Breast cancer Prevention Month: breast cancer prevention and treatment issues you care about
2024-10-28
The World Health Organization will designate October every year as breast cancer prevention month. Breast cancer is a malignant tumor with high incidence in the world. Its incidence rate ranks first among female malignant tumors, and is known as "beauty killer". What are the high-risk factors of breast cancer, and can they be targeted for prevention? How can women conduct regular self-examination and what screening recommendations are available? Xinhua News Agency reporters connect with breast surgery experts from Peking Union Medical College Hospital to answer questions from women. First question: What is breast cancer and what is its harm? Sun Qiang, chief physician of breast surgery in Peking Union Medical College Hospital: breast cancer refers to the uncontrolled proliferation of breast epithelial cells under the action of a variety of carcinogens. Diseases often manifest as breast lumps, nipple discharge, axillary lymph node enlargement, and other symptoms. In the late stage, cancer cells may metastasize to distant areas, leading to multi organ lesions that directly threaten the patient's life. According to the latest statistics of the National Cancer Center, the number of new cases of breast cancer in China will be 357200 in 2022, which is second only to lung cancer in female cancer, accounting for 15.6% of the new cases of cancer. Breast cancer has become one of the most common malignant tumors threatening the health of chinese women. Second question: What are the high-risk factors of breast cancer, and can they be targeted for prevention? Zhou Yidong, Director of Breast Surgery Department of Peking Union Medical College Hospital: Risk factors related to breast cancer can be divided into intrinsic factors and controllable factors. Inherent factors are inherent risk factors, mainly including family history of breast cancer, early menarche, late menopause, etc. And controllable factors include: long-term smoking and drinking, high-fat diet, obesity, lack of sleep, long-term emotional distress, etc. Long term use of drugs or health supplements containing estrogen may also increase the risk of illness, such as long-term oral contraceptives. To achieve targeted prevention, it is recommended to strengthen awareness of inherent factors and intervene in controllable factors. When there are many breast cancer patients in the family, it is recommended to start regular breast examination as soon as possible. Advocate for a healthy lifestyle and behavior pattern to further reduce individual risks, such as maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, avoiding staying up late, relieving psychological stress, not smoking, not drinking excessively, etc. These measures can reduce the risk of disease to a certain extent. Three questions: How can women conduct regular self-examination and what screening recommendations are available? Zhou Yidong: Early detection of breast cancer is crucial to treatment and prognosis. As for self-examination, it is recommended to self check 7 to 10 days after the end of menstruation, using the fingertips of the middle and index fingers to touch the entire breast, gently touching any lumps or changes under the skin. After palpation, you can compare the two breasts with a mirror to check for any changes in shape or contour, including nipple discharge, indentation, or whether the breast skin is sunken, swollen, red, etc. As far as screening is concerned, it is recommended that women aged 40 and above should be screened for breast cancer every year, and those with high-risk factors should be aged 35 or earlier. Question 4: What is a huge breast tumor and can it be surgically removed? Sun Qiang: Currently, there is no clear definition for giant breast tumors, but generally "5cm diameter" can be used as the starting threshold for "giant", which has a significant impact on the appearance, quality of life, and social psychology of the breast. Giant breast tumors are divided into benign and malignant types. For large benign breast tumors, surgical procedures need to balance complete resection and postoperative aesthetics. For large malignant tumors of the breast, surgeons need to combine physical and imaging examinations to evaluate and determine whether surgery can be performed. If it is indeed 'inoperable', neoadjuvant therapy should be given; If one can strive for 'operable', they should try to have a complete surgical resection as much as possible. It should be noted that if breast tumors are found, it is important to seek medical attention at a regular hospital as soon as possible. Do not rely on folk remedies, which may delay treatment and lead to tumor growth. For patients who already have huge breast tumors, do not despair. There is still a large portion that can be treated through surgery, and postoperative aesthetic effects can be achieved through small incision surgery, breast reconstruction, and other methods. Question 5: Can breast cancer be "inherited"? Huang Xin, Deputy Chief Physician of breast cancer Genetic Consultation Clinic of Peking Union Medical College Hospital: The pathogenesis of breast cancer is very complex, and genetic factors play a key role in it. Numerous scientific studies have shown that about 5% to 10% of breast cancer cases are closely related to genetic factors. Among them, BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations can be called the "culprits" of hereditary breast cancer. Once they malfunction, that is, mutate, cancer cells have an opportunity to take advantage of. It should be noted that genetic testing has a high degree of complexity and seriousness, and must be conducted on the premise of respecting ethics and correctly interpreting genetic testing reports. The family verification of gene mutations should be conducted simultaneously among male and female relatives. Through scientific genetic counseling and fertility management, the risk of cancer can be reduced and the health of the next generation can be protected. (New Society)
Edit：Chen Jie Responsible editor：Li Ling
Source：Xinhuanet
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