Infiltrative breast cancer is a common oncological disease. It is diagnosed in approximately 80% of women with malignant neoplasms of the breast. The older the patient, the higher the likelihood of carcinoma.
The disease is characterized by its aggressiveness. The neoplasm quickly spreads beyond the borders of the mammary duct. It even covers the surrounding muscle tissue. Metastases are often found in the liver, bones, lymph nodes, kidneys, and respiratory organs. In addition, with the blood flow, malignant cells can enter the brain.
Features of the disease
In ICD-10, breast cancer is coded C50 and is one of the most common tumors in women. It is worth noting that every year the number of patients suffering from this disease is increasing. The disease can show up at any age. However, it is more common in older women. The older the age, the higher the risk of getting sick.
Cancermammary gland (according to ICD-10 code C50) has an extremely aggressive course. Cancer cells penetrate the blood stream into the lymph nodes, as well as the joints and adjacent organs. A characteristic feature of the pathology is the preservation of malignant cells in the patient's body for a long time. They can cause a relapse even 5-10 years after the end of treatment.
Main species
Another name for this pathology is carcinoma. What it is? This is a type of malignant neoplasm that develops from epithelial cells. What are its types? Doctors distinguish several different types of breast cancer, as follows:
- Ductal.
- Lobular.
- Non-specific.
- Edematous-infiltrative.
Ductal breast cancer usually affects older women. The oncological process begins to proceed in the milk ducts, then gradually grows and penetrates into the adipose tissue. Metastases penetrate into nearby lymph nodes. This type of disease is the most common.
A malignant neoplasm is a fairly dense node, which has an oval shape and uneven outlines. It is connected to adjacent tissues. The diameter of the neoplasm can be very small, but it can grow to a large size. Inside the tumor there are necrotic areas that provoke the formation of a cyst.
For a long time, the pathology does not manifest itself at all even during palpation. As the disease progresses, the tumor begins to affect the areola or nipple. From the chestcharacteristic discharge appears.
Lobular infiltrative breast cancer is very rare. It usually occurs in older women. Often a bilateral chest lesion is recorded.
Such a neoplasm is formed from the tissues of the milk lobules. It is quite difficult to detect in the initial stages. The tumor does not provoke pain, it has a dense texture and uneven outlines. In later stages, there is wrinkling and retraction of the skin, as well as the spread of metastases to the ovaries and uterus.
The non-specific type of disease includes neoplasms that do not have specific signs of a course or cause certain difficulties in making a diagnosis. Tumors of this type are quite rare. The prognosis of the course of the disease depends on many different factors.
Edematous-infiltrative form of neoplasm is found in about 5% of women. An infiltrate is formed in the mammary gland, which is accompanied by severe swelling of the tissues. The disease is quite difficult to diagnose, since the neoplasm is not palpable, so many people confuse cancer with the course of inflammation in the gland.
Stage of course and degree of malignancy
Infiltrative breast cancer (like other types of oncology) has several stages. They are based on the following indicators:
- Size of neoplasm.
- Presence of metastases.
- Lymph node involvement.
- Invasiveness.
Early stages of breast cancer are characterized by almost asymptomatic course, the minimum size of the tumor. It is possible to detect a neoplasm only when conducting a comprehensive diagnosis. The very beginning of the disease is considered stage 0. The tumor has the smallest dimensions, does not extend beyond the affected tissue. No metastases.
At the 1st stage of the course of the disease, the tumor has a size of no more than 20 mm. There is a slight germination of malignant cells deep into the tissues. There are no metastases at this stage.
At stage 2, the neoplasm can reach 50 mm in size. The tumor grows quite deeply. It can manifest itself as a lesion of the lymph nodes located in the armpits. The spread of metastases has not yet been detected.
When stage 3 breast cancer occurs, the tumor can reach a size of more than 50 mm. Germination in the tissue is quite deep, the presence of fused lymph nodes is also noted.
At stage 4, metastases penetrate into nearby tissues and organs, as well as into bone tissues. In addition, metastases (cancer cells detached from the tumor) can be observed in any organ where they enter with the blood stream. This may result in the formation of secondary cancer.
The oncological process can be characterized by the degree of aggressiveness or malignancy. There are several groups:
- GX - changes are difficult to determine.
- G1 – slight overgrowth of malignant cells.
- G2 - the tumor borders on critical indicators.
