Mammary cancer – Breast Cancer

Description of breast cancer

Рак молочной железы – болезнь, whereby at mammary tissue growing cancer cells.

Cancer occurs, when the body's cells start to divide uncontrollably and form weight fabric, which is called a tumor. The term cancer refers to malignant tumors. They may spread to nearby tissue or other parts of the body.

Although most people think that breast cancer is the disease women, Men also can develop them. Breast cancer in men can be more aggressive.

Causes of Breast Cancer

The causes of breast cancer are unknown. Studies show, that there are certain risk factors, Related Disease.

Risk factors for breast cancer

Factors, which increases the risk of breast cancer:

• Paul: female, Although men can also develop breast cancer;
• Age: senior 50 years;
• Breast cancer in the last;
• The presence of family members with breast cancer;
• Changes in breast tissue, such as atypical ductal hyperplasia, dolʹkovaâ carcinoma in situ;
• Changes in certain genes (Krca1, BRCA2, and etc);
• Race: white;
• Increased exposure to estrogen over a lifetime, are caused by:
  • Early onset of menstruation;
  • Late menopause;
  • The absence or late child birth;
  • Lack of breastfeeding;
  • The use of hormone replacement therapy;
  • Tobacco;
• Increased breast density (сильнее – лобулярной и протоковой ткани и меньше – жировой ткани);
• Radiotherapy in age 30 years;
• Alcohol abuse.

Studies show, that the majority of women with the above risk factors do not get breast cancer. Many of the sick woman have none of the risk factors, above, except age.

Symptoms of breast cancer

In the initial stage of breast cancer may be no symptoms. But the further development of cancer can lead to the following changes:

• Swelling or thickening in the chest area, in the axillary region or in the neck;
• Change the size or shape of the breast;
• Isolation or high sensitivity of the nipple;
• Pitting the breast skin (skin looks like orange peel);
• Visual and change the sensitivity of the skin of breast, areola or nipple (eg, heat, swelling, redness, or peeling).

These symptoms may be caused by other, less severe disorders. If you have any of them, consult a doctor.

Diagnosis of breast cancer

The doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history, perform a physical examination.

Tests may include:

• Клинический осмотр груди – обследуется размер и форма груди, to identify, whether its changing the tumor;
• Маммография – рентген молочной железы, to determine the tumor or other changes in breast tissue;
• УЗИ – использование высокочастотных звуковых волн, to find a fluid-filled cyst or abnormal mass of tissue;
• Компьютерная томография – вид рентгена, which uses computer, to make pictures of organs inside the body;
• ПЭТ/КТ – тип медицинской визуализации, that combines positron emission tomography (PET) and methods CT;
• Биопсия – удаление опухолевых тканей для проверки на наличие раковых клеток. Types of biopsies of breast cancer include:
  • Тонкоигольная аспирация – удаление жидкости и/или клеток из опухоли молочной железы с помощью тонкой иглы;
  • Биопсия с помощью иглы – удаление ткани с помощью иглы из области, which is suspicious on a mammogram;
  • Hirurgicheskaya biopsy:
    • Инцизионная биопсия – удаление образца ткани или всей подозрительной области;
    • Эксцизионная биопсия – удаление всей подозрительной области и области здоровых тканей вокруг;
• Оценка ткани – ткань молочной железы проверяется на наличие рецепторов эстрогенов и прогестерона, as well as the presence of HER2 / neu; used for treatment planning;
• Генетическое тестирование – у некоторых пациентов кровь оценивается на наличие специфических генных мутаций.

Treatment of breast cancer

Once detected breast cancer, appointed Tests, allowing to determine the extent of its spread.

Treatment includes:

Operation

• Лампектомия – удаление рака молочной железы и некоторых нормальных тканей вокруг опухоли. Often also removed some of the lymph nodes under the arms;
  • It may also be called tilektomiya and kvadrantektomiya;
• Сегментэктомия – удаление рака и большой области нормальной ткани молочной железы вокруг нее;
• Простая мастэктомия – удаление молочной железы или большей части груди, as much as possible. The surgeon will try not to remove lymph nodes;
• Радикальная мастэктомия – удаление молочной железы, pectoral muscles, lymph nodes under the arm, and a certain amount of fat and skin. This procedure is performed only rarely, if the cancer has spread to the chest muscles;
• Модифицированная радикальная мастэктомия – удаление всей молочной железы, lymph nodes under the arms and, often, muscle tissue in the breast;
• Биопсия сторожевого лимфатического узла – небольшое количество синего красителя и/или радиоактивного изотоп вводится в район, where the tumor is located. Isotope or dye is then transferred into the armpit. The lymph nodes, substances that fall in, removed. The effectiveness of this procedure exceeds 95%. It reliably identifies those lymph nodes, that may contain cancer. If any of guard nodes contain cancer, remaining lymph nodes must also be removed. This method is commonly used for women, which do not have lymph node, that can be felt in the armpit. Possible side effects are much less, than after a standard lymph node dissection.
• Подмышечная лимфаденэктомия – удаление лимфатических узлов под рукой. This is done, to determine, whether cancer cells have spread to the lymphatic system.

Radiation therapy

Radiation is used, to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Therapy may be the following types:

• Внешняя лучевая терапия – излучение направляется на опухоль из источников за пределами тела;
• Внутренняя лучевая терапия – радиоактивный материал помещается в грудь рядом с раковыми клетками.

Chemotherapy

Химиотерапия – использование лекарственных препаратов для уничтожения раковых клеток. The formulations may be provided in various forms, including tablets, injection, and catheter. The drugs enter the bloodstream and spread throughout the body, killing mostly cancer, and also some healthy cells.

Biological Therapy

Biological therapy involves using medications or substances, produced by the body. They are used to increase or restore the natural defenses against cancer (immunomodulators).

Gormonalynaya therapy

Hormone therapy uses the fact, что многие виды рака молочной железы “чувствительные к эстрогену”. Эстроген связывается в “эстроген чувствительных» клетках и стимулирует их рост и деление. Special drugs prevent the binding of estrogen, that stops the growth of cells, thereby, prevents or delays breast cancer recurrence.

Preventing Breast Cancer

Обнаружение и лечение рака молочной железы на ранних стадиях – лучший способ предотвратить смерть от болезни. Breast cancer does not cause symptoms in the early stages of, therefore it is important to perform regular screening tests and. These steps help detect cancer before symptoms appear. The following recommendations are for women, asymptomatic, who are not at high risk of breast cancer:

• Mammography:
  • Age 40-49 – рекомендуется выполнять обследование каждые 1-2 year;
  • Age 50-74 – рекомендуется выполнять обследование каждый год, по разрешению врача – раз в два года;
• Clinical breast exams:
  • Age 20-39 – один раз в 1-3 year, on doctor's advice;
  • Age 40 лет и старше – каждый год;
• Breast self-exam:
  • Age 20 лет и старше – по желанию; talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of this method.

If you have an increased risk of breast cancer, you may need to perform mammograms more often. The doctor can decide on the best screening schedule.

Besides, if there is a very high risk of developing breast cancer, surgery to remove the breast can be done in advance, before the cancer (so-called prophylactic mastectomy).