Men can also be at risk for breast cancer. Should both men and women pay attention to breast health?! Pink October, please keep this breast care manual

The female breast is mainly composed of lobules (glands that produce breast milk), ducts (small tubes that transport breast milk from the lobules to the nipples), and stroma (fat tissue, connective tissue around the ducts and lobules, blood vessels, and lymphatic vessels). In order to make more people pay attention to breast health and raise awareness of breast cancer prevention, the international community has designated October of each year as World Breast Cancer Prevention and Treatment Month, October 18 as World Breast Cancer Awareness Day, and the third Friday of October is Pink Ribbon Care Day.

Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor in the world. According to data from the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the number of new breast cancer patients in 2020 reached 2.26 million, ranking first among tumors. In my country, breast cancer is also the most common malignant tumor in women, with approximately 416,000 new cases each year, accounting for 18.4% of the global number of cases.

Why do you need regular breast cancer screening ?

Surgery is still the first choice for breast cancer patients. The five-year survival rate of early breast cancer patients can reach more than 95%. However, early breast cancer has no obvious symptoms or signs. Only regular breast cancer screening can detect it as early as possible. Timely diagnosis and standardized treatment can significantly improve the cure rate of breast cancer and improve the quality of life.

The National Health Commission issued the "Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines (2022 Edition)" and recommended :

The starting age for women to participate in breast cancer screening is:

1. General risk groups:

Breast self-examination:

Starting from the age of 20, once a month.

Clinical examination:

20 to 39 years old, once every 1 to 3 years.

After age 40, once a year.

In addition, women aged 40 to 69 should undergo a mammogram and/or breast ultrasound every 1 to 2 years. For women with dense breasts, breast ultrasound is the first choice.

For patients over 70 years old, imaging examinations may be recommended if there are symptoms and signs.

2. People at high risk of breast cancer

a. Those with a clear genetic predisposition to breast cancer

b. Patients with a history of atypical breast ductal or lobular hyperplasia or lobular carcinoma in situ

c. Previous chest radiotherapy

The screening age should be less than 40 years old, and the recommended screening interval is once a year . The screening methods are mammary X-ray examination + breast ultrasound . If necessary, imaging methods such as MRI can also be used.

Typical symptoms and signs of breast cancer:

Painless lumps in the breast area, nipple discharge, orange peel-like changes, nipple and areola changes, axillary lymph node enlargement, etc.

How to read a breast ultrasound report?

Most breast nodules are benign lesions and can be treated with regular follow-up examinations. We should not relax our vigilance against nodules that do not hurt or itch. When you receive a breast ultrasound report, pay attention to the number after the words "BI-RADS".

If it displays "BI-RADS 0, 1, 2", it means it is very safe and the possibility of malignancy is 0%.

If it is "BI-RADS 3", it means it is relatively safe and generally only needs to be reviewed once every 6 months.

If "BI-RADS 4" is displayed, it means there is a possibility of malignancy. The breast doctor will perform further pathological examination to clarify the nature of the tumor based on the situation.

If the report shows "BI-RADS 5, 6", it means that malignant or confirmed breast cancer is highly suspected, and a personalized treatment plan needs to be determined and treatment should be started as soon as possible.

Doctors will divide the TNM stage into stage I, stage II, stage III, and stage IV according to the size of the patient's primary tumor, lymph node metastasis, and distant metastasis. Depending on the different stages, the corresponding treatment plan will be selected.

Male breast cancer is more dangerous if it is picked out of a hundred

Many men often do not take it seriously after feeling a lump in their breast. In fact, men also have breast cancer, but they are diagnosed later, at an older age, and have a worse prognosis than female breast cancer patients.

Common symptoms of male breast cancer:

A painless, retroareolar mass, nipple retraction, nipple bleeding, skin ulcers, and palpable axillary lymphadenopathy.

Male breast cancer accounts for about 1% of all breast cancer patients. If a first-degree relative has breast cancer, especially if there is a BRCA1/2 gene mutation, special attention should be paid to male breast cancer.

Which groups of people should be careful about breast cancer?

In addition to genetic factors , breast cancer is closely related to lifestyle, eating habits and other factors. The following groups need special attention:

Obese people with early menarche

Late childbearing and no breastfeeding

Mood swings, depression

Long-term smoking and drinking

Repeated abortion

Often stay up late to work overtime

Long-term estrogen therapy

Long-term use of health products and cosmetics containing estrogen

Pink October, warm reminder:

1. To prevent breast cancer, you should develop a healthy lifestyle, give birth at the right age and breastfeed, try to avoid the influence of estrogen, and stay in a good mood.

2. Do not massage chest nodules at will.

3. Adhere to self-examination and regular screening. If there is a family history of breast cancer, it is recommended to go to the hospital to see a professional doctor for further related examinations and genetic screening.

4. Breast cancer is gradually becoming a chronic disease. For long-term survivors, regular follow-up is necessary, as recurrence is possible after 5 or 10 years.