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Metastases in the mammary gland
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Metastases in the mammary gland are formed in the second and third stages of cancer. Unfortunately, cancer cells from the gland can quickly migrate to other organs and lead to serious tissue damage.
Metastases can travel through the body in several ways. They can pass into other organs through the blood or through the lymph. These cells can enter both vital organs, such as the pancreas or liver, or in the bone and bone marrow.
Therefore, it is very important to diagnose and treat breast cancer on time. Such diagnostics will not only help to save the breast, but also the life of a woman.
Symptoms of metastases in the mammary gland
In the first stages, breast cancer or breast metastases are difficult to diagnose. Symptoms can be minor and easy to overlook. Nevertheless, it is important for women to know some signs and symptoms of this disease, because breast cancer is in the first place among all cancerous diseases in women.
The first symptom is the nodes or seals in the mammary gland. They can be found by touch. You can do this yourself if you feel the gland in a prone or standing position. It is better to conduct self-examination once a month after the end of the menstrual cycle.
A malignant tumor inside the breast can give metastases to the skin of the breast. Then there are different symptoms. For example, wrinkles and wrinkles on individual sections of the skin of the breast. The skin may lose its elasticity and not flatten when squeezed. Ulcers can appear on the nipples or other areas of the skin of the breast.
With cancer, the nipples can be pulled inward, their shape and shape of the breast can change. There may be discharge from the nipples, and they can be covered with lemon peel. All these signs should alert the woman and encourage her immediately to seek medical advice.
Metastases in the mammary gland
Metastases in the mammary gland can get in several ways. In general, metastases are pathogenic or mutated cells that separate from the underlying malignant tumor and spread throughout the body.
These cells come in different types and sizes. Therefore, they choose to themselves different ways of moving through the body. Some enter the organs and tissues through the blood, and others through the lymph flow. If there are dormant metastases, which can be transmitted both by lymph and blood. But they seem to be asleep and do not grow or grow very, very slowly.
From the breast, metastases most often spread to other organs through the lymph flow. Therefore, if breast cancer has been diagnosed, a woman's lymphatic system is immediately examined. Most often, the nearest axillary lymph nodes that are near the breast are affected.
Where does it hurt?
What's bothering you?
Breast cancer and metastases
According to statistics , breast cancer is on the first place among oncological diseases in women. Metastases in the mammary gland are a serious threat to the health and even the life of a woman. Therefore, the full awareness of women on this issue is so important. After all, knowledge can save or significantly prolong life.
Breast cancer is four stages. In this case, in the first two stages, cancerous tumors, as a rule, do not give metastases. Metastases appear already at later stages of the disease. This is one of the main reasons why a woman needs to undergo a regular breast examination at a gynecologist and visit a mammologist at least once a year.
No less important is the skill of self-examination, because so a woman can detect any changes or deviations in the tissues of the breast much faster and in a timely manner turn to a doctor for help. According to statistics, the treatment of cancer in the zero or the first stage gives excellent results and in almost a hundred percent of cases the disease does not shorten the life of patients.
Metastases in the mammary gland are formed in the third and fourth stages of cancer. They can go from the breast to almost any part of the body. These cells "crawl" in two ways: through the bloodstream or through the lymph flow. Therefore, if there is a suspicion of breast cancer, the lymph nodes closest to the breast, axillary, should be examined. Often, breast cancer can quickly spread to the lymph node under the armpit and you may need both removal of the breast and knot.
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Metastases after removal of breast cancer
Unfortunately, the removal of the tumor can not completely guarantee the full recovery of the woman. After all, metastases could be released by the tumor even before it was removed. This is especially true of dormant metastases, which can be in the body for years, and only then start to grow and multiply.
And yet, complete removal of the tumor can significantly increase a patient's chances of survival. If metastases were not released prior to tumor removal, then after removal of breast cancer, full recovery may occur. If you diagnose cancer at an early stage and treat it correctly, it can not affect the health and life expectancy of a woman.
Whether metastases were started by a breast tumor can be determined by a blood test. These tumor cells secrete a specific kind of protein. If this protein is present in the blood, then the likelihood of rapid development of cancer and metastasis of cells from the breast to other systems and organs of the body.
Remote metastases of breast cancer
Distant metastases of breast cancer are the most dangerous. A tumor can first appear in the thickness of the tissue of the mammary gland itself. Then the metastases can spread to the skin, which leads to the soldering of the tissues and visual changes in the skin.
Usually, these processes are observed in the first two stages of breast cