Ten dangers that trigger breast cancer
Family history of hereditary breast cancer can be in two forms: one is that the mother has breast cancer and the daughter also has breast cancer, the age of onset is young, often occurs before menopause, and is mostly bilateral; the other is that the mother has not had breast cancer, but in a family, at least two sisters have breast cancer, the incidence of breast cancer in such families is 2-3 times higher than that in families without family history. The incidence of breast cancer in such families is 2-3 times higher than that in families with no family history of breast cancer, and this kind of breast cancer mostly occurs after menopause, often unilateral;
2. Menstrual factors: the risk of breast cancer is 2.2 times greater if the age of menarche is earlier than 12 years old than if the age of menarche is 17 years old; the risk of breast cancer is 1 times greater if the age of menopause is later than 55 years old than if the age of menopause is 45 years old; the risk of breast cancer can be reduced by half if the age of menopause is earlier than 45 years old due to bilateral oophorectomy. Early age of menarche and late age of menopause often make the breast tissue subject to the action of estrogen for a long time and have more chances of breast cancer.
Repeated abortion, or multiple abortions before the age of 18, may cause breast diseases and increase the risk of breast cancer. After a normal birth and breastfeeding, the breast tissue is well developed and the chance of developing tumor is reduced. However, women who have their first childbirth have a high chance of breast cancer, and those who have their first childbirth at the age of 35 or above have a higher chance of breast cancer than those who do not have children.
Breastfeeding factor: The effect of postpartum breastfeeding on the occurrence of breast cancer is not completely clear, but recent studies have concluded that the longer the total duration of breastfeeding, the lower the risk of breast cancer. Breastfeeding is one of the best natural means to prevent breast cancer, and breastfeeding can reduce the risk of breast cancer by 20% to 30%.
5, poor quality of sex life: breast diseases and sex life are closely related, sexual repression in women can increase the incidence of lobular hyperplasia and breast tumors. Domestic survey shows that 86% of women with lobular hyperplasia have never reached orgasm during sex; the older the age of first marriage, the higher the incidence of breast cancer.
6. Depression: Among single women, ladies left behind, PR girls, retired female workers and some secondary school teachers, more suffer from breast diseases and have a high incidence of breast cancer. As these women are prone to depression, such as tension and anxiety, loneliness and depression, sadness and sorrow, bitterness and disappointment, impatience and irritation, the body’s life rhythm will be disturbed and the neuroendocrine system will be dysfunctional, which will lead to the imbalance of the internal environment and the decrease of immunity, so that the thymus gland will produce and release less thymosin, and the lymphocytes and macrophages will be less able to monitor and phagocytose mutated cells in the body. The ability of lymphocytes and macrophages to monitor and phagocytose mutated cells in the body is reduced, and cancer is likely to occur.
7. Excessive obesity: obesity is closely related to breast cancer. Girls who are obese are prone to early sexual maturity, which will lay the foundation for breast cancer in the future. The incidence of breast cancer in obese people is 3.45 times higher than that of non-obese people because of the excessive accumulation of fat, the production of estrogen increases, the excess estrogen is lipidated and stored in the adipose tissue, and constantly released into the bloodstream, stimulating the breast tissue, which, over time, will easily cause breast cancer. In addition, most of the obese people have hypercholesterolemia and hyperinsulinemia. After the cholesterol in the body is elevated, the cholesterol content in the cell membrane of lymphocytes and macrophages is elevated, which inhibits the immune function.
8, bad habits: to smoke, alcohol as “fashionable”, to nightclubs, dance halls, all-nighters immersed in the lights, like to eat fried food and a variety of pastry sweets, but never on the rough food, vegetables; celibacy, or after 30 years of age before marriage and childbirth, the child does not want to breastfeed; also some women wear bras Too tight or too loose, losing the role of breast protection
9.X-ray exposure: Epidemiological studies found that long-term exposure to X-rays, such as the incidence of breast cancer among the survivors of the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, should be prevented from excessive exposure to radiation, especially in young unmarried women.
10. Breast diseases or benign tumors: It has been found that the chance of breast cancer in people with a history of breast fibroadenoma is 1 to 2 times higher than normal people.
How to detect and diagnose breast cancer early
Breast cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in women. Currently, about 1.2 million women suffer from breast cancer and 500,000 women die from it every year worldwide. It seriously affects women’s health and their lives, and how to effectively control its occurrence and development has become an urgent task. In tumor prevention and treatment, secondary prevention measures “early detection, early diagnosis and early treatment” are the key to improve the prognosis and survival rate of breast cancer patients. Breast cancer screening mainly uses clinical examination and mammography, and sometimes ultrasonography. The main target of screening is women over 35 years old, usually at intervals of 1 to 2 years, and those with family history of breast cancer and other high-risk factors are the key targets of screening.
Mammography is the most important tool in breast cancer screening. It uses the physical properties of X-rays and the different isodensity values of human breast tissues to project the image of breast onto X-film for observation, and its correct rate of diagnosing benign and malignant breast tumors is over 85%-90%. It is the preferred diagnostic imaging method in addition to clinical examination. The World Health Organization and the American Cancer Society recommend that women over the age of 50 should have mammography once a year, women between the ages of 40 and 49 every one to two years, and women between the ages of 35 and 40 should have mammography once as a basic information to be kept for later use as a control.
Mammography is a non-invasive test in which the two compression plates of the mammography machine are clamped on one side of the woman’s breast from different angles to take pictures, and the entire test is painless. You should remove your shirt and stand within the measurable range of the machine. The technician will make some adjustments to place your breasts in the proper position in turn. The most ideal picture will be taken at the moment when you feel the most pressure from the machine. But this compression only lasts a minute, will not make people very uncomfortable. The second set of photos were taken from the side. You place your arm on the arm of the machine, and the technician then makes some adjustments so that your shoulder is in the right position to see the lymph nodes and breast tissue in the crook of the arm. Women with large breasts need two pictures of each breast. When taking mammograms, pay special attention to the following points.
1. Make sure that the equipment and technicians are top-notch.
Mammograms should be taken about a week after menstruation, when the breasts are most tender.
3. If you have had breast implants, inform the technician so that he or she can make the proper adjustments to the machine.
4.Tell the technician about the moles on your skin to help them read the results on the photo accurately.
5.Do not use deodorant or talcum powder before taking the photo?
6, The photo should be viewed by the radiologist on the spot first to ensure clarity for further accurate reading. If the photo is unclear, you can make up the photo on the spot.
7, The doctor should tell you the results of the examination within 10 days.
Young women under 35 years of age have dense breast tissue and mammography is not easy to detect lesions, thus ultrasound can be used as a means of early diagnosis of breast cancer. Breast ultrasound is an economical, easy, non-invasive and painless examination method, which is more suitable for young women, especially pregnant and lactating women, but less sensitive than mammography in detecting microcalcifications. The two methods can complement each other to improve the early detection of breast cancer.
During the interval between screening, women can perform regular breast self-examinations to improve the detection rate of early breast cancer. How to perform breast self-examination: Stand or sit in front of a mirror and carefully observe both breasts facing the mirror, including whether there is any change in size, shape, contour, skin and color of the breast, and whether there is any elevation, retraction or overflow of the nipple. When palpating the breasts, you need to stretch your fingers together and touch the breast with your fingers, left hand on the right side and right hand on the left side, either in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, not missing the nipple areola and armpit area, and then use the same method to self-examine once in the supine position. Breast self-examination should be done once a month, and the best time should be chosen within 7-10 days after menstruation, when the breast is relatively soft and painless, so it is easy to find abnormalities. Women who have stopped menstruating can choose a fixed time of the month for examination. Each self-examination should be compared with previous self-examinations, and abnormalities such as breast or underarm lumps, bloody nipple overflow, etc. should be promptly sought so as to achieve early detection and early diagnosis. It is worth mentioning that since many early breast cancers can have no clinical manifestations and the data show that breast self-examination cannot reduce the mortality rate of breast cancer patients, breast self-examination cannot replace regular breast screening.
