Speaking of breast cancer, I believe that female friends are no strangers.
According to statistics, the number of new cases of breast cancer worldwide reached 2.26 million in 2020, surpassing lung cancer (2.2 million) for the first time and becoming the "world's largest cancer".
It is also the fifth leading cause of cancer death worldwide, with 685,000 deaths.
Since more than 98% of breast cancer patients are women, breast cancer has also "been the number one killer" of women's health for many years.
The three characteristics of breast cancer incidence in China are more incident, fast growth rate and short survival time
In China, breast cancer is also the type of cancer with the highest incidence among women, with about 420,000 new cases each year.
It is worth warning that in recent years, the incidence of breast cancer in mainland women has increased, and it has also shown a trend of younger age.
Ma Fei, chief physician of the Department of Internal Medicine of the Cancer Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, said in an interview: "The growth rate of breast cancer incidence in mainland China exceeds the global average and is also higher than that of European and American countries. ”
The incidence of breast cancer in China presents the following three characteristics:
(1) The age of onset is early: 10 to 15 years earlier than in Western countries;
(2) The diagnosis time is late: there are more patients in the middle and advanced stages, and the proportion of early patients is much lower than that in Europe and the United States;
(3) Short survival: due to late diagnosis and other reasons, the survival period is lower than that of European and American countries.
Because many breast cancer patients are diagnosed in the middle and advanced stages, the overall 5-year survival rate of patients with advanced breast cancer is less than 50%.
Therefore, for breast cancer, early screening, early diagnosis, and early treatment are very important.
Breast cancer is a combination of factors, and these five abnormalities should be vigilant
Breast cancer is developed in multiple stages by a combination of factors, and its main risk factors include: individual disease history, female menstrual and reproductive history, family history, genetic mutations and estrogen levels, poor lifestyle, occupational exposure, etc.
Therefore, the following major risk factors for breast cancer need to be vigilant:
Those with a family history of breast cancer;
early menarche (menstruation before age 12) or late menopause (menopause after age 55);
long-term smoking, drinking;
Stay up late for a long time, stress;
Regularly eat foods high in sugar and fat;
Regularly take drugs and health products containing sex hormones;
Overweight, obesity.
So, when do you need to go to the hospital?
If the following five abnormalities appear in the breast, or if there are early symptoms of breast cancer, if the breast is abnormal, be sure to see a doctor promptly.
lumps appear in the breast, the lumps become larger in a short time, the texture is hard to the touch, the edges are not clear, and it is not painful in the early stage (but it will hurt in the later stage);
Abnormal nipple discharge, such as bleeding, milk, pus, especially unilateral discharge;
The nipple is found to be abnormal, the shape becomes flattened, the depression appears, and even the nipple is indented to the point that the nipple is completely invisible;
wrinkles or orange peel changes in the skin of the breast;
Enlarged lymph nodes in the axilla.
Early screening, early diagnosis, early treatment, this screening strategy please collect
So, when should I get screened? Screening strategies differ between the general population and those at high risk.
For general risk groups
【20-39 years old】
Breast self-examination 1 per month.
1 clinical examination every 1~3 years.
【40-69 years old】
Suitable for opportunistic screening and group screening.
Mammogram and/or breast ultrasound every 1~2 years.
For areas or dense mammary glands (glands type C or D) that are not available, breast ultrasound may be preferred.
Breast self-examination 1 per month.
1 clinical examination per year.
【Over 70 years old】
Opportunistic screening (imaging if symptoms or suspicious signs are present).
Breast self-examination 1 per month.
1 clinical examination per year.
For high-risk groups
People at high risk of breast cancer meet the following 3 criteria:
those with a significant genetic predisposition to breast cancer (carriers of BRCA1/BRCA2 gene mutations in related relatives);
patients with previous breast duct or lobular dysplasia or lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS);
Previous chest radiation therapy.
Breast cancer high-risk groups are recommended to be screened in advance (less than 40 years old), and the screening interval is recommended once a year, and the overall principle of screening should be combined with mammogram and breast ultrasound, and if necessary, imaging methods such as MRI can be used.
Having breast cancer does not mean that you have been sentenced to death. Over the past few decades, survival rates for early-stage breast cancer have improved dramatically.
If enough attention is paid to early detection and active treatment, it is entirely possible to cure.