Breast cancer is a common and very dangerous disease. But in most cases, the tumor is treatable, especially if the disease is detected on time. Women need to carefully monitor their health and visit a gynecologist and mammologist in order to prevent the disease in time

Most often, breast cancer occurs in middle-aged women – over 40 years old. This is the most common type of malignant tumor among cancers in women.1.

The main way to prevent breast cancer is still early diagnosis. Together with experts, we have analyzed the main methods of breast cancer prevention, from self-examination to hormone tests.

It clarifies oncologist Dina Sakaeva, there are 3 types of active cancer prevention, including breast cancer.

  1. primary prevention. Its goal is to prevent and prevent the appearance of a tumor. To do this, you need to work on strengthening immunity, pay attention to lifestyle, give up bad habits and eat a balanced diet.
  2. Secondary prevention involves early diagnosis and treatment of diseases that can lead to cancer, as well as treatment of early stage cancer. This includes preventive examinations by a mammologist and mammography.
  3. Tertiary prevention is aimed at preventing tumor recurrence, the appearance of metastases and new foci of cancer in patients who have already undergone treatment.

Breast self-examination

Breast cancer prevention starts at home – in front of the mirror or in the shower. You choose where it is more comfortable to conduct an independent breast examination.

It clarifies oncologist, mammologist Gulnur Nigmanova, it is necessary to check the mammary glands in the first phase of the menstrual cycle.

– An important point – you can not examine the mammary glands every day. If you touch your breasts daily, you won’t feel the tightness that can occur, the expert notes.

So, how to conduct an independent breast examination.

  • Stand in front of a mirror. Place your hands behind your head and examine the chest on each side.
  • Feel the axillary lymph nodes. Move from the periphery to the center.
  • Pay attention to every possible seal.
  • Press lightly on the nipple to check for any discharge.

You can also do a breast exam in the shower while you bathe. Soapy hands glide well over the skin and will help to detect lumps, if any.

Visiting a mammologist

  1. It is recommended to visit a mammologist starting from adolescence. From the moment of the first menstruation, the breast begins to actively grow. It happens that due to an injury, one mammary gland develops, while the other does not. As the doctors specify, a slight asymmetry is a variant of the norm.
  2. Also, a mammologist must be visited during pregnancy planning. The fact is that in young girls with a small size of the mammary glands, fibroadenoma is very often observed – a dense benign formation that is practically not treated with medication and requires removal. Also, if there is cystic or any other form of mastopathy, it must be cured before conception.
  3. You should definitely schedule a visit to the mammologist if you are breastfeeding. If there are lactostasis (milk stasis), cracks or papillomas on the nipple, you need to consult a doctor.
  4. Six months after the completion of breastfeeding, you need to undergo an ultrasound of the mammary glands.
  5. If we talk about preventive visits to a mammologist, then women under 40 should visit a doctor once a year, and over 40 – 2 times a year and undergo mammography2. If there are any complaints, then you can not hesitate to contact a specialist.

Checking the hormonal background

Checking the hormonal background is necessary for women who are going to have an in vitro fertilization procedure. The fact is that during IVF there is stimulation of the ovaries, which in rare cases can lead to breast cancer. Therefore, hormone tests and consultation with a mammologist before IVF are mandatory.

Also, very often breast tumors occur during menopause, when the hormonal background changes completely. Doctors note that more and more women are taking hormone replacement therapy, which is also a prevention of cancer, as well as cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases.

It is important to understand that the analysis of sex hormones will not detect breast cancer, but will help prevent many diseases.

genetic test

Some tumors are hereditary. Genetic testing can tell if you have mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes that cause breast and ovarian cancer.

Carriers of these mutations are at high risk for breast and ovarian cancer. The only way to avoid the development of tumors is the prophylactic removal of both mammary glands and ovaries, and then complete hormone replacement therapy. In Russia, such operations can be performed if a woman who has been diagnosed with a mutation insists on the operation and signs a voluntary consent for it, says oncologist Dina Sakaeva.

Women who have mothers, grandmothers, sisters or maternal aunts in the family with breast cancer should definitely do a genetic test. In turn, if a woman has a mutation, her relatives should also be examined.

Healthy lifestyle

According to oncologists, an important prevention of breast cancer and other malignant tumors is a healthy lifestyle.

It is necessary:

  • eat right and maintain a healthy weight;
  • consume 400-500 grams of fresh fruits and vegetables daily;
  • Drink your water daily. Water cleanses the body of toxins and toxins;
  • stop smoking and drinking alcohol;
  • engage in regular physical activity, at least walk in the fresh air for at least 30 minutes a day at a moderate or fast pace5;
  • vaccinate against infections caused by the human papillomavirus (prevention of cervical cancer);
  • reduce sun exposure.

– Stress, negative thoughts reduce the body’s defenses and lead to the development of many diseases, including cancer. Try to look for the positive in everything that surrounds you, and do not give in to a gloomy mood, says Dina Sakaeva.

Popular questions and answers

Dina Sakaeva, MD, Professor of the Department of Pharmacology with a Course in Clinical Pharmacology, Member of the Board of RUSSCO, answers readers’ questions about the age at which breast cancer is most common and what symptoms it has.

At what age is breast cancer most common?

– Breast cancer is most common in women over 40 years of age.

How common is breast cancer?

— Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women worldwide (20,9%)3. But with proper diagnosis and timely treatment, breast cancer can be cured with a high degree of probability.

Which factor increases the risk of breast cancer?

• age 40+;

• mother, grandmother, aunt, sister, etc. on the maternal side were ill / are ill with breast cancer and ovarian cancer;

• benign formations of the mammary gland;

• hormonal failures;

• obesity;

• late first birth;

• short and inadequate breastfeeding;

• chest injuries, as well as wearing the wrong underwear;

• stress;

• bad habits – smoking and drinking;

• female loneliness.

What are the symptoms of breast cancer?

1) A woman can feel the lump, which can be quite large.

2) The mammary gland has changed size or shape.

3) Bloody discharge.

4) Inverted nipple4especially if this has never happened before.

5) The skin on the mammary glands became wrinkled, folds and dents appeared.

6) Lemon Peel Symptom. The tissue can swell or, on the contrary, go inside due to the destruction of the glandular tissue.

Sources:

  1. Prevention of breast cancer. Bukharova T.N., Panina O.N. Journal “Tumors of the female reproductive system”, 2007. https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/profilaktika-raka-molochnoy-zhelezy
  2. Cancer prevention. Goldshmidt P.R. Journal “Chief Doctor of the South of Russia”, 2014. https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/profilaktika-raka-1
  3. X-ray mammography in the diagnosis of breast cancer. Borisova M.S., Martynova N.V., Bogdanov S.N. Journal “Bulletin of the Russian Scientific Center for Roentgen Radiology of the Ministry of Health of Russia”, 2013. https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/rentgenovskaya-mammografiya-v-diagnostike-raka-molochnoy-zhelezy
  4. Prevention of the development of breast cancer. Vykhristyuk Yu.V., Roitberg G.E., Dorosh Zh.V., Karasyova N.V., Akobova R.A. “South Russian Journal of Oncology”, 2021. https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/profilaktika-razvitiya-raka-molochnoy-zhelezy   
  5. Diagnostic value of clinical symptoms in breast cancer. Fedorenko I.I., Obukhov A.L., Gidranovich A.V. Journal “Clinicist”, 2007. https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/diagnosticheskaya-tsennost-klinicheskih-simptomov-pri-rake-molochnoy-zhelezy

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