- G3 – forecast becomes unfavorable.
- G4 - tissues are maximally covered by the malignant process.
In the first two grades of malignancy, the condition is characterized as quite good for successful therapy, because the degree of germination of the neoplasm is not too high. In this case, the prognosis is usually favorable if treatment is started on time.
Causes of occurrence
Absolutely all women are interested in the causes of carcinoma. What it is, doctors have known for a long time. But why this disease occurs, there are still no exact answers. There are only assumptions. It has been found that breast cancer can occur for the following reasons:
- High sensitivity to estrogen and progesterone.
- The presence of specific genes.
- Difficulties in regulating the inflammatory process.
Oncologists identify several factors that influence the formation of infiltrative breast cancer. These include:
- Genetic predisposition.
- Hormonal disorders in the body.
- Age.
- Presence of precancerous diseases.
It is known that women who have close relatives who have had malignant breast tumors are at a much higher risk of getting sick. At risk are those whose relatives had cancer of any organ. Also significantly increase the risk of various kinds of hormonal disorders. Early menstruation, late menopause, lack of childbirth and pregnancy throughout life, late pregnancy, refusal of breastfeeding can provoke cancer.feeding the baby, taking hormonal drugs for a long time. Various endocrine diseases and excess weight affect the occurrence of cancer.
Main symptoms
It is imperative to know what cancer looks like, what signs of the course of the disease can be in order to detect the disease in a timely manner. A feature of the pathology is the absence of severe symptoms in the initial stages, which leads to late diagnosis and complex therapy. Only after the transition to stage 2 can the first signs appear.
Among the main symptoms of infiltrative breast cancer, it is necessary to highlight:
- Chest seals.
- Change in breast shape, swelling and swelling.
- Inverted nipple, discharge.
- Skin structural changes.
- Changing the tone of the skin.
Regarding the general state of he alth, women do not observe any special changes. This can last until the onset of the 4th stage of the oncological process, when tumors begin to develop in many organs. During this period, most women experience rapid weight loss, deterioration in well-being, high fatigue, and severe pain.
Knowing what cancer looks like, you can consult a doctor in a timely manner for diagnosis and subsequent treatment. A feature of the disease is the formation of metastases. They can be latent or latent for a long time.
Cancer metastasis leads to the formation of secondary tumors in any organs, and not just in nearby ones.
Diagnostics
To determine the correct treatment tactics, timely diagnosis of infiltrative breast cancer is very important. You can determine the formation of the disease using the following studies:
- Visual inspection.
- Ultrasound diagnostics.
- Mammography.
- Biopsy.
- Tomography.
- Laboratory studies.
When conducting a visual examination of the mammary glands, the doctor pays attention to their shape, size, symmetry, density, mobility. In addition, it checks the condition of the supraclavicular and axillary lymph nodes.
Ultrasound will help determine the presence of a tumor, since during the study there is a deterioration in the passage of ultrasound in the area of localization of the neoplasm.
With mammography, it is possible to detect tumors with a diameter of more than 0.5 cm and microcalcifications.
A biopsy is performed by taking a puncture or resection of the neoplasm, after which the resulting material is sent for histological examination. This allows you to determine the degree of malignancy of the neoplasm.
MRI is usually performed when a recurrence is suspected, and also to assess the general condition of the tissues in the presence of an implant.
When conducting a laboratory test, you can determine the presence of cancer markers and assess the level of hormones in the body.
Features of therapy
Methods of treatment of infiltrative breast cancer are selected individually. Necessarily therapy should be complex. She isincludes:
- Operating.
- Radiation therapy.
- Hormone therapy.
- Chemotherapy (medication).
- Targeted therapy (used for patients whose tumor produces the HER 2 gene).
The main measure to combat a malignant tumor is an operation. Typically, these types are used:
- Mastectomy partial. It is used if there is no metastasis, and the tumor is localized in a small area. Only a malignant formation with nearby he althy tissues is removed. Radiation therapy is mandatory after the operation.
- Radical resection.
Partial mastectomy is characterized by the fact that the breast muscles are preserved during the operation, so there is an opportunity to perform breast plastic surgery in the future.
Radical surgery involves the removal of the breast along with fatty tissue, part of the muscles and adjacent lymph nodes. If an inoperable infiltrative breast cancer of a nonspecific type occurs, then a palliative operation may be prescribed, the main purpose of which is to alleviate the patient's well-being and increase life expectancy.
