastases. Then we refer to it as metastatic or advanced breast cancer.
Does Breast Cancer Only Affect Women?
Breast cancer is not an exclusively female affair. Men can also develop breast cancer. The difference is that the chances are a hundred times less for the male population.
At what age does breast cancer develop?
Breast cancer can occur at any time during a woman’s life, but the chances increase with age. Studies have shown that the chances double every 10 years until menopause and remain high until the age of about 65 years.
Symptoms of breast cancer
We have to remember that not every breast tumor is necessarily malignant. There are many different benign breast tumors, although sometimes the clinical symptoms can confuse us.
The main symptoms of breast cancer are:
Diagnosis
Mammogram is a basic method for the early diagnosis of breast cancer. The American Cancer Society recommends an annual mammogram for all women over the age of 40. But is mammogram a diagnostic method that always recognizes malignancy? The answer is no.
There is a percentage around 5-7% in which the mammogram gives false negative results. This is due either to the fact that we cannot detect malignancy, such as lobular malignancies, or because the breast is too dense. For this reason, we often need to perform various additional examinations, such as breast ultrasound.
In recent years, the method of digital mammogram has developed significantly, which is slowly beginning to produce better results.
Cure
Successful treatment of breast cancer consists of removing it or controlling it for an extended period of time. However, since breast cancer is characterized by many different cancer cells, their removal may require different treatments. Thus, a treatment plan may include the following: