Breast cancer - symptoms, diagnosis

Breast cancer is a common pathology that occurs mainly in women over 40 years old. Malignant neoplasms in the mammary gland are the main cause of female mortality. More than 1.3 million new cases of the disease are diagnosed annually. More than half of patients live in developing countries. In 80% of cases, patients in developed countries have a 5-year survival rate after detection and treatment of pathology. A similar indicator for patients from developing countries is less than 40%. It is not by chance that many women who have passed the 40-year mark wonder how to recognize breast cancer.

Check your breast for cancer: the importance of regular screening

Preclinical diagnostics significantly improves the outcome of treatment and increases life expectancy. Detection of pathology at the stage of absence of pronounced symptoms is possible during an instrumental examination. Ultrasound machines and mammographs are used for instrumental diagnostics. Primary diagnosis plays an important role in the detection and treatment of the disease, in the case of the presence of alarming symptoms, it serves as the basis for conducting an additional examination. Primary diagnosis consists in self-examination and examination by doctors of different specialties. The breast with cancer acquires characteristic changes that help to suspect pathology.

The sensitivity of self-examination decreases with age. 40% of women under the age of 39 and 21% of patients over the age of 60 detect pathological changes in the structure of the mammary gland during self-diagnosis. Self-examination is not an absolutely accurate and indicative method, but it allows timely detection of pathological changes. According to statistics, in 9 out of 10 cases of diagnosed cancer in developed countries, the primary signs are detected by women during self-examination.

How to recognize breast cancer: self-diagnosis

Self-examination is carried out on day 5-8 of the cycle. During this period, the mammary gland is relaxed, which allows you to better feel the tissues. During menopause, the examination is performed on one day of the calendar month. Mandatory conditions are good lighting and a relaxed state. During palpation of the breast tissue, it is important to remain calm and treat the diagnosis as a hygienic procedure. Many changes in the breast gland are benign and do not pose a serious threat to health.

Before starting to palpate the breast, one should examine the underwear for the presence of an object separated from the nipple. Minor discharges may be imperceptible during inspection, but leave traces on the inner surface of the bra. Pathological secretions are greenish, yellowish, brown in color, sometimes bloody. How to check the breast for cancer at home:

• Stand in front of the mirror, stretch your arms along your body. Examine the chest area. Signs of a healthy state are symmetrical arrangement, the same size and shape. Normally, one gland is larger than the second.

• Raise straightened hands up. Examine the chest area again.

• Put one hand behind the head. With the other hand, feel the opposite mammary gland, moving in a spiral. Worrying signs are compactions and knots in soft tissues.

• Squeeze the nipple with your fingers to make sure there is no discharge.

• Carry out self-diagnosis in the supine position. The procedure is similar to diagnostics in a standing position.

• Feel the area of ​​muscle depressions to rule out the presence of knots and compacted.

During the visual inspection, pay attention to the level of the arrangement and the uniformity of the displacement when raising the hands and moving them behind the head. An important criterion is the displacement of one of the irons when turning and tilting. Elasticity and uniform structure of the skin are other criteria for assessing the condition. Normally, the skin folds easily. On the surface there are no changes in the form of "orange peel", rash, redness, bumps and depressions.

Palpation of the mammary glands is performed with the pads of the fingers in circular movements that are penetrating or springy in nature. First, the surface is palpated, then the thickness of soft tissues. Palpation in the supine position is the most informative diagnosis. In the supine position, it is easy to feel the deep tissues to the ribs. Palpation methods:

• squares (dividing the surface into squares and successive study of each segment);

• quarters (dividing the gland into quarters and palpating each lobe);

• spirals (palpation is performed in a spiral, starting from the ring that covers the armpits and ending with the nipple area).

It should be taken into account what breast cancer looks like when examining the nipple. Pathological signs include a change in the shade and shape of the nipple, the appearance of cracks and other damage on the surface. Characteristic symptoms are excessive protrusion or indentation of the areola, the appearance of ulcers on the surface. In the event of suspicious symptoms, it is necessary to undergo a full examination with the help of an ultrasound machine or a mammogram.

