Breast Tumors (Breast Cancer) – Types, Symptoms and Treatment

Proven content

Breast cancer is cancer that develops from the epithelium of the ducts or lobules of the mammary gland and is most common in women between the ages of 40 and 70. Among breast cancers, we can distinguish pre-invasive and invasive ones. Breast cancer is initially a small lump or hardness. Very often, women detect the change quite accidentally, e.g. when washing.

Nipple tumors – types

When talking about breast cancer, it is necessary to mention the division into benign and malignant changes. This distinction depends on cancer infiltration into nearby tissues and metastasis to distant organs. According to research, about 80 percent. all tumors in the breast area are benign (usually fibroids). However, 20 percent. divided into:

1. inflammatory breast cancer – it is not localized in one specific place, because its cells spread throughout the gland, therefore diagnosis is much more difficult. A characteristic feature is the coexisting inflammation attacking the entire organ, which is manifested by swelling and redness;

2. ductal cancer of the breast – it originates in the epithelium of the ducts leading to the mammary glands. Cell proliferation causes obstruction of the lumen of the duct and, over time, obstruction of the surrounding ones, which in turn inhibits the proper outflow of glandular secretions and leads to the formation of cysts;

3. Lobular carcinoma of the breast – in turn develops from cells that produce glandular secretions. The location of this neoplasm does not stagnate the contents, so the first symptoms of cancer appear much later.

Breast cancer stages

There is also a division of the breast neoplasm according to the severity of the changes. There are usually five stages of cancer advancement:

0 – cancer in place, cancer in situ. It is a very early stage of cancer that has not spread beyond the site of its origin and infiltrates adjacent tissues and does not metastasize. Its diameter is less than two centimeters.

I – it can be a cancer that infiltrates only adjacent tissues or a cancer that is smaller than two centimeters but does not spread to adjacent lymph nodes.

IIa – as above, the diameter of the cancer is less than 2 centimeters, but unfortunately it metastasizes to the surrounding lymph nodes. It can also be a tumor larger than two centimeters, but no more than five – not metastatic.

IIb – the tumor affects lymph nodes and is a maximum of five centimeters or the lesion is larger than 5 cm, but does not metastasize to lymph nodes.

IIIa – the tumor is more than five centimeters in diameter, and there are also metastases on the lymph nodes. In addition, they can be neoplasms that, regardless of their diameter, attack the local lymph nodes and the environment.

IIIb – corresponds to inflammatory cancer

IV – characterized by metastasis to distant parts of the body.

Factors predisposing to the formation of a breast cancer

The main factors that increase the risk of developing breast cancer are:

1. female sex – breast cancer occurs in 99% of women (the prognosis for men is much worse);
2. age – the older a woman is, the greater the likelihood of the disease, the highest incidence is recorded between the ages of 50 and 70;
3. genetic factors – are associated with the presence of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes in the body, which favor the development of breast cancer;
4. the onset of the first menstruation before the age of 12 and its end after the age of 55;
5. no previous pregnancies;
6. other non-cancerous breast ailments;
7. dense glandular tissue of the breast;
8. long-term exposure to ionizing radiation.

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There are also factors that contribute less to the formation of breast cancer, such as the use of oral contraception, endocrine disorders, taking hormone replacement therapy, high-fat diets, overweight, excessive alcohol consumption, and lack of exercise.

Symptoms of breast cancer

In the early stages of development, most breast cancer patients are asymptomatic and there are no symptoms to distinguish it from other proliferative processes. Over time, the induration or lump will become more pronounced. They are painless and their surface is uneven. Any changes in the shape of the nipple, skin tightening or flattening of the nipple, and the appearance of enlarged axillary lymph nodes on the side of the tumor may suggest that we are dealing with an advanced neoplastic process.

The first symptom of breast cancer is a lump in the breast that you can feel under your fingers. It is usually located in the upper outer quadrant of the breast and is painless. In the case of advanced disease, the skin above the nodule may resemble orange peel, that is, characteristic dimples appear. The lump may be accompanied by additional symptoms in the form of:

1. enlarged lymph nodes (in the armpit, in the area above or below the collarbone);
2. fever
3. pain
4. breast swelling
5. general weakness corresponding to different stages of the disease,
6. in breastfeeding women, the child is reluctant to suck on the mother’s diseased breast.

Symptoms of breast cancer in the area of ​​the nipple are often characterized by leakage of serous or serous-blood content from the nipple and sometimes retraction of the nipple, in addition, pustular lesions appear, and in the event of progression of the nipple cancer may be accompanied by ulceration and bleeding.

Symptoms of internal organs, such as the lungs or the other breast, appear with the advancement of the tumor and its spread. In addition, metastatic spots and enlarging gland ulceration may occur on the skin. There are extreme cases when the gland is completely destroyed.

Nipple tumors – diagnosis

The most common symptom with which patients see a doctor is a sensation of changes in the breasts. This symptom is the basis for extending the diagnosis to include other tests. An important role is played by the medical interview with the patient and, of course, imaging tests in the form of mammography and ultrasound. Both should be done as cancer may only be seen in one of them. Fortunately, in Poland, women over 50 are subject to free mammography and medical consultation. This has to do with the breast cancer screening program.

In addition to the above-mentioned examinations, magnetic resonance imaging is also performed, which helps to accurately analyze the previously revealed neoplastic changes. One hundred percent certainty as to the nature of the lesion can be obtained after the pathomorphological examination of the material obtained by biopsy. On the other hand, among the additional tests that help to assess the risk of developing a lesion, genetic tests for breast cancer are performed. Certain mutations in our body may increase the risk of developing the disease.

Treatment of breast cancer

The possibility of a cure in the early stage of the disease is complete. Therefore, any lump in the nipple you see must be immediately shown to the surgeon. However, women should know that apart from cancer, there are many and varied causes of lump formation in the nipples. Only a doctor can determine the type of disease, often recommending ultrasound-guided fine-needle or core-needle aspiration biopsy and cytological examination of the material taken from the diseased tissue in order to determine the nature of the tumor or remove the entire nodule and subject it to microscopic examination.

See also: Breast-saving surgeries

Can breast cancer be prevented?

Every woman should learn to examine her breasts in order to immediately notify the doctor of any changes that are noticed in them. The breasts should be examined regularly each month. This is best done at the end or a few days after your period. It is better to visit a doctor unnecessarily than to allow the development of a malignant neoplasm, the treatment of which in late periods is very difficult.