Mammography and breast ultrasound can only detect the lesion and make a preliminary judgment of its benignity or malignancy from the imaging point of view, but the diagnosis of breast cancer should be based on cytological or histological diagnosis. The so-called cytological diagnosis is to use a 5~10ml common syringe with a 6~8 gauge needle to puncture the clinically suspicious lesion, then extract the cells from the lump with negative pressure, apply the cells on a slide and ask the cytopathologist to make a diagnosis. This method is easy to perform, less invasive, less expensive, and promptly reported, and correct fine needle aspiration will not cause tumor dissemination. However, because the number of cells obtained by fine needle aspiration is small, it requires a high level of diagnostic skills. Histological diagnosis is performed by taking biopsies from breast lesions for pathomorphological examination, i.e. observing the cell morphology and the relationship between cells under the microscope. The purpose is to determine the benignity or malignancy of the lesion, to predict the patient’s prognosis and to guide the treatment.
Once breast cancer is diagnosed, the corresponding treatment should be carried out as soon as possible, and the more timely the treatment, the better the outcome. For those early stage breast cancer patients with negative lymph nodes, small lumps and no high risk factors for recurrence, postoperative treatment can even be considered without radiotherapy, which not only saves patients from the pain of treatment but also greatly reduces the cost of treatment. Early detection and early diagnosis can minimize the damage brought by breast cancer to women, both from the perspective of treatment and economics. Let’s cherish breast health and pay attention to early detection of breast cancer, so as not to miss the best time for treatment.
Prevention of breast cancer
Experts pointed out that the occurrence of breast cancer is closely related to diet, so it is beneficial to the prevention of breast cancer to pay attention to the regulation of daily diet.
A. Fat control and weight loss: Research has found that cancer cells are initially in a “starting” state, and only when they are “stimulated” can they proliferate rapidly and develop. High-fat diet is the stimulant of breast cancer. Long-term fat intake can make the body produce a lot of estrogen-like and prostaglandin-like substances, which can stimulate the growth of cancer tumors in excess. A large intake of fat can also make the body fat and lower the immune function, which can give cancer a chance to take advantage of. Therefore, controlling fat intake, reducing obesity and improving immune mechanism and disease resistance of the body can effectively prevent and reduce the occurrence of breast cancer.
The risk of breast cancer for women who drink alcohol is much higher than those who rarely drink alcohol, and the risk of breast cancer for those who drink one or more glasses of alcohol per day is more than 45% higher than those who rarely drink alcohol, and this risk is most significant in premenopausal women. It is believed that alcohol can stimulate the secretion of prolactin in the anterior pituitary gland, which in turn is related to the occurrence of breast cancer. Therefore, women, especially those before and after menopause, should abstain from alcohol and drink less alcohol. Less coffee: coffee, cocoa and chocolate contain a lot of xanthine, which can promote benign breast hyperplasia, and benign breast hyperplasia is related to the occurrence of breast cancer. If women, especially premenopausal women, consume too much of these foods, the risk of breast cancer will greatly increase with the large intake of xanthine. Therefore, women, especially those above middle age, should drink less coffee and eat less chocolate.
C. Eat more fruits and vegetables: Research has found that coarse grains, vegetables and fruits contain a large amount of plant fiber, vitamins and trace elements that can prevent and slow down the development of cancer at all stages, among which soybeans, corn, edible mushrooms, seaweeds, garlic, tomatoes, oranges and berry fruits have the most significant effects. Therefore, eating more of these foods in daily meals is not only beneficial to health, but also helps to prevent breast cancer.
D. Fish is beneficial: According to the report, women in the United States, Switzerland, Canada and New Zealand who eat less fish food have a higher incidence of breast cancer, while women in Japan who consume more fish food have a lower incidence of breast cancer. Experts say that fish contains a fatty acid that has the effect of inhibiting the proliferation of cancer cells, so eating more fish regularly and appropriately is very beneficial to the prevention of breast cancer.