How to determine breast cancer: symptoms

Symptoms of breast cancer include pathological wrinkling with the formation of an artificial skin fold and other changes in the structure of the skin. The main symptom is the presence of compaction, usually painless, in soft tissues. Breast cancer - how to understand that you need to see a doctor:

• Indented nipple, indentation of the nipple.

• Discharge when pressing on the nipple.

• Swelling and thickening in the armpit area.

• Edema of soft tissues in the chest area.

• Changes in the structural structure of the skin in the area of ​​the mammary glands - the appearance of depressions and redness.

• Painful sensations in the area of ​​the mammary gland and nipple.

A malignant formation of the breast gland is characterized by a solid consistency. It can feel like an orange seed. The formation of an "orange peel" is typical for the surface of each tissue. Healthy mammary gland tissues are soft, characterized by mobility. During the examination, bulging vessels of the venous system are often revealed. Patients may complain of a burning sensation, tightness and irritation of the skin.

It is necessary to check the breast for cancer if there are predisposing factors in the anamnesis - hyperplasia of the mammary glands against the background of hormonal imbalance, primary infertility, late first births at the age of over 26 years. Other related disorders and conditions:

• the onset of menstruation at an age older than 17 years;

• frigidity, decreased libido;

• prolonged period of breastfeeding;

• irregular sexual relations;

• excess body weight - more than 70 kg.

Factors that can influence the development of tumors in the tissues of the mammary glands are an increase in the concentration of estrogen in women over 40 years old, an increase in the size of the thyroid gland, chronic mastitis, and traumatic injuries to the breast area. Another risk factor is hereditary predisposition, meaning the presence of close relatives who suffered from breast cancer.

How to recognize breast cancer: mammography

Mammography is a modern, informative method of detecting neoplasms in the tissues of the mammary glands. Modern mammographs with intellectual functions independently highlight areas of compacted and deposited calcium in tissues. If you are worried about how to detect breast cancer, do not delay a visit to the doctor. Mammography is the only reliable way to determine the condition of breast tissue and detect pathological formations. Advantages of the method:

• painlessness;

• 98 percent informativeness;

• non-invasiveness.

Mammography is a screening test that allows you to detect structural changes in the tissues of the mammary glands in the early stages. With the introduction of digital mammography into widespread practice, it became possible to track the dynamics of small compacts, which are detected in 75% of cases. Other advantages of digital diagnostics are reliable assessment of the disease stage and control of treatment. Thanks to regular screenings in the format of mammography, the mortality rate from cancer is reduced by 40%. If you have a question about how to determine breast cancer, you need to undergo a mammogram. The quality of the equipment is of great importance when conducting diagnostics. The use of modern devices from reliable manufacturers reduces the probability of error.

How to recognize breast cancer: ultrasound

Ultrasound of the mammary gland is the second most popular method of detecting pathological formations in the soft tissues of the breast. The main advantage of ultrasonography is safety. During the examination, the patient is not exposed to ionizing radiation. Ultrasound is mainly prescribed as an additional diagnostic examination to clarify data or conduct a biopsy.

The specificity of the method is 36%. Specificity reflects the volume of negative results, the identification of the absence of pathology. Tests with high specificity give a small percentage of false-positive results. Ultrasound diagnosis is effective in detecting cystic and large tumors. Ultrasound examination is shown to women who are in the risk group. Other reasons for resorting to ultrasound are the presence of implants, diffuse mastopathy and inflammatory processes in the breast tissue in the patient's anamnesis. In these cases, the effectiveness of X-ray research is reduced.

Other diagnostic methods

MRI is widely used in medical practice for screening mammary glands. The method is more sensitive than mammography when carcinoma is suspected. The final diagnosis is histological, cytological analysis of a sample of pathologically changed tissue. Histological analysis confirms or refutes the malignant nature of the neoplasm.