Radiation therapy is used in combination with other treatments. It is mainly used after surgery to prevent recurrence or is given with certain medications.
Chemotherapy is consideredone of the most commonly used treatments. It must be assigned in such situations:
- The age of the patient is less than 35 years.
- There are metastases.
- Tumor larger than 2 cm
- Malignant neoplasm between stages 2 and 4.
- The neoplasm is hormone-independent.
Hormone therapy is an integral part of the main treatment. Basically, estrogen competitors are prescribed, as well as drugs that reduce the production of these hormones. All types of treatment are carried out after the appointment of a doctor.
Traditional methods
Treatment techniques are selected separately in each case. This takes into account the size of the formation, the severity of the course, the general well-being of the patient, metastasis, the presence of concomitant pathologies.
If it is impossible to perform surgery, as well as during the rehabilitation period, radiation therapy is indicated to prevent relapses. Sometimes radiation for breast cancer is carried out before surgery, as this allows you to localize the foci. Contraindications:
- Decompensated heart failure.
- Complicated liver disease.
- Circulatory disorders of the brain.
- Severe metabolic disorders.
Certain negative effects may occur after radiation exposure: changes in the skin, severe fatigue, soreness in the chest, osteoporosis, nerve damage.
Chemistry for breast cancer also causes a number of negative consequences. Howeverchemotherapy drugs used before surgery stop the growth of cancer cells. Powerful drugs improve prognosis and block the development of malignant tumors.
Effects of chemotherapy:
- Hair loss.
- Diarrhea.
- Anemia.
- Skin damage.
- Fatigue.
Homeopathic remedies can improve the effectiveness of treatment. They also reduce the likelihood of relapses and help strengthen the immune system.
Alternative remedies
Folk methods are resorted to in the absence of the result of using traditional methods, as well as to enhance the effect of treatment. Therapy is carried out with the help of herbs containing toxic substances. In order not to provoke adverse reactions and not bring additional harm to the body, it is important to strictly observe the dosage.
Therapy is carried out with extracts from chaga, potato color, St. John's wort, golden mustache, wormwood, hemlock. Additionally, it is recommended to drink freshly squeezed pomegranate juice and use natural sea buckthorn oil.
Surgery
In breast cancer, surgery is almost always indicated. The type of intervention depends on many different factors. A partial mastectomy is performed using several different techniques and involves the removal of the tumor while preserving the areola. Excision of the pathological focus with a part of the organ can be carried out, but with the preservation of muscle tissue. When carrying out suchoperations, it is possible to preserve the aesthetics of the breast if plastic surgery is performed.
Radical resection refers to a forced measure in the progression of a malignant neoplasm. It involves complete excision of the breast. After any intervention, a special therapy is carried out, which prevents relapses. It is aimed at destroying the remaining malignant cells. Basically, it is radiation therapy or chemotherapy. If cancer cells give a certain reaction to hormones, then a special course of hormone therapy may be prescribed.
Complications
Without the required comprehensive treatment, the disease after a while can lead to a number of complications:
- Metastasis formation.
- Lymphostasis of the upper limbs.
- Motor dysfunction.
A few years after complex treatment, there is a possibility of relapse.
Forecast
The prognosis of infiltrative breast cancer directly depends on the stage and form of the disease. The highest degree of survival if the pathology is detected in the initial stages. However, early diagnosis of malignant neoplasm is rare. The patient usually goes to the doctor when the tumor reaches a certain size or metastases begin.
At stages 1 and 2, the prognosis is quite favorable. With proper treatment, approximately 80% of patients live 5 years or more. At stage 3pathology, the chance of a successful recovery is significantly reduced. Only 35% of patients manage to live more than 5 years. At stage 4 cancer, survival over 3 years is minimal.
This is due to the very aggressive course of the disease. Basically, several months pass from the moment the first signs of malignant neoplasms appear to the visit to the doctor. During this time, metastases are already formed, which penetrate the lymphatic system and begin to spread to nearby organs.
Infiltrative breast cancer is a very dangerous disease, as it begins to develop almost asymptomatically. To detect it in time, all women are required to undergo a mammogram. After 40 years, this examination is performed every 2 years. After 50 years - once a year. After 60 years - once every six months. Until the age of 40, women should visit a mammologist once a year, and have a mammogram if the doctor sees the need.
