Oncology is one of the most dangerous enemies of all modern humanity. Approximately 8 million people die of cancer every year worldwide. According to some reports, this number is growing indefinitely and could double by 2030.
Sad statistics
Breast cancer is one of the most common oncological diseases among the female population. According to statistics, about one in ten is faced with such a diagnosis.
Men are also at risk of developing this pathology, because their mammary gland is similar in structure to the female. But due to hormonal reasons, the representatives of the stronger sex have much fewer cases of the disease (approximately 1% of all cases of breast cancer). The mortality rate is about 50%.
The most common cause of death is a person's late seeking medical help, when the process is in the last stages, in which the tumor is very actively metastasizing. Indeed, in most cases, the patient does not die from the tumor itself, but fromits metastases, which it spreads to almost all organs and systems. Therefore, it is very important to timely diagnose the tumor and its metastases in breast cancer. It can literally save a life.
When does a tumor start to metastasize?
As a rule, the movement of malignant cells begins at the 3rd or 4th stage, but in practice there are cases when the tumor metastasized even at the 1-2nd stage.
It happens that a woman was diagnosed with cancer in the early stages, the main tumor was removed and a full recovery occurred. However, with a sharp decrease in immunity or severe stress, the body failed, as a result of which the malignant process began again and spread with renewed vigor.
In breast cancer, malignant cells spread throughout the body at the very beginning of the disease. However, as long as the immune system is strong, it is able to prevent the spread of the malignant process. However, in any cancer patient, the defenses gradually decrease, and as a result, the body can no longer resist. After that, metastases begin to spread with lightning speed with lymph and blood to all organs.
Therefore, we can say that to some extent the rate of formation and spread of tumor cells depends on the strength of the body's immune system.
Where does metastasis go?
With breast cancer, metastases can spread very quickly. Even a single cancer cell, getting into a he althy organ, can cause the development of malignant tumors.
Firstturn, the nearest lymph nodes (cervical, scapular and others) are affected. The cancer can then spread to the other breast as well as the inguinal lymph nodes.
With the blood, metastases spread far beyond the mammary glands and affect the lungs, brain, liver, kidneys and bones. In the lungs, metastases from breast cancer are the most common.
Of course, this process leads to a number of symptoms in the patient:
- Pain of varying intensity in the area of the affected organ.
- When malignant foci appear in the lungs, the patient has a constant cough, shortness of breath, an unpleasant pressing feeling in the chest.
- In breast cancer, metastases can spread to the brain, causing dizziness, headaches, fainting and sudden changes in behavior.
Appearance of secondary foci
How metastases look depends on the organ in which they originated. For example, the lungs are characterized by multiple formations of an even rounded shape. In the picture they look like white spots.
In the liver, they can be heterogeneous in structure, with an irregular shape and a seal in the middle. What liver metastases look like can be seen in the photo below.
Bone metastases in breast cancer are outwardly asymmetric spots with uneven borders, reddish color, softer structure than bonethe cloth. Sizes can reach 5 centimeters in diameter. The formation usually protrudes 1-2 mm above the bone.
In the lymph nodes, they are nodules of various sizes, they are perfectly felt on palpation and are mobile at the same time. They can reach large sizes. For example, in the cervical lymph nodes there are such huge formations that they even protrude above the skin and are visible to the naked eye.
Metastases in the brain can be multiple, or they can be single. The size in diameter can be about 8 cm. The surface is uneven, bumpy. Inside, the formation is darker and denser.
Intestinal metastases are characterized by rapid growth, large size and rich, dark color. These formations of soft consistency can compress neighboring organs, as well as interfere with the digestive system.
Diagnosis of the presence of metastases
Even if the tumor has already metastasized to distant organs, the patient may not feel it right away. It often happens that the symptoms appear in the last stages, when the spread of metastases in breast cancer has already gone very far. Therefore, it is especially important to carry out timely diagnosis of the tumor and its secondary foci. There are a number of surveys for this:
- Ultrasound examination of internal organs.
- Tomography. Especially reliable information is provided by the positron emission view (PET).
- X-ray. Another reliable way to detect metastases in breast cancer.
- A mammogram is done to examine the breasts for masses.
- For a complete examination, as a rule, laboratory blood tests are also prescribed for the presence of oncological markers in it, which will indicate the occurrence of breast cancer. These are markers such as CEA, CA15-3, CA27-29.
Metastasis treatment
Methods of healing from metastases are conditionally divided into two groups:
- Systemic therapy. This includes chemotherapy with one, two or more drugs that have anticancer activity that stops the growth and spread of metastases. If cancer cells are sensitive to hormones, then therapy with their help can be carried out, which increases the chances of recovery.
- Local therapy. This includes treatment with gamma rays, which can destroy metastatic cells, as well as surgery to destroy metastases.
Pain relief for oncology
Pain, to one degree or another, haunts almost every cancer patient. Therefore, anesthesia in oncology is an issue that requires special attention. The scheme of drugs depends on the severity of pain and is prescribed by the oncologist individually for each patient. For mild to moderate pain, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed. For severe pain, the patient is prescribed opioid analgesics, which are narcotic in nature.
Patient life prognosis
Certainly, a dangerous diagnosis isa person has cancer with metastases. It is difficult to say how long they live with such a pathology, since it is impossible to name the exact amount of time. The fact is that many different factors have a huge impact:
- If tumor cells have hormone-sensitive receptors, the prognosis is more favorable. Since in this case it is possible to carry out hormonal therapy, destroying malignant cells.
- The leading influence on the prognosis is the number of metastases and the range of their distribution. The fewer organs affected, the better the prognosis.
On average, patients with metastases live from a few months to ten years. Therefore, we can conclude that everything is strictly individual for each patient.
Care of the sick
Due to the high prevalence of cancer, a large number of hospices for cancer patients have recently appeared. Similar institutions already exist in almost all major cities (for example, there are hospices for cancer patients in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kazan, Yekaterinburg).
These are specialized medical facilities that provide proper care and any necessary assistance to patients in the last stages of cancer.
There are times when a person needs constant help in the form of pain relief and round-the-clock care. It can be difficult for family and friends to take care of everything. This is especially difficult psychologically. Therefore, most often such patients are placed in a hospice.
Basicallymedical care here consists in palliative treatment - the removal of painful symptoms and pain relief in oncology. This improves the quality of the last days of life for patients.
Food for cancer patients who are unable to eat independently is provided through a special probe. Patients who feed on their own should follow a dairy-vegetarian diet. The diet includes at least 500 g of vegetables and fruits per day, dairy products. Limit red meat, fatty, fried, smoked foods, s alt.
Besides, in hospices for cancer patients in St. Petersburg and other cities, patients receive moral support. Relatives of the patient, who find it hard to see how the disease takes a loved one away from them, and they cannot come to terms with the impending loss, can also seek help from a psychologist.
The main task of hospices is to improve the quality of life of the patient, to alleviate suffering. In addition to nutrition, cancer patients receive full and high-quality care around the clock.
Conclusion
Thus, we can conclude that the appearance of metastases in breast cancer is a negative sign, indicating that the process is far from the first stage. In addition, with the appearance of secondary foci, the prognosis of the patient's life worsens significantly. Metastases can have a wide variety of locations and appearance. They can also begin to disturb the patient immediately after the appearance, or they can spread and grow in his body for a long time.time remaining invisible. Therefore, it is so important to monitor your he alth and regularly undergo preventive medical examinations.
