Breast cancer in women: 10 myths

2. Myth: breast cancer is always accompanied by the presence of lumps.

Fact: While breast lumps may indeed be a sign of breast cancer (as well as a number of other diseases), it is not observed in all women who have subsequently been diagnosed with this serious disease.

3. Myth: XNUMX% accurate mammography can detect breast cancer at an early stage.

Fact: according to experts, mammography can detect breast cancer only in 85% – 90% of cases. While the vast majority of breast abnormalities can indeed be detected with mammography, some abnormalities simply cannot be detected. For example, sometimes an abnormality goes unnoticed because the surrounding breast tissue is the same density as the abnormal tissue. If you find a lump or any other change in the mammary gland, and the mammogram is negative (i.e., does not confirm the alleged diagnosis), you should still see your doctor and undergo a full examination to determine if the tumor is malignant.

4. Myth: Nipple discharge is one of the hallmarks of breast cancer.

Fact: in most cases, discharge from the breast is not yet a sign of a malignant neoplasm. Unexplained discharge (opaque or transparent, milky) occurs in about 20% of women, so it’s not uncommon. In about 60% of women, nipple discharge occurs during the self-examination of the breast. Usually, clear, white, yellow, or greenish discharge does not indicate breast cancer. But bloody or watery discharge is already considered an abnormality, but in only 10% of cases, such abnormal discharge is a sign of breast cancer. In most cases, spotting is caused by the presence of non-malignant papillomas.

5. Myth: In most cases, breast cancer is a death sentence.

Fact: Yes, breast cancer is indeed the second leading cause of death for women (after lung cancer), but this diagnosis does not mean that you are doomed to die. Approximately 80% of women who hear this diagnosis do not have metastases (i.e., the cancer has not spread to nearby organs and lymph nodes). Approximately 80% of these 80% live for at least another five years after the detection of the disease, and many even much longer. Even patients with metastases can live for several more years. In addition, one should not forget about the rapid progress in the treatment of this disease.

6. Myth: In breast cancer, the affected breast is removed.

Fact: Breast cancer treatment does indeed involve surgery in many cases. However, sparing breast cancer treatment (removal of the breast tumor followed by radiation therapy) is increasingly being used to treat early-stage breast cancers (eg, ductal carcinoma).

7. Myth: Mastectomy guarantees complete protection against the development of breast cancer in the future.

Fact: mastectomy (removal of the affected breast) does not yet guarantee complete protection against this disease in the future. Some women have a recurrence of breast cancer at the site of the scar after a mastectomy. Also, one should not exclude the possibility that the disease has managed to spread to the lymph nodes or other organs of the body, in which case a mastectomy alone is not enough for treatment. It is also important to remember that breast tissue extends to the neck, is located under the arms and on the chest, so even after a mastectomy, some of it still remains. Mastectomy does significantly reduce the likelihood of recurrent RH disease, but this probability exists as long as breast tissue remains in the woman’s body.

8. Myth: Older women do not need to complete the full course of therapy.

Fact: The mortality rate of older women with RH is steadily increasing, which can be explained by the fact that many older women neglect treatment after the diagnosis of the disease. Although the disease progresses more slowly in older women, it is aggressive and spreads rapidly to other organs of the body.

9. Myth: The absence of RH within five after the diagnosis of the disease means a complete cure.

Fact: Although for some types of cancer, five years of life after diagnosis and treatment does mean recovery, RG is not. The likelihood of a relapse of RH is especially high in the first two years after treatment, but this disease can re-develop at any time and after any period, regardless of how many years have passed since the diagnosis of the disease.

10. Myth: Positive thinking prolongs life after breast cancer treatment.

Fact: optimism and a positive attitude towards illness significantly improve the quality of life, but there is no evidence to support that positive thinking improves the chances of survival. True, sometimes optimism is the only thing that remains in the face of illness, the only thing that makes you get up in the morning. But feelings of sadness, anger and fear are absolutely natural in the case of RH. Showy or false optimism only aggravates feelings of loneliness and hinders the fight against illness. Do not deceive yourself and others, do not hide your true feelings and be sure to accept the support of family and friends.