How to prevent the "world's largest cancer"? These people should be vigilant!

Beijing, April 21 (China News Network) In 2021, the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer released the latest data showing that breast cancer surpassed lung cancer for the first time and became the "world's largest cancer". Since the patients are mostly women, breast cancer is also known as the "pink killer". How far are hyperplasias and nodules from breast cancer? What bad habits and misunderstandings should you be wary of? The "Medical Line Observation" column of China News Network invited Shen Songjie, deputy chief physician of the Department of Breast Surgery of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, to conduct a popular science interpretation on the topic of breast cancer prevention and treatment.

Shen Songjie, deputy chief physician of the Department of Breast Surgery of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, made a video interview with China News Network, and Shen Songjie on the right was Shen Songjie. Photo by Cao Miaoxin.

——The incidence of breast cancer in Chinese women is getting higher and higher? Why?

"The incidence of breast cancer in mainland China is growing very fast, and in the past 20 years, our annual breast cancer growth rate has reached 4%. What concept? Now the global breast cancer growth rate is 2%, and we are twice as fast as them. On the 21st, Shen Songjie said in a video interview with China News Network.

He added that the incidence of breast cancer varies greatly from place to place. Generally speaking, the incidence of breast cancer is higher in cities than in rural areas, and in large cities than in small cities. That is, the more economically developed the incidence of breast cancer is higher. Shen Songjie explained that at present, more and more people are entering the Westernized way of life, the pace is getting faster and faster, and the impact is relatively large.

In addition, Shen Songjie also mentioned that mainland breast cancer also has two characteristics: early age of onset and late diagnosis. "On the one hand, the mutation spectrum of breast cancer mutation genes in Chinese women may be different from those in Europe and the United States. In addition, in terms of lifestyle and living environment, middle-aged women, especially women around 40 years old, face pressure from work, life, marriage and children, which are superimposed together, resulting in a significantly younger incidence of breast cancer. ”

He said that in terms of breast cancer surgery, China is actually not worse than abroad, but the survival rate of breast cancer in Chinese women is relatively low, the main reason is that we found late, many people's awareness of cancer prevention is not high enough.

- Be alert! Smoking and drinking obesity increases the risk of breast cancer

Who is more likely to develop breast cancer? Shen Songjie said that the high risk factors for breast cancer are divided into two types, one is uncontrollable and the other is controllable.

"What are uncontrollable risk factors? That is to say, you are born with cancer easily. For example, women have a higher risk of breast cancer than men, and the risk of men is about 1% of women's. There is also age, the peak age of breast cancer in Chinese women is 40 to 50 years old. The third is also related to the menstrual cycle, and if the menarche is younger, the menopause is later, and the breast is exposed to estrogen for a longer time, the risk of breast cancer will be higher. In addition, there is a family history of breast cancer, genetic mutations, etc. Shen Songjie said.

As for the high-risk factors that can be controlled, they include a fast pace of life, high work stress, emotional anxiety, low exercise, obesity, smoking, alcohol, etc.

"Female estrogen is not only derived from the ovaries, but also from fat, fat women have more fat, will synthesize more estrogen, her risk will increase." When people are emotionally anxious and nervous, their immunity will decline, and some cancer cells will be leaked by the immune system, thereby increasing the risk of breast cancer. So control your emotions, don't get angry, and laugh more. Shen Songjie said.

How far are breast nodules from breast cancer? Breasts cannot be massaged casually!

Many women will find breast nodules and breast hyperplasia during physical examination, how to deal with it? Shen Songjie said that in fact, breast nodules are a relatively general concept. "There is a BI-RADS grading of breast nodules in imaging, divided into 7 grades from benign to most malignant. Among them, level 4 and above may be malignant, to be paid attention to, level 3 and below is a benign nodule, can be regularly reviewed. ”

In life, many people will use massage to relieve nodules or hyperplasia, are these really useful? Shen Songjie suggested that the massage of the breast can not be carried out casually, and the BI-RADS grading level 2 or above is useless, that is to say, the long things are useless.

"Breast hyperplasia plagues many women, and it hurts when they are about to come to menstruation or get angry, and massage may alleviate the pain symptoms. But if the breast grows nodules, do not massage, or even not only ineffective, but also harmful. For example, it is already breast cancer, and a massage to rub it spreads, which is more troublesome. If you really want to massage, you must first do a physical examination to see if there is a problem. ”

Shen Songjie also suggested that women can usually conduct self-examination of their breasts, which he summarized as three steps of "one look, two touches, three squeezes". A look: look at the shape of the breast changes, whether there are local bumps or redness, orange peel, eczema. Second touch: Press the breast to the chest wall with your fingers and gently rub it, feeling whether there is a lump or not. Three squeezes: milking the nipple, nipple discharge is mostly benign, if the day of extrusion is bloody, colored, it should be paid attention to.

He suggested that there are many ways to check the breasts, but they must not be pinched, and the pinch glands are a lump. He suggested that women can self-check within three days to a week after menstruation, and women can fix a fixed time of self-examination every month after menopause.

- Breast cancer must cut the breast? These myths should be avoided!

In the interview, Shen Songjie suggested that women must see a doctor in time if they find breast problems, and some people are afraid of breast cancer to cut their breasts, which is actually a misunderstanding.

He said that breast cancer does not have to cut the breast, and now many breast cancers can do breast protection and armpit protection. "Early breast cancer has two small surgeries, a small opening in the breast, a small opening in the armpit, two or three centimeters, it will not be obvious, and it will have no impact on life and appearance."

In addition, Shen Songjie also clarified several cognitive misunderstandings about breast cancer. For example, breast cancer must be checked and rechecked regularly, and a check does not mean that it is okay for life, and it can only be said that no signs of cancer have been found so far.

Some women are very anxious after checking out BI-RADS level 3, afraid that they will soon become breast cancer of grade 4. In this regard, Shen Songjie said that the development of level 3 to level 4 is divided into many cases, one is that the tumor is more cunning, it behaves like level 3, but it is actually malignant. However, some grade 3 tumors that have been observed for two or three years are basically benign tumors and rarely become cancerous.

"Excessive anxiety is not necessary, and overconfidence should be avoided." Shen Songjie suggested that on the one hand, everyone should adjust their own pace of life, change unhealthy living habits, and slow down the lifestyle as slowly as possible. At the same time, do not be afraid of breast cancer, he stressed, "breast cancer is preventable, treatable, curable", if you really have cancer, you must find it early and treat it early. (End)