Breast tumor is a terrible diagnosis that is made to almost every second woman. But not all neoplasms are malignant. If you notice the 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 lumps in the mammary gland, which appear due to the active mutation of glandular tissue cells. They can be benign and malignant. Most often they do not bother at the initial stage, but are noticeable during self-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 tumor of the breast in a woman, the dynamics of the development of the disease changes. Without timely surgical intervention, the prognosis will be negative.
Benign neoplasms
There are several types of benign breast tumors in women:
- Cyst - occurs more often in women over the age of 35.
- 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 affects lactating women. Develops due to milk stagnation.
- 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 neoplasms are subject to removal. If left untreated, they will develop a cancerous tumor.
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. Most of all, women are prone to cancer during menopause and with 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 that usually forms on the surface of the breast.
- Infiltrating malignant tumor of the breast in a woman. Develops in glandular epitheliumaffecting its connective and supporting tissues.
- Tumor of the milk ducts. It occurs due to a violation of the movement of fluid through them.
- Inflammatory tumor characterized by redness and swelling of the breast.
Stages and symptoms of a breast tumor in women
- Zero. The tumor develops, but has not yet penetrated into neighboring tissues. Its dimensions do not exceed 2 cm. It can be detected during self-examination.
- First. The size of the neoplasm is set larger, it begins to penetrate into neighboring tissues. There may be peeling, redness of the skin, but there will be no discomfort or pain.
- Second. The tumor is actively growing, can reach up to 5 cm in size. Because of the cancer cells, the lymph nodes begin to grow. They increase, the surface of the chest turns red, there is discomfort.
- Third. There are 3A and 3B. At stage A, the tumor becomes larger than 5 cm, pathological cells accumulate in the lymph nodes. In stage B, the tumor has grown into neighboring tissues. There are discharge from the chest, pain.
- Fourth. At this stage, metastases develop, which can go to the liver, lungs, and even the brain.
What are malignant tumors
- Invasive, which are formed 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 tissues come into contact with the sex hormones of the female body, which causes the growth of cancer cells.
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 - in oncology they are shapeless, with an uneven surface.
- Pressing on the breast will cause pain.
- The breast becomes asymmetrical, the symmetry of the nipples is broken.
In addition, a woman should be alerted to disruptions in the menstrual cycle, since breast pathologies are associated with diseases of the reproductive organs. If during the period of menstruation you feel pain in one breast, this may be a sign of fibroadenoma or mastopathy.
Speak about the presence of a malignant or benign tumor enlarged size of the 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
Signs of a breast tumor in women are as follows:
- Seals are rapidly increasing in size. They can be from a few millimeters to 10 cm.
- The skin begins to retract over the tumor.
- External signs develop rapidly: the surface of the body over the seals coarsens, neoplasms become hard, ulcers form.
- Nipple retracts.
- There is swelling of the breast, redness.
- Discharge from the nipple appears, often purulent and mixed with blood.
- Breast skin changes, becomes like a lemon peel.
Types of seals in a malignant tumor
- Similar to knots. At an early stage, multiple or single nodules appear, having a clear contour, dense consistency. On palpation, painless, limited in mobility. Manifested by wrinkled retractions of the skin over the site of the tumor. When probing the armpits, enlarged lymph nodes are felt.
- Edematous diffuse thickening. Often develops during pregnancy and lactation. The skin will look like an orange peel, red, swollen, impregnated with an infiltrate that compresses the milk ducts.
- Induration 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 stretched, red. Possible increase in body temperature.
- Thickening, similar to erysipelas of the skin. The skin is uneven, swollen, hyperemic. Such a tumor can spread to the chest. The temperature often rises to 40 degrees.
- Carapace diffuse seal. The surface of the mammary gland becomes reddish-cyanotic in color, and moves poorly. Ulceration and shell-like crusts appear on it.
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 very hyperemic, the nipple and areola will coarsen, dry ones will appear on them, and after weeping crusts, underwhich will be a wet surface. Malignant cells are rapidly spreading inside the gland through the milk ducts.
Causes of breast cancer
Doctors still cannot find the true cause that provokes the development of breast tumors in women. But there are factors that provoke the development of cancer:
- Menstruation comes early.
- Not getting pregnant before age 30.
- Frequent abortions.
- If there was no breastfeeding after the birth of the child or it was short-lived.
- Late menopause (after age 55).
- Irregular sex life.
- Presence of pathologies of the uterine appendages.
- Long climacteric syndrome.
- Obesity.
- Any breast injury.
- Frequent stress.
- Infertility.
- Genetic predisposition.
- Long-term use of hormonal drugs.
- Any ovarian tumor.
- Influence of ionizing radiation.
- Wearing tight underwear.
- Lack of vitamins E, D, C, A.
- Diabetes mellitus.
- The presence of hypodynamia.
How to detect a breast tumor?
It is necessary to conduct an independent examination of the mammary glands at least once a month. The algorithm of actions is as follows:
- self-diagnosis is carried out in a bright room in front of a mirror;
- first the bra is inspected for discharge;
- nextcheck breasts for changes (shape, size, shape);
- mammary glands are palpable from all sides, starting from the top;
- skin and areola examined for redness, irritation, ulcers, swelling, cracks, nipple discharge;
- armpits are examined.
If, when examining the breast, it began to hurt, and inside you felt some kind of seal, you should see a doctor as soon as possible.
Breast Cancer Diagnosis Methods
- Mammography is an x-ray of the breasts that helps to make an accurate diagnosis.
- Ductography is a procedure during which a water-soluble X-ray contrast is injected into the breast duct.
- 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 he althy tissue.
- Tumor markers - help to detect cancer at an early stage.
Principles of treatment
If there are symptoms of a breast tumor in women, treatment may be surgical or conservative. Malignant tumors are treated only through surgery. There are several types of operations: mastectomy and organ-preserving.
Mastectomy is performed by 4 methods:
- Simple - removal of the entire gland.
- Halstead radical - donein case of germination of the formation in the pectoral muscles. Iron, two pectoral muscles, lymph nodes, and fatty tissue are to be removed.
- Radical modified - the mammary gland, lymph nodes in the armpits, the pectoralis major muscle sheath 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 relapses.
Organ-preserving methods
- Removal of a breast tumor in women through embolization. An embolus is injected 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 mammary gland with a neoplasm is excised, as well as axillary lymph nodes.
- Radical resection - carried out only at an early stage of oncology. The affected part of the chest, part of the lymph nodes and the large pectoral muscle are to be removed. The operation is performed only if the tumor size does not exceed 3 cm and it is located in the upper outer quadrant.
Radiotherapy is mandatory after breast-conserving surgery to reduce the risk of relapses.
Complications of breast cancer
- Large growths may bleed.
- Possibly severe inflammation of the tumor and surrounding tissues.
- Development of metastases that spread to other organs.
The following complications may occur after surgery:
- suppuration of the wound;
- inflammation in the areaexcision;
- swelling of the hand, which occurs due to the removal of a large number of nodes and the slow flow of lymphatic fluid;
- lymphorrhea - often occurs after the removal of lymph nodes. This is a long flow of lymph.
Prevention measures
- After 50, get a mammogram every year.
- Pregnancy should be planned before the age of 30.
- After giving birth, fully breastfeed the baby.
- Take hormonal drugs only under medical supervision.
- Normalize weight.
- If the cancer is hereditary, tamoxifen, spaying and prophylactic mastectomy may help.
- You need to be sexually active regularly.
- Need to give up bad habits.
If there are symptoms of a breast tumor in a woman, you should contact an oncologist as soon as possible, because 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 see a mammologist.
