What are the early symptoms of breast cancer? Know it early and treat it early

Breast cancer is one of the most common breast diseases in women. Its efficacy and prognosis are often related to early detection, early diagnosis and early treatment, so it is very important to understand the early manifestations of breast cancer. First of all, we need to change the concept of "cancer cannot be diagnosed without a lump" and encourage women to take comprehensive care of their breasts so as to achieve "early knowledge and early treatment" of breast cancer.

The common symptoms and signs of early and late breast cancer can be manifested in the following aspects. Here are some recipes for breast cancer recovery patients, of course, these recipes are also effective in preventing breast cancer. Breast lumps are the most common clinical manifestation of breast cancer. 80% of breast cancer patients have breast lumps as the first symptom, and most patients discover breast lumps accidentally.

This type of lump is usually single and painless, and occurs more often in the upper outer quadrant of the breast, followed by the upper inner and upper quadrants, and relatively less in the lower inner and outer lower quadrants. The lumps are mostly irregular, hard, rough, less mobile or even immobile, with unclear boundaries with surrounding tissues. In the early stage, the lumps have no adhesion to the skin and pectoral muscles, but in the middle and late stages, they may adhere to the skin and pectoral muscles, making the lumps fixed and immovable.

The discovery of an area of ​​breast that is thicker than normal glands is called "localized glandular thickening". It feels "membrane-like" on palpation, the lump has no clear boundaries, the thickened glands have a nodular feel, and it is a high-risk factor for breast cancer. This sign should be taken as seriously as the lump.

Breast cancer can invade the skin when it develops to a certain extent. If the suspensory ligament of the breast is involved, the ligament shortens and pulls the tumor, causing the surface skin to sag and form the "dimple sign". The tumor blocks the subcutaneous lymphatic vessels, causing the skin to thicken and swell, and the appearance of pit-like depressions can form "orange peel-like edema". The skin of inflammatory breast cancer may change to purple-red, the skin may become thicker and rougher, and the surface temperature may rise.

Patients with advanced breast cancer may also develop breast skin ulcers or satellite nodules on the skin. These skin ulcers usually have a foul odor, bleed easily, and can sometimes be everted outwards in a cauliflower-like shape. Skin satellite nodules are scattered around the cancerous lesions, and the number of nodules is usually several or more than a dozen, with a diameter of several millimeters and red or dark red in color.

Breast cancer can also present with nipple discharge as the main symptom. The nipple discharge is mostly bloody, even fresh blood, and there is also brown or light yellow serous discharge. Breast cancer with discharge as the main symptom is mostly "intraductal papillary carcinoma", and the disease is mostly located under the nipple, around the areola, and in the upper outer quadrant of the breast.

Local lumps of varying sizes or unclear hypertrophic tissues can be palpated, and the lumps are not attached to the skin. "Intraductal papillary carcinoma" often has nipple discharge as a prodromal symptom. Therefore, people over 50 years old with nipple discharge should pay attention to it. About 70% of people over 70 years old with nipple discharge are caused by cancer.

Pain occurs in about 1/4 to 1/3 of breast cancer patients. Pain is the initial manifestation of breast cancer in only about 10% of cases, so pain is not a common symptom of breast cancer. However, if women often experience breast pain accompanied by glandular thickening after menopause, the possibility of breast cancer should be considered. Pain in late-stage breast cancer is often caused by direct invasion of the tumor into the nerves.

The infiltration and spread of the cancer, when the cancer involves the pectoralis major fascia, pectoralis muscle or chest wall, the affected breast becomes fixed, the mobility is significantly restricted, and there are varying degrees of shrinkage, which are all late manifestations of breast cancer. When the tumor is located under the areola, it directly invades the large duct, causing it to harden and contract, and the nipple may be retracted or fixed.

The tumor is located in the marginal area of ​​the breast. The cancer will invade the large milk ducts or surrounding lymphatic vessels. Due to traction, the nipple may appear to be lifted up or lowered. Nipple eczematous carcinoma may cause the nipple to desquamate, erode, or even partially or completely rot. The cancer infiltrates the surrounding tissues and, when it develops to a certain extent, can metastasize to the extramammary tissues along the lymphatic vessels.

The most common lymph node metastasis is the ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes, followed by the ipsilateral internal mammary lymph nodes. In the late stage, the ipsilateral supraclavicular lymph nodes and even the contralateral supraclavicular lymph nodes may be involved. Lymph node metastasis is manifested by enlarged and hard lymph nodes at the metastatic site, and even fused into a mass and fixed. In the late stage of axillary lymph node metastasis, it will affect the lymphatic return of the affected upper limb and cause upper limb edema. Metastatic lesions of the internal mammary lymph nodes are not easy to detect clinically. In the late stage, there may be a raised mass beside the sternum, which is hard and has unclear boundaries.

Cancer cells metastasize to distant tissues and organs through the bloodstream, and corresponding symptoms and signs will appear. The most common sites of metastasis are the lungs, liver, bones, brain, etc. The main manifestations of lung metastasis are cough, shortness of breath, hemoptysis, chest pain, etc. Liver metastasis may cause liver pain, liver enlargement, jaundice, ascites, etc.

The common sites of bone metastasis are the sacrum, ribs, pelvis and long bones, which may cause bone pain, percussion pain, pathological fractures and even paraplegia. Brain metastasis may cause symptoms of increased intracranial pressure such as headache, vomiting and visual impairment.

"Early breast cancer" refers to the early stage of cancer growth in histology or clinically, without invading the basement membrane, so it is also called "carcinoma in situ" or "non-invasive cancer". Early breast cancer includes intraductal carcinoma and lobular carcinoma in situ.

Intraductal carcinoma, or ductal carcinoma in situ, is a non-invasive cancer that is confined to the duct and has not broken through the basement membrane of the duct wall. A few patients may experience tingling or discomfort, and in some cases, the lump may not be palpable. Lobular carcinoma in situ refers to cancer cells in the basement membrane of the breast lobules and tubules, which are in the expansive growth stage.

It mostly occurs in middle-aged women in the premenopausal period, aged 42 to 46 years old. The cancer lesions are small and can be scattered. Clinical examinations often fail to palpate the breast lumps, so they are often misdiagnosed as lobular hyperplasia of the breast. The treatment of early breast cancer is mainly surgical, and mastectomy can be selected as the surgical method.

Early breast cancer has a good prognosis after treatment, and the 10-year survival rate can reach more than 95%. Therefore, early detection, early diagnosis, and early treatment are one of the effective ways to improve the survival rate of breast cancer patients.

When it comes to diet, breast cancer patients should neither be too indulgent nor too restrained. In addition to avoiding spicy, irritating, and hairy foods, and keeping their diet light, plain, and fresh, they should also supplement with sufficient high-quality protein and multiple vitamins, and choose foods containing trace elements such as zinc and selenium. They can also combine it with Chinese medicine that can promote blood circulation and soften hard masses to form a medicated diet.