Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Thai women and a major cause of death. The best self-care is to understand the lesions so that you can observe any abnormalities. If cancer cells are detected early before the cancer spreads, the treatment will be more effective… helping patients return to a happy life again.
Risk factors that increase the chance of breast cancer
- Women aged 35 and over, with higher incidence in women aged 50 and over
- Family genetics with a history of breast cancer patients
- Patients who have previously been treated for breast cancer have a chance of recurrence
- Women who have no children or have children after the age of 30
- Genetic mutations that are inherited
- Women with firmer breasts than their actual age
- Those who started menstruating before age 12 or have menopause after age 55
- Those who take female hormones or contraceptive pills for a long time
If you have these symptoms, do not ignore them… you should see a doctor immediately
- Feeling a lump in the breast or armpit
- Changes in breast shape, with dimpling or wounds
- Abnormal thinning or thickening of the breast skin
- Red nipples with blood or pus discharge
- Pain in the breast area
There are several methods for early breast cancer screening, including…
- Breast self-examination should be done regularly once a month to become familiar with the normal condition of the breasts. This helps to easily notice changes each month. The best time for self-examination is 7 days after the start of menstruation because the breasts are least tense or swollen from normal conditions. For women who have gone through menopause, choose any day, such as the first day of the month, for convenience and to remind yourself to check regularly every month. If any abnormalities are found, consult a doctor immediately to confirm whether it is cancer or not for timely treatment.
- Examination by a specialist doctor is an early cancer screening where the doctor will palpate the breast and underarm areas to check for any abnormal lumps. The doctor will also check for other signs such as dimpling, lumps, or abnormally hard nodules, abnormal nipple retraction, or discharge such as lymph or blood from the nipple.
- Mammogram breast examination is an X-ray imaging of the breast to help doctors show details of abnormalities, including very small tumors that cannot be detected by palpation, especially in older women.
Studies have found that mammography is effective in detecting early-stage breast cancer. Therefore, people aged 40-50 years who have a risk of breast cancer should have this examination every 1-2 years. Women aged 50 and over, who have a higher risk, should have it regularly every year.
Breast cancer is divided into 4 stages
- Stage 1: The tumor is smaller than 2 cm and has not spread to the lymph nodes in the armpit.
- Stage 2: The tumor size is between 2-5 cm and/or cancer cells have spread to the lymph nodes in the same armpit.
- Stage 3: The tumor is larger than 5 cm and has extensively spread to the lymph nodes in the same armpit, causing the lymph nodes to cluster into a large mass or adhere firmly to adjacent organs.
- Stage 4: The tumor can be any size but has spread to distant parts of the body such as bones, lungs, liver, or brain.
*Early-stage breast cancer refers to stages 1 and 2, or some cases in stage 3 with a good prognosis, having a 5-year survival rate of about 80-90% after diagnosis.
Effective and accepted breast cancer treatments today
- Surgical treatment of breast cancer has 2 methods
- Total mastectomy is the removal of the entire breast with the tumor along with the lymph nodes under the armpit at the same time. If there is no spread, only the breast tissue will be removed.
- Breast-conserving surgery or breast-saving surgery involves removing only the malignant tumor part while preserving the healthy breast tissue.
- Breast cancer treatment with radiation therapy
- Breast cancer treatment with hormone therapy
- Breast cancer treatment with chemotherapy
- Breast cancer treatment with targeted therapy
Usually, early-stage breast cancer is primarily treated with surgery, and most cases require additional treatments to improve outcomes, such as chemotherapy after surgery once the wound has healed, followed by radiation therapy combined with hormone therapy. This depends on the stage of the disease, cancer characteristics, and surgical methods. Since each patient has different disease details, treatment must be tailored accordingly.
If cancer cells are detected early, the chances of successful treatment increase. Therefore, women should not overlook breast self-examination and should prioritize regular mammogram screening by a doctor every year. Also, stop feeling shy about seeing a doctor when suspicious symptoms appear. Especially for those aged 40 and over, it should not be ignored because early detection and treatment are always better for any disease.
