Breast Cancer Month October: Top breast cancer symptoms

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What are the first symptoms of breast cancer?

Dr. Ulrike Knödlstorfer: Breast cancer often presents as a sudden new change in the breast. As women become increasingly aware of breast cancer, breast cancer is often discovered at an early and easily treatable stage. Therefore, it is noticed not by a deterioration in the general condition, but by a change in the breast.

Main symptoms of breast cancer

The following changes should be shown to the doctor:

• Nodules in the armpit
• Breast hardness (mostly painless)
• Drawing and burning in breasts
• prominent veins
• Retraction of the nipple or skin
• Change in the size of the mammary gland (asymmetries)
• Changes in the nipple or areola
• Enlarged lymph nodes in the armpits
• Tightness or pain throughout the breast, unlike what is experienced during menstruation.

Where does breast cancer come from? First of all, is it hereditary?

NO. Only five to ten percent of all cases involve hereditary breast cancer. However, if these gene changes are present in the genome, the woman’s risk of developing breast cancer increases greatly. Of course, there are many risk factors (such as genetic makeup or age itself, because the risk increases with age) that lead to breast cancer, which usually cannot be influenced. Unfortunately, often it is just fate that causes one woman to get sick and the other not.

Do other influences such as smoking, alcohol and diet have something to do with it?

These are clearly risk factors responsible for the development of breast cancer. And the risk factors that I can influence myself as a woman.

Can breast cancer be felt on your own?

You often do this completely unconsciously; for example, when applying lotion or taking a shower. But you shouldn’t go crazy either. In this case, it often brings not much, but rather uncertainty. After your menstrual period has stopped, we recommend that you examine your breasts once a month. The important thing is to know your breasts and notice any changes. If such a situation occurs, the woman should definitely go to her doctor and be examined in more detail. However, breast cancer cannot always be felt. Especially if it is still very small and does not appear close to the skin. These tumors are then usually discovered through a preventive check called mammography screening, which has been introduced in some cantons as an early detection screening. In this screening, women between the ages of 50-70 are asked to have a routine mammogram every two years.

When would you advise a woman to see a doctor?

Whenever I feel something new or notice a change in my breast (it could be shape, change in nipple or crookedness, discoloration or something similar). Or if you suddenly experience breast pain unrelated to your menstrual cycle or see drops of blood in your bra. Control is always better and fortunately can make things clear in most cases. Because there is not always a malignant disease behind such breast changes. The doctor will then palpate the breast and perform an ultrasound safely. Mammography is performed depending on the woman’s age and the results of the ultrasound examination.

What’s the best way to respond if you know someone affected?

I think the most important thing is to be there for the sick person. To make him feel that he is not alone with this new situation.

How many women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year in Switzerland?

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women in Switzerland. Around 6,000 women and around 50 men are now affected each year. Men can also get breast cancer. These are often forgotten in discussions.

Statistically speaking, only a few young women are affected.

Young women are definitely in the minority when it comes to breast cancer, but a recent international study showed that the rate of new cancer cases among those under 40 is slowly increasing worldwide. The problem is that no one expects cancer at age 40, and so cancer is often discovered quite late. In addition, the denser glandular tissue of the young woman makes the examination more difficult. Purely statistically, approximately one in 110 women under the age of 40 will develop breast cancer within a decade.

What are the most effective treatment methods?

Treatment of breast cancer usually consists of several components. Breast cancer is often diagnosed at an early stage when it is still easily operable, so today surgery is mostly possible with breast preservation. And it is also placed at the beginning of the treatment. But there is no such thing as breast cancer. Each has its own character and often responds to different drug treatments such as chemotherapy, anti-hormone or antibody therapy. In this case, we are talking about targeted therapy. They are often used for several years, depending on the characteristics of the tumor and its risk profile. Radiation is also often part of the treatment concept for breast cancer treatment.

How many women die of breast cancer every year in Switzerland?

Approximately 1500.

Source : Blick