I. How far is breast cancer from us?
According to the survey data of the Ministry of Health, the age of onset of breast disease in China is 10-15 years younger than the average age of Europe and the United States, and the peak incidence of breast cancer in Western women is 60 to 70 years old, while the peak incidence of breast cancer in Chinese women is 40 to 50 years old, and the trend is getting younger.
According to a survey published by American Cancer Society, International Cancer Society and International Breast Cancer Consortium, one out of every eight women is threatened by breast cancer, and one woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every two and a half minutes on average.
The incidence of breast cancer among women in China is increasing at a rate of 3%-4% per year, and its mortality rate ranks first among female cancer mortality. Experts point out that women of all ages should not only have the awareness of breast cancer prevention, but also should be aware of the increasing prevalence of general breast diseases, early examination, early detection and early treatment in order to prevent breast diseases from developing into breast cancer.
II. Guidelines and norms for breast cancer diagnosis and treatment of the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association
1. Starting age for women to participate in breast cancer screening.
Generally, it is recommended to start screening at the age of 40, but for some high-risk groups of breast cancer, the starting age of screening can be advanced to 20. (Definition of high-risk groups: 1. Those with a significant genetic predisposition to breast cancer; 2. Those with previous moderate to severe atypical hyperplasia or lobular carcinoma in situ in the ducts or lobules of the breast; 3. Those with previous radiation therapy to the chest).
2. Measures used for breast cancer screening
2.1 Mammography
(1) The role of mammography in reducing breast cancer mortality in women over 40 years of age has been recognized by most scholars abroad. It is characterized by detecting breast lumps that cannot be touched by doctors, especially for large breasts and fatty breasts, its diagnostic accuracy can be as high as 95%. For stage T0 breast cancer (clinically negative), which has a few tiny calcifications as its only manifestation, it can only be detected and diagnosed at an early stage by soft X-ray examination, with a diagnostic sensitivity of 82-89% and specificity of 87-94%.
(2) Mammography has poor penetration to young dense breast tissues, so it is generally not recommended for women under 40 years of age who have no clear risk factors for breast cancer or no abnormalities found on clinical physical examination. Mammography is easy to see the calcification points, but young, unmarried and infertile girls should pay attention because young girls have high density of breast, and mammograms see high density of glandular tissue, so even if there are small lesions, they are not easy to distinguish and can easily cover up the disease, and mammograms can easily absorb more rays, so they should be chosen carefully.
(3) Routine mammography has a low radiation dose and is not harmful to women’s health, but normal women do not need repeated mammograms for a short period of time.
2.2 Ultrasound examination of the breast
It can be used as a combined screening measure with mammography screening. Given that the Chinese population has a higher peak of breast cancer incidence, a high proportion of premenopausal patients and relatively dense breast, ultrasound can be used as an adjunct to breast screening.
2.3 Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the breast
(1) It can be used as a supplementary examination measure for suspected cases detected by mammography, clinical breast examination or breast ultrasound. MRI can detect lesions of about 0.3 cm, and can detect small tumor sprouts that cannot be felt by hand, and at the same time, it can make functional diagnosis (determine benign and malignant), so that the diagnostic accuracy is greatly improved.
(2) It can be used in combination with mammography for breast cancer screening in certain breast cancer high-risk groups.
Accurate detection screening is very important! Contrary to the high prevalence of breast diseases, not many people are regularly screened for breast diseases. Experts suggest that the most effective preventive measure in order to stay away from breast diseases is to have an annual breast specialist examination, and the focus of the examination differs among women of different ages.
Third, there are differences in breast diseases in women of different ages
Woman 20: Be alert to fibroadenoma of the breast
It mainly occurs in women after puberty, especially after pregnancy.
The main clinical manifestation of breast fibroadenoma is a breast lump, often round or ovoid, varying in size, hard, smooth surface, clear borders, high mobility, no adhesion to surrounding tissue, no pain and tenderness. The size and nature of the lump usually do not change with the menstrual cycle. The lump usually grows slowly.
The probability of malignant change of breast fibroadenoma is very low, malignant change often occurs easily during pregnancy and lactation, or in older cases with a longer history of disease, malignant change is more often sarcomatous, while cancer is less common.
Woman 30: Be alert to mammary gland hyperplasia
Endocrine imbalance, the relative increase of estrogen, etc. can lead to female breast enlargement. In addition, emotional instability, depression, overwork, sexual disharmony, changes in the living environment, or over-eating hormone-containing tonic and long-term use of cosmetics containing hormonal ingredients, etc., can also cause breast hyperplasia.
Woman 40: Be alert to breast cancer
Early age of menarche, late age of menopause, late marriage, late childbearing, not having children, not breastfeeding, familial genetic factors and benign tumors are important factors for women to develop breast cancer.
The most effective preventive measure is mammogram. Breast examinations can help us to detect breast cancer early. It is important to know that the significance of early detection of breast cancer is not only a 100% survival rate, but also means that we can keep our breasts and minimize the damage to our body.