The “three searches” for breast cancer patients

  In recent years, there are more and more patients suffering from breast cancer, and breast cancer has become the number one “killer” of Chinese women in urban areas, and the incidence rate of new breast cancer in Wuhan was as high as 82.51/100,000 in 2008, making Wuhan the city with the fastest growing incidence rate of breast cancer in China. The Hubei provincial government attaches great importance to the prevention and treatment of breast cancer, and has long listed breast cancer as one of the two major types of cancer (breast cancer and colon and rectal cancer) that are the focus of clinical research on malignant tumors in Hubei province.  The age of onset of breast cancer in Chinese women is younger than that of western women, about 10 years younger than that of western women, with the peak age at 40-45 years old. Over the years, we often encounter 20 beautiful women in patient uniforms in the oncology wards, and we feel heartbroken at times, deeply convinced of the urgent and arduous task of breast cancer prevention and treatment for Chinese women. The 10-year survival rate of early stage breast cancer is over 80%, which shows the significance of early detection.  The key to success or failure of breast cancer prevention and treatment is to “find” ——-, “find” the problem, “find” the hospital, “find” the doctor. “More than 80% of breast cancers are discovered by patients themselves. A few minutes of self-examination after each menstrual period (monthly date for menopausal women) may lead to early detection of breast cancer, thus getting a chance to cure it and successfully “save” herself. If you suspect that you have cancer, you should go to a specialized hospital or institution immediately to avoid misdiagnosis and mistreatment, and miss the chance to cure it.  It is no exaggeration to say that the first treatment determines the fate of the patient. The concept and habit of “tumor-free” of surgeons in cancer hospitals are firmly established when they pick up the scalpel for the first time and are deeply rooted, and the recurrence rate of cancer patients who have undergone surgery and radiotherapy in cancer hospitals is much lower than that in other non-specialized hospitals. Even if you go to a specialized hospital, you still have to take the trouble to find a doctor who has excellent medical skills and is reliable and knowledgeable, which is also a very crucial part. This is the only way to stop the development of breast cancer.  At present, the standard treatment of breast cancer in Europe, America and China adopts multidisciplinary comprehensive treatment such as surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted drugs and traditional Chinese medicine, and most of the early and middle stage breast cancers can be completely cured, which is commonly known as “curing the root”; even for locally advanced breast cancers, through comprehensive treatment, many patients have successfully eradicated the cancer.  Radiation therapy is widely used in the comprehensive treatment of breast cancer, no matter early, middle or late stage, such as radiation therapy to reduce the chance of recurrence after breast-conserving surgery for early stage breast cancer and radical surgery for middle stage breast cancer, so as to eradicate cancer; radiation therapy is the main treatment of choice for patients with brain metastasis, bone metastasis, chest wall recurrence, etc. Most of the patients can have their pain relieved or even relieved through radiotherapy, and are relieved from the unbearable pain that can hardly be curbed by morphine; it can significantly reduce the chance of paralysis, incontinence of stool and urine, and enable many patients to live with dignity, improve the quality of survival, and prolong their lives.  The Department of Radiotherapy of Hubei Cancer Hospital has international first-class radiotherapy equipment, all imported from Europe and America, including gas pedals capable of implementing IGRT (Image-Mediated Radiation Therapy) and IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy), to implement the most accurate tumor strikes and cutting-edge cardiopulmonary protection for breast cancer patients to ensure the best radiotherapy effect. As a provincial cancer hospital with special features, the advantages of the specialty are obvious: radiotherapy talents are available and the treatment experience is rich. The specialized breast cancer group was established in the radiotherapy department of our hospital, and the Breast Cancer Radiation Therapy Standard, which is in line with the international advanced radiation therapy, has been formulated and updated at the same time to build a solid platform to ensure the treatment effect of patients.  Members of the group attach great importance to the individualization of breast cancer radiation therapy and advocate “evidence-based radiotherapy” for breast cancer. A famous scholar once pointed out that “the best treatment exists in clinical trials”. In order to give breast cancer patients the best radiotherapy, the Breast Cancer Specialized Group has conducted a series of clinical trials, such as short-course radiotherapy after radical surgery, partial breast irradiation after breast-conserving surgery, study of synchronous radiotherapy for locally advanced breast cancer, study of the effect of Herceptin and radiotherapy on the heart, study of danshinone with radiotherapy to reduce cardiotoxicity, etc., for the benefit of patients and to add bricks to medical progress.