How to diagnose and treat breast cancer early?

  The global incidence of breast cancer is increasing year by year. Early diagnosis of breast cancer, especially when the lesions are not yet palpable, can significantly improve the prognosis; therefore, early diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer is of particular importance. With the continuous advancement of diagnostic imaging technology, the number of clinically unpalpable breast lesions detected by ultrasound or mammography has increased. Mammography is one of the most routine breast imaging methods. For very early stage breast cancer, there are often abnormalities in mammography without any abnormality in clinical palpation or ultrasound examination. Some breast cancers do not show a mass on X-ray, but only clusters of malignant calcified dots, which may be the only evidence for the diagnosis of breast cancer, especially for the early diagnosis of lobular carcinoma in situ and ductal carcinoma in situ. Foreign literature reports that about 30-50% of breast cancers are associated with microcalcifications, and some of these breast cancer cases have no mass shadow and are diagnosed definitively only by the typical malignant calcification features. Thus, small, granular clusters of microcalcifications are an important early manifestation of breast cancer. Calcifications on mammography images can be classified as sheet-like calcifications, cluster-like calcifications, and fine dot-like microcalcifications. The main morphology of malignant calcification foci are mucoid, bifurcated, and fine lines with blurred borders, often distributed along the ducts. The nature and extent of lesions can be reflected according to the morphology, size, number and density of microcalcifications. Generally, microcalcifications can be located in or around the mass, with a total number of 6-15, uneven density and varying size.  In cases where the mass is not clinically palpable, the calcified foci are usually difficult to reach intraoperatively, making the surgery somewhat blind and easy to miss the excision. How to accurately find and completely remove microscopic lesions, especially calcified foci, is a difficult task in surgical biopsy. In recent years, the application of digital three-dimensional positioning puncture biopsy system, mammography X-ray positioning indwelling wire biopsy has an important value in the early detection and definite diagnosis of breast cancer. Accurate puncture localization technique can guide surgical biopsy, and because the guidewire is metallic and barbed, it is easy to find during surgery, reducing unnecessary breast damage and making the scope of resection more accurate. Intraoperative mammography of the specimen avoids problems such as missed cuts and false negatives on puncture biopsy.  The mammography guided wire biopsy of abnormal calcified foci in the breast has been commonly used in clinical practice abroad, but is not yet commonly used in China. The scope of application is mainly for cases that are clinically negative on palpation and suspicious of malignancy on x-ray. The method is simple, with few complications and high diagnostic accuracy, and it is worth promoting its use.