XNUMX myths about breast cancer that make it difficult to adequately treat the disease
'22.10.2020'
Source: Burning hut
Since 1985, October has been a month of raising awareness of breast cancer worldwide. Reliable information about where it comes from and what provokes it helps to diagnose it in time. In this context, it is important to have reliable information about the diagnosis of the disease and its treatment. Burning hut.
Myth 1. Breast cancer is only a woman's problem
But no. Breast cancer also occurs in men. It's just that humanity is used to thinking that only women have breasts.
According to statistics, for every 100 cases of breast cancer in women, there is 1 such case in a man. Symptoms and causes of development are the same, they do not depend on gender. But in men, cancer is detected less often, since it is not known how effective mammography is for them. More research is needed to be able to detect the disease in men at the same stage as in women.
Myth 2. If you find a lump in your chest, it's cancer
A lump in the breast is not a necessary symptom of breast cancer. Most often, this is a sign of fibroadenoma or breast cyst, and not a malignant neoplasm.
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Fibroadenoma is a benign neoplasm in the chest in the form of a nodule, mostly painless, and a cyst is a bag with contents. They are harmless and are mostly treated with surgery. Do not lead to cancer!
The most common symptoms of breast cancer in women
- changes in skin structure: wrinkles, dimples
- swelling, lump in the chest or armpit
- redness or discoloration of the breast area
- unusual nipple discharge
- nipple change: it retracts or turns over
Myth 3. Breast self-examination helps to detect breast cancer at an early stage
Feeling your breasts on your own is a good habit that doctors encourage. It's good if you carry out this manipulation at least once a month. Why it matters: By examining yourself regularly, you can find any changes in your breasts. If it seems to you that you have felt a seal, if it hurts to touch your chest, be sure to go to an appointment with a gynecologist or mammologist.
Self-examination is recommended 3-5 days after the onset of menstruation. At this time, the breast no longer swells and does not seem so dense.
And now the main thing: this method is effective for the diagnosis of inflammation and dense formations in the breast, but not for the early diagnosis of cancer. Medical organizations did not come to a consensus on whether to add breast self-examination to the recommendations or not. But research provides a clear answer. Meta-analyzes have been carried out in Russia and China to assess the benefits of this method. It turned out that breast self-examination did not affect the statistics of the disease detection in any way.
The most effective method for detecting breast cancer today is mammography.
Myth 4. Breast cancer is becoming more common, especially in young people.
Breast cancer was not diagnosed more often, it was just that the diagnosis began to be detected earlier with the help of screening. There are studies that have calculated what percentage of women and in what age group get sick more often. The data are the same: breast cancer is a disease of women after 40, and under the age of 30 it occurs only in 0,4% of cases.
Myth 5. Big breasts are a risk factor for breast cancer.
Breast size alone does not affect the development of this cancer in any way. But the presence of excess weight, which can be accompanied by an increase in the bust, can really increase the risk of getting sick with it. Obesity is the root cause of breast cancer, and a large bust is simply a consequence of obesity.
The real risk factors for breast cancer are divided into 2 groups: some we can influence, and some we cannot.
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Factors that can be influenced: obesity, unhealthy diet, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, alcohol, hormone therapy with estrogen and progesterone.
Age, genetics, early onset of menses or late onset of menopause, and family history of breast cancer are unchanged risk factors.
Myth 6. When taking COCs, the risk of developing breast cancer increases dramatically
This is not exactly a myth, but the truth, which is exaggerated. Yes, taking COCs (combined oral contraceptives) may increase the risk of breast cancer, but not significantly. Unlike hormonal drugs with a combination of estrogen and progesterone, the dosage of COCs is much lower, as well as the effect on the body.
If you put the pros and cons of COCs on the scales, then the pros will outweigh. The tablets reduce the risk of ovarian cancer by 21% and uterine cancer by 25% for every 5 years of use. So if only this confuses you in taking COCs and the doctor prescribed the pills for you, you can safely take them.
Myth 7. Breast trauma increases the risk of breast cancer.
Cancer Research UK, a British charity, considers this a myth and explains that if a blow to the chest can trigger a disease, it is not cancer, but fibroadenoma or cyst. And more often - a hematoma, if the blow was strong and the place of the blow was swollen and bloodshot. In this case, the breast feels like a lump, but it is not cancer. The hematoma will go away after a while.
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Myth 8. Breast cancer treatment is very expensive
Chemotherapy and radiation are really expensive procedures, especially courses. Not to mention the drugs that need to be taken constantly. But cancer treatment is most often covered by insurance, which means that their therapy is free.
Myth 9. Breast cancer is treated once and for all.
Unfortunately, this is not so. The course of chemotherapy takes 3–6 months, sometimes more. Then, after going into remission, you need to undergo an examination every six months and check your body. He can change. Someone worries about weakness, someone - heart problems or infertility. At this time, it is very important to support loved ones and work with a psychologist who will help you overcome the stress associated with changes in the body.
When breast cancer is detected at an early stage and is treatable, breast removal surgery is required along with radiation therapy and chemotherapy. This is the best way to stop the proliferation of aggressive cancer cells. But women are often uncomfortable after surgery. Many experience depression and anxiety in the first three years after surgery.
The material is published for informational purposes only, does not constitute medical advice and does not replace medical advice. ForumDaily Woman is not responsible for any diagnosis made by the reader based on the site's materials, as well as for the consequences of self-medication, and may not share the point of view of the author or expert.
