A breast tumor is a terrible diagnosis that is made to almost every second woman. But not all neoplasms are malignant. If you notice pathology in time, you can stop the development of cancer cells. It is important to know the symptoms of a breast tumor in women in order to start timely treatment and prevent the spread of the disease.
What are breast tumors in women?
These are seals in the mammary gland that appear due to the active mutation of glandular tissue cells. May be benign and malignant. Most often they do not bother at the initial stage, but they are noticeable with an independent examination of the breast. In this case, you should immediately contact a mammologist who will make an accurate diagnosis.
After the neoplasm has grown into a malignant breast tumor in a woman, the dynamics of the development of the disease changes. Without timely surgical intervention, the prognosis will be negative.
Benign neoplasms
A benign breast tumor in women can be of several types:
- Cyst - is observed more often in women aged 35 years.
- Fibroadenoma - diagnosed in girls from 20 to 30 years old due to hormonal failure or bruising of the mammary gland. It has a spherical shape and can move.
- Mastopathy is a disease that lactating women are susceptible to. It develops due to stagnation of milk.
- Intraductal papilloma, adenoma, lipoma and other seals in the mammary glands.
Symptoms of benign tumors in the mammary glands in women will be pronounced. They are treated conservatively if their sizes are within acceptable limits. Only large tumors are subject to removal. If they are not treated, then a cancerous tumor will develop.
Malignant neoplasms
Such tumors in the mammary glands in women develop less frequently, but can be life threatening. Therefore, when they are detected, surgical intervention is necessary. Women are most susceptible to cancers during menopause and during hormonal disruptions.
It is very difficult to detect the disease at an early stage, since the signs and symptoms of a breast tumor in women during this period are invisible.
There are several types of breast tumors:
- Adenocarcinoma, which usually forms on the surface of the mammary gland.
- Infiltrate malignant breast tumor in a woman. It develops in the epithelium of the gland without affecting its connective and supporting tissues.
- Tumor of the milk ducts. It arises as a result of a violation of the movement of fluid along them.
- An inflammatory tumor that is characterized by redness and swelling of the breast.
Stages and symptoms of a breast tumor in women
- Zero The tumor develops, but so far does not penetrate neighboring tissues. Its dimensions do not exceed 2 cm. It can be detected by self-examination.
- First one. The size of the neoplasm is put larger, it begins to penetrate into neighboring tissues. Peeling, redness of the skin may be observed, but there will be no discomfort and pain.
- The second one. The tumor is actively growing, can reach up to 5 cm in size. Due to cancer cells, lymph nodes begin to grow. They increase, the surface of the chest turns red, discomfort is felt.
- The third. It happens 3A and 3B. At stage A, the tumor becomes more than 5 cm, pathological cells accumulate in the lymph nodes. At stage B, the tumor grows into neighboring tissues. There are discharge from the chest, pain.
- Fourth. At this stage, metastases develop that can pass to the liver, lungs, and even the brain.
What are the malignant formations
- Invasive that form in adipose and connective tissue. Such formations quickly penetrate the lymph nodes and nearby tissues.
- Hormone-dependent - diagnosed in 40% of patients. This is when the outer layers of tumor tissue come into contact with the sex hormones of the female body, which causes the growth of cancer cells.
The first symptoms of breast cancer
They can be detected through self-diagnosis. First of all, a woman should pay attention to the following signs:
- Seals appeared - with oncology they are shapeless, with an uneven surface.
- If you press on the mammary gland, pain will be felt.
- The chest becomes asymmetric, the symmetry of the nipples is broken.
In addition, a woman should be warned by malfunctions in the menstrual cycle, since breast pathologies are associated with diseases of the reproductive organs. If during menstruation you feel pain in one breast, this may be a sign of fibroadenoma or mastopathy.
They talk about the presence of a malignant or benign tumor with enlarged lymph nodes. In the case of benign formations, the seals move freely if you press on the chest. They are soft, smooth, do not grow together. Consist of adipose or connective tissue, grow slowly.
Characteristic symptoms of breast cancer
The signs of a breast tumor in women are as follows:
- Seals are rapidly increasing in size. May be from a few millimeters to 10 cm.
- Above the tumor, the skin begins to retract.
- External signs quickly develop: the surface of the body above the seals coarsens, neoplasms become hard, ulcers form.
- The nipple is retracted.
- There is a swelling of the chest, redness.
- There are discharge from the nipple, often purulent and with impurities of blood.
- The skin of the breast changes, it becomes like a lemon peel.
Types of seals in malignant tumors
- Similar to nodules. At the early stage, multiple or single nodules appear, having a clear contour, dense consistency. On palpation, painless, limited in mobility. Manifested by wrinkled retraction of the skin over the site of the tumor. When probing armpits, enlarged lymph nodes are felt.
- Edematous diffuse seal. Often develops during pregnancy and lactation. The skin will look like an orange peel, red, swollen, impregnated with an infiltrate that squeezes the milk ducts.
- A seal similar to mastitis. Symptoms of such a breast tumor in women will be pronounced. The breast will increase in size, the tumor will be dense, inactive. The skin is tight, red. Possible increase in body temperature.
