My best friend who works in the hospital suddenly sent a message: Do you usually "touch yourself"?
I suspected she was driving, and it turned out that she was talking about a breast self-exam.
It is very important to do a breast self-examination every day, and it is best to go to the hospital for a check-up if you are uncomfortable to determine if you have any problems.
01
How to do a breast self-exam?
Take a look: Facing the mirror, the arms are naturally sagging, the shoulders are flat, and the breasts are symmetrical, whether the skin surface is abnormal, whether the surface is smooth, whether there are ulcers, wrinkles, whether there are "green tendons exposed", depressions and other problems.
Touch: Raise your left arm and massage your right index finger, middle finger, and ring finger into your breast, and touch your breast clockwise or counterclockwise. Every part of the body should be examined in order, including the areolar area, extending into the armpit, and checking the armpit for enlarged lymph nodes. If a nodule is felt, determine the size, shape, range of motion, borders, texture, and tenderness.
Squeeze: Squeeze the nipple with your thumb and forefinger and see if any fluid comes out. If there is fluid outflow, pay attention to the nature of the fluid color, in addition to breast cancer, there may be nipple discharge, hyperprolactinemia may have colostrum-like milk secretion, intraductal papillomas may have light blood fluid outflow, and mastitis may have pus outflow.
02
Common problems with the mammary glands?
Breast hyperplasia
Breast hyperplasia is a benign breast disease caused by abnormal processes of normal development and degeneration of the mammary gland.
Key symptoms:
Breast tenderness – most patients have cyclical pain that occurs or worsens during the premenstrual period and lessens or disappears after menstruation;
Breast lumps – the size and texture often change periodically with menstruation, the premenstrual lump increases and the texture is harder, and the postmenstrual lump shrinks, and the texture is tough but not hard;
A small number of people have nipple discharge—yellowish-green, brown, or bloody, and occasionally colorless serous.
Breast nodules
As mentioned earlier, breast hyperplasia may also be accompanied by breast nodules, in fact, nodules are a broad concept, and small lumps found during breast examination can be called nodules.
Breast nodules can be seen in various breast diseases, in addition to breast hyperplasia, there are also breast cysts, breast fibroadenomas, plasma cell mastitis, breast cancer, etc., about 80% of which are mainly benign diseases.
Important: Breast hyperplasia is a pathological term rather than a disease, while breast nodules are a disease phenomenon and not a disease itself.
breast cancer
So can breast hyperplasia and breast nodules develop into breast cancer?
First of all, we need to identify the risk factors for breast cancer:
1. Family history of breast cancer;
2. Inherited gene mutations in breast cancer;
3. Breast dysplasia;
4. Postmenopausal obesity or high body mass index;
5. High breast density;
6. Menopausal estrogen replacement therapy;
7. Received chest radiotherapy before the age of 30;
8. Smoking, drinking, non-child, non-breastfeeding, early menarche, late amenorrhea, mental depression, etc.
Highlights:
In fact, breast hyperplasia and breast nodules are just a normal physiological process, mainly caused by large fluctuations in estrogen levels. When dysplasia and malignant nodules occur, further examination is required to determine whether it is a precancerous lesion. A professional breast examination is the best way to prevent breast diseases and breast cancer.
03
What are the tests for breast cancer?
1. Physical examination: preliminarily determine whether the patient has abnormal signs (such as breast lumps, nipple changes, breast skin changes, nipple discharge, etc.). ）
2. Imaging examination: breast ultrasound, mammography, breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
3. Tissue biopsy: for patients with suspected breast cancer, the mass should be punctured under ultrasound guidance.
4. Breast tumor marker examination: serum carcinoma antigen (CEA), serum cancer antigen 15-3, serum cancer antigen 125 (CA125).
5、免疫组化检查:Ki-67,Her-2,er,pr等.
04
What are the treatments for breast cancer?
According to the diagnosis and treatment guidelines of the National Health Commission and major authoritative guidelines at home and abroad, the treatment methods of breast gland are mainly divided into the following types.
1. Surgical treatment: Surgical treatment is still the preferred treatment method for breast patients, and the selection of surgical methods requires a comprehensive evaluation of breast cancer stage and the patient's physical condition.
2. Endocrine therapy: by removing or blocking the action of hormones, to stop the growth of cancer cells.
3. Chemotherapy: a systemic treatment method that kills cancer cells through cytotoxic drugs.
4. Targeted therapy: through specific interference, and then block the growth of cancer cells.
5. Radiotherapy: referred to as radiotherapy, it is a local treatment method that kills cancer cells through radiation.
6. Traditional Chinese medicine treatment: help alleviate the side effects and adverse reactions caused by other treatments, and regulate the patient's immune function and physical condition.
7. Prognostic psychological support: alleviate the negative emotions of patients, which is conducive to the recovery and prognosis of patients.
Tip: Patients are individualized and treated differently. Patients and their families need to actively cooperate with the treatment.
(A mini program has been added here, please go to the Toutiao client to view)
Disclaimer: Our institute respects originality, and the copyright of all articles, pictures and other materials belongs to the copyright owner. The main purpose is to share information, so that everyone can obtain more health information, if there is any infringement of your rights or copyright, please contact us in time, we will deal with it as soon as possible.