I. What is breast cancer?
Breast cancer is usually seen in women aged 35-60 years old. The clinical manifestation of breast cancer is a single painless lump in the breast, which is occasionally found in the shower or while changing clothes, or during examination by a doctor. The lump is hard, the surface is not smooth, and it is not clearly demarcated from the surrounding normal tissues, sometimes the skin is sunken, like a “dimple”; sometimes there is nipple overflow.
What are the early signs of breast cancer?
1. Breast lumps.
It is often a single, irregular, hard lump with poor mobility, which can be detected during bathing or self-examination.
2. Nipple overflow.
Non-breastfeeding nipple overflow of milky white, yellowish, brown or bloody, watery, purulent fluid, especially bloody overflow may be generated by breast tumor inflammation, bleeding, necrosis, etc.
3. Nipple change.
When tumor invades nipple or subareolar area, it leads to nipple deviation, retraction, sunken, etc.
4.Local skin changes.
Orange peel-like changes in breast skin, i.e., edema of skin with obvious depression at the pores, or “dimple”-like depression of breast skin, or multiple subcutaneous nodules, are the main manifestations of breast cancer. There is a kind of breast cancer called inflammatory breast cancer, which is characterized by eczema-like changes in the skin of breast in early stage.
5. Enlarged lymph nodes.
The first symptom of a few patients is swollen lymph nodes in the armpit.
6.Asymmetry of both breasts.
Due to the presence of tumor or adhesion with chest wall, the breast on that side may show changes in volume or shape.
7.Breast pain.
A few breast cancer patients have hidden pain, stabbing pain, swelling pain or dull pain in the breast.
3.How to self-examine breast cancer?
Self-examination is an important tool for early detection of breast tumor. It is best to do it on the 9th – 11th day of menstruation, and to check both in standing and lying position.
When standing, you can look into the mirror and check whether both breasts are symmetrical, whether there is any abnormality in the skin and nipples, and whether there is any change when both arms are raised. With one hand crossed, touch the opposite breast with the other hand, stretching the limbs flat, avoiding picking and grasping, and touching from top to bottom, from the outside to the inside, carefully experiencing whether there are any lumps or fixed places. After both sides are examined, lie on your back and touch the opposite breast with your palm or fingers, dividing the breast into four quadrant areas and examining each area in a clockwise direction from the periphery to the areola area. It is not necessary to press hard with the hand during the examination because the sensation of palpation is not sharp enough; on the other hand, it also avoids prompting the spread of existing swelling, injury, bleeding, etc. Subsequently, you can check each side of the armpit for enlarged lymph nodes, and if you find any swelling or abnormalities, you should go to the hospital for further examination.
Fourth, what bad lifestyles can threaten your breast health?
1. Abuse of estrogen.
The emergence of any disease is related to genetic background and environmental factors, and breast cancer is no exception. Its high-risk factors are mainly the prolonged exposure of breast to estrogen environment. Women who start menstruation at an age less than 13, menopause at an age older than 50, first birth at an age older than 35, and have family history are all prone to breast cancer. Especially, women who abuse estrogen replacement therapy are more dangerous.
2. Lifestyles that are not conducive to breast health.
Including high consumption of fried foods and high-fat foods, smoking and drinking coffee can increase the probability of developing the disease. The westernization of urban women should also be of concern to society as a whole. In addition, the sense of competition at work and nervousness, all of which lead to emotional dis-ease, are factors associated with breast disease. Women should still maintain the traditional oriental women’s lifestyle and follow the laws of nature, not to chase the fashion, celibacy when they should get married and not when they should have a baby, so that the hormone level in the body is hardly normal.
3. Poor awareness of self-care and neglect of regular health check-ups.
Prompt treatment after finding abnormalities is good for any kind of diseases including breast cancer, so breast self-examination is very important, and if abnormal lumps are found, it is better to go to the hospital immediately for consultation.
Early detection of breast cancer and timely treatment can mostly be cured: late detection can result in poor treatment and even life-threatening. Therefore, to detect breast cancer at an early stage, it is very important to popularize the knowledge of cancer prevention, and women over 35 years old should be aware of and alert to breast cancer, have a self-breast examination once every 2-3 months, and if they find any symptoms of breast cancer, they should consult a specialist for further diagnosis, or go to the hospital once a year for a physical examination, and if necessary, have an x-ray mammography, B-ultrasound examination, intra-ductal mammography, and breast cancer screening. B ultrasound, breast duct endoscopy, and lump puncture, and in serious cases, surgical excision for pathological examination, are necessary for early detection of breast cancer.