- A seal similar to erysipelas of the skin. The skin is uneven, swollen, hyperemic. Such a tumor can spread to the chest. Often the temperature rises to 40 degrees.
- Shell diffuse seal. The surface of the mammary gland becomes red-cyanotic color, moves poorly. On it appear ulcerations and crusts, similar to a shell.
Paget's disease. The initial symptoms of a breast tumor in women in the photo may resemble manifestations of eczema or psoriasis. But there are differences - the skin will be strongly hyperemic, the nipple and areola will become coarser, dry and then wet crusts will appear on them, under which there will be a wet surface. Malignant cells rapidly spread inside the gland through the milk ducts.
Causes of Breast Cancer
Doctors still can not find the true reason that provokes the development of a breast tumor in women. But there are factors that trigger the development of cancer:
- Menstruation comes ahead of schedule.
- Lack of pregnancy up to 30 years.
- Frequent abortions.
- If after the birth of the baby there was no breastfeeding or it was short-lived.
- Late menopause (after 55 years).
- Irregular sex life.
- The presence of pathologies of the uterine appendages.
- Long menopausal syndrome.
- Obesity.
- Any injuries to the breast.
- Frequent stresses.
- Infertility.
- Genetic predisposition.
- Long-term use of hormonal drugs.
- Any ovarian tumors.
- The effect of ionizing radiation.
- Wearing tight underwear.
- Lack of vitamins E, D, C, A.
- Diabetes.
- The presence of physical inactivity.
How to detect a breast tumor?
It is necessary at least once a month to conduct an independent examination of the mammary glands. The algorithm of actions is as follows:
- self-diagnosis is carried out in a bright room in front of the mirror;
- first, the bra is inspected for any discharge;
- then check the chest for changes (shape, size, shape);
- the mammary glands are felt from all sides, starting from the top;
- the skin and areola are examined for redness, irritation, ulcers, swelling, cracks, discharge from the nipple;
- axillary cavities are examined.
If during the examination of the breast it began to hurt, and inside you felt some seal, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible.
Methods for diagnosing breast cancer
- Mammography is an x-ray of the breast that helps to make an accurate diagnosis.
- Ductography is a procedure during which a water-soluble X-ray contrast is injected into the duct of the mammary gland.
- Ultrasound
- Thermography - measuring the temperature of skin areas. Thanks to this procedure, you can see the size of the tumor and the degree of damage to the breast.
- Electromagnetic radiation - allows you to see the tumor more clearly, so that later it can be removed without damaging healthy tissue.
- Oncomarkers - help detect cancer at an early stage.
Treatment principles
If there are symptoms of a breast tumor in women, the treatment may be surgical or conservative. Malignant tumors are treated only through surgical intervention. There are several types of operations: mastectomy and organ-preserving.
A mastectomy is performed by 4 methods:
- Simple - removal of the entire gland.
- Radical according to Halstead - is done in case of formation formation in the pectoral muscles. Removal is subject to iron, two pectoral muscles, lymph nodes, as well as fatty tissue.
- Radical modified - the mammary gland, lymph nodes in the armpits, the shell of the pectoralis major muscle are excised.
- Bilateral (bilateral) - removal of two mammary glands. It is done with oncology of both breasts and at the request of the patient, if she is afraid of relapse.
Organ Preserving Methods
- Removal of a breast tumor in women through embolization. An embolus is inserted into the largest vessel that feeds the neoplasm. It creates ischemia for the tumor, which leads to the death of cancer cells.
- Quadrantectomy - only a quarter of the breast with a neoplasm is excised, as well as axillary lymph nodes.
- Radical resection - is carried out only at an early stage of oncology. The affected part of the chest, part of the lymph nodes and the pectoralis major muscle are subject to removal. The operation is performed only if the tumor size does not exceed 3 cm and it is located in the upper outer quadrant.
After an organ-preserving operation, radiation therapy must be prescribed to reduce the risk of relapse.
Complications of breast oncology
- Large formations can bleed.
- Severe inflammation of the tumor and surrounding tissues is possible.
- The development of metastases that spread to other organs.
Following surgery, the following complications may occur:
- suppuration of the wound;
- inflammation in the excision area;
- swelling of the hand, which occurs due to the removal of a large number of nodes and a slow flow of lymphatic fluid;
- lymphorrhea - often occurs after removal of the lymph nodes. This is a long course of lymph.
Preventive measures
- After 50 years, undergo a mammogram every year.
- Pregnancy should be planned up to 30 years.
- After childbirth, fully breastfeed the baby.
- Take hormonal drugs only under the supervision of a doctor.
- Normalize weight.
- If the cancer is hereditary, tamoxifen, ovarian removal, and prophylactic mastectomy can help.
- You need to regularly live sexually.
- Need to abandon bad habits.
If there are symptoms of a breast tumor in a woman, you should contact an oncologist as soon as possible, since ignoring the problem can lead to disastrous consequences. Therefore, at the first suspicion of the presence of any formations in the mammary gland, it is necessary to appear to a mammologist.