E. Dietary habits: The incidence of breast cancer in Asian women is much lower than that of North American and European women, which may be related to dietary habits and lifestyle. In recent years, it has been found that the anti-cancer effect of soy and its products is mainly related to the isoflavones in soy. Therefore, in terms of diet, women should avoid a high-fat diet and eat less red meat and more white meat. The risk of breast cancer in women who drink alcohol is also high, and this risk is directly related to the amount of alcohol consumed. It should be said that by adjusting the diet, reducing the intake of excessive meat, fried eggs, butter, sweets and spicy foods, and increasing the intake of green vegetables, fruits, carotenoids, mushrooms and legumes, all of them are helpful to reduce the incidence of breast cancer. Coarse grains such as black bread and low-fat, high-fiber foods such as fruits and vegetables have a preventive effect on breast cancer because they can lower the level of estrogen in the blood. If you consume fermented milk products such as yogurt and cheese regularly, the risk of breast cancer can be reduced by 77%.
2.Drug prevention Triamcinolone is the most promising means to prevent breast cancer. Studies have confirmed that taking triamcinolone for 5 years under the guidance of doctors in high-risk groups can reduce the incidence of breast cancer by nearly half. Other chemopreventive drugs such as letrozole are also being studied.
According to some foreign statistics, women of childbearing age who take an average of 4 hours of physical exercise per week can reduce the risk of breast cancer by 60%. In all walks of life, athletes have the lowest incidence rate of breast cancer, as they consume excess fat and keep their estrogen at a low level. Exercise can lower the estrogen level in women’s body and reduce the number of ovulation. In particular, it reduces the accumulation of estrogen-producing abdominal fat and keeps the immune system in good shape.
4, quit smoking There is an enzyme in the human body that can reduce the effect of carcinogenic toxins in tobacco, and some women have low vitality of this enzyme, so once they smoke, they are more likely to develop breast cancer than others.
5, don’t give birth too late Many urban women are reluctant to give birth or postpone it to after 30 years old because of the tight pace of work and keeping fit, which is very unacceptable. This is because they may lose a chance to enhance their ability to fight against breast cancer. Why? A woman’s first full-term pregnancy can lead to a series of changes in the breast epithelium, making the epithelial cells more resistant to genetic mutations and producing a large amount of progesterone, which is useful for protecting breast health and is the “opposite” of estrogen, which makes breast tissue hyperplastic and progesterone comes out to “reduce the swelling”. Therefore, although pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding are hard work, what they bring to women is not only a lovely next generation, but also greatly enhance women’s ability to resist diseases, and the earlier this ability is acquired, the more beneficial it is to prevent the occurrence of breast cancer. The Cancer Research Centre of Singapore has done a survey and found that the risk of breast cancer is much greater for women who have not given birth than for those who have given birth, and this risk increases with age, and the risk of breast cancer is two to five times higher for women who give birth after the age of 30 than for those who give birth to their first child before the age of 20. The incidence of breast cancer among women in the east and west of Germany is significantly different, with women in the former East Germany having a much lower rate of breast cancer, which was later found to be mainly due to the fact that women in the former East Germany generally had children earlier and had an average of three to five children.
6, more sun exposure Recent studies have found that vitamin C and beta-carotene do not prevent breast cancer, while vitamin D does. Dr. Aysl John of the Northern California Cancer Research Center explained why the number of women in the southern United States suffering from breast cancer is less than the number of women in the north, this is because the southern sun is abundant, human skin absorbs sunlight will produce a lot of vitamin D, to play a role in cancer prevention. He also suggests that 10 to 15 minutes of sunlight a day will give our bodies enough vitamin D. If you’re worried that sunlight won’t work as well as it should, you may want to take a targeted vitamin D. Studies have found that women who consume 200 international units (IU) of vitamin D a day (equivalent to two glasses of vitamin D-fortified milk) have a 30 percent lower chance of developing breast cancer. Therefore, experts recommend that women aged 50 or younger should take at least 200 IU of vitamin D per day, and women over 50 should take 400 to 600 IU per day.