Breast cancer is a disease that can be curable if the diagnosis is made in the early stage. The prognosis of breast cancer also depends on many other factors, such as the biological factors of the tumor itself and the immunological factors of the patient.
Any woman can get breast cancer, but doctors have determined that certain factors make some women more likely to get sick, such as family history when a woman whose mother, sister, grandmother, or aunt has had breast cancer is more likely to develop the disease. Another factor is age. The more years, the more likely it is. However, adolescent girls, like women in their 20s and 40s,
Without a doubt, prevention is our best weapon to combat this type of disease, and in the case of breast cancer, there are several ways:
Self-examination
The same woman does the test. It is recommended to start this type of practice at an early age (18 years)
Clinical examination
They are performed by a doctor adequately prepared and trained to perform this type of examination.
Mammography / Sonomamography
X-ray examinations are performed by specialized technical personnel and interpreted by a radiologist physician.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the Breast
Specialized imaging examination, used in exceptional cases as a diagnostic measure.
Several clinical studies have shown that there are drugs that can prevent cancer. These are used in women who are at high risk for breast cancer or a genetic predisposition present.
Unfortunately, not all cases can be prevented, and in many cases making a diagnosis can be a bit complicated. It can all start with the patient’s discovery of a breast mass, lump, or discomfort, redness of an area of the breast, or an abnormality in the armpit. On other occasions, there is no finding in the breast or the armpit, but some of the studies above give us a suspicion.
The final diagnosis is obtained through a biopsy, a procedure performed by a surgeon with a needle or small incision under anesthesia in surgery, to get a sample of the tissue found in the study or the area identified by the patient as abnormal. Once the suspicious tissue has been received, it is taken to a pathologist (specialist in verifying tissues,
Treatments
With a diagnosis of breast cancer, we set out to determine the best treatment for the condition. Sometimes the first step is surgery, to remove the damaged tissue or the entire breast; This part is defined between the patient and the surgeon depending on many factors, including the type of tumor, how advanced it is, the size of the mass, or simply the patient’s preference.
This surgery must also include an analysis of the lymph nodes (small filters) in the armpit of the same operated breast. These give us vital information to make decisions about subsequent treatments.
After surgery, the patient must be evaluated by a Medical Oncologist who will determine and coordinate what are the necessary treatments for the patient. Today many factors determine what type of treatment and in what order a patient should receive.
Treatments available after breast cancer surgery include:
Hormone therapy: drugs in pills or injections which manipulate the growth of cancer cells and their survival.
Chemotherapy: Injectable or intravenous (by serum) drugs prevent the growth of new cancer cells and kill existing cells that may have remained.
Immunotherapy: Drugs that slow and inhibit the growth of cancer cells through unique processes in specific cancer cells.
Radiation therapy: a process in which cancer cells are killed through high-intensity heat controlled by computers.
Modern oncology
It has given us the tools to individualize post-surgery treatments. Not all cases will be treated in the same way, nor will all treatments be necessary for all patients. However, on many occasions, we use a combination of the treatments above, seeking to attack cancer cells differently and prevent the disease from returning or progressing.
A positive attitude and Faith are two of the best existing treatments. If you or someone you know suffers or has suffered from breast cancer or any other type of cancer, these are two ingredients that should not be lacking in your treatment.
Curing or healing from a disease such as cancer is a process in which you have to make many decisions and sometimes make many sacrifices. However, every day we have cancer survivors around us.
These survivors are our heroes and heroines day by day, they decided to fight, and in the end, they emerged victoriously.