1) Age of the woman. Breast cancer is most common in women aged 40-60 years, because it is at this time that there are serious hormonal changes caused by the development of menopause. Climax is a normal physiological process, but it is accompanied by a decrease in the stability of the endocrine system to the violation of the ratio of female hormones in the body.
2) Features of sexual, genital and menstrual functions of the body. Cancer often develops in women who have not given birth, and have suffered many abortions, with early (before 12 years) onset of regular menstruation, frequent menstrual irregularities, late first childbirth (after 30 years), late menopause (after 55 years). The risk is higher for women who did not breastfeed after giving birth.
3) Food. The risk of developing breast cancer increases in obese women due to chronic abuse of animal fats.
4) Background diseases. Often, cancer develops against the background of diseases such as diabetes, thyroid disease, hypertension, chronic inflammation of the appendages. Psychoneurogenic disorders can affect the already existing initial tumor, as well as premalignant changes in the mammary gland, as well as trauma to the gland.
5) Heredity. By inheritance is transmitted not the disease itself, but only a predisposition to it.
There are other poorly understood factors. However, it is important to emphasize that if a woman has one of these factors, it does not necessarily lead to breast cancer. In order for the disease to arise, a complex combination of factors is needed. Pre-tumoral changes can be considered the following diseases of the breast: nodal mastopathy and intraprostatic papilloma.
Prevention of breast cancer is to prevent those violations of the functions of the female body, which increase the risk of disease. Among the preventive methods of examination, the following are noted:
- physical examination - includes examination of mammary glands, palpation of glands and regional (nearby) lymph nodes;
- mammogram - a special X-ray examination of the mammary glands, with the help of which it is possible to reveal minimal foci of malignant neoplasms in the pictures;
- a cytological study - is to puncture the needle with a suspicious formation in the mammary gland and then examine it at the cellular level.
Important is the self-examination of a woman's breast. The examination should be done monthly, 7-10 days after menstruation. First, inspect the laundry - are there any stains left from the discharge of their nipples. Next, you need to examine the nipples themselves - is there a change in shape and color. A frequent symptom of breast cancer is a retracted nipple. Then they examine the mammary glands themselves, standing in front of the mirror: are the glands on one level, are there any changes in the form of one of the glands, do they evenly rise. Pay attention to the retraction or rash on the chest. Further examination is best done lying on the back, placing a roller under the shoulder blades from a small pillow or towel. Hands in turn raise up, the palm is placed under the head: smooth circular motions, slightly pressing, consistently probing all areas of the breast and axillary cavity. Check whether there are seals in the gland and in the axillary region. Then stand up and repeat the same actions in the standing position.
If any seals in the mammary gland or enlarged lymph nodes in the armpit are detected, the doctor should be consulted immediately. The effectiveness of treatment of breast cancer, like any other disease, depends on the stage of the disease on which it is started. The earlier it is revealed, the more effective the treatment.