Worldwide, the first of the most frequently seen types of cancer in women is breast cancer and the second is cervical cancer. Although breast cancer appears frequently during the menopause, it can be seen in women of every age. The least known point about breast cancer is that there is a possibility of this condition being seen in men too. While breast cancer appears in one in every eight women, when it comes to men this rate is about one per cent of that in women.
Are you at risk of breast cancer?
Breast cancer can appear sometimes because of genetic factors and sometimes because of environmental factors. Although genetic factors were for long years seen as unpreventable causes, today there are solutions, albeit radical ones, for preventing these factors as well. Having breast cancer in the family history, age, sex, carrying the BRCA gene, starting periods early or entering the menopause late are among the unpreventable factors that play a part in the appearance of the risk of breast cancer. Not consuming cigarettes and alcohol, eating healthily, doing sport and staying away from stress are among the measures you can take against the environmental factors that increase the risk of breast cancer. Especially in women who genetically carry the BRCA gene, the removal of the breast tissue as a protective measure without the disease being present is one of the methods that has recently attracted attention as a precaution.
How is breast cancer diagnosed?
In breast cancer, examination by hand is very important. Women examining themselves regularly provides a great advantage for early diagnosis. In addition to examination by hand, women need to have a mammogram regularly once a year or once every two years (this may vary depending on their age, their situation and the doctor’s recommendation). A mammogram can be done both for diagnosis and for screening. A mammogram taken when the person has no problem is called a baseline mammogram. In this way any mass or change occurring in the breast is noticed very easily. In women who have discharge from the nipple, galactography, which allows a film of the milk ducts to be taken; ultrasound, performed to scan the area suspected as a result of the mammogram; magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the breast; fine or core needle biopsy performed to examine the masses and lesions found in the breast; and surgical biopsy are the methods preferred in the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up processes of breast cancer. Because breast cancer is a condition whose treatment is possible when it is diagnosed early but which can lead to sad results when it is noticed late, early diagnosis is extremely important for the treatment and for the patient’s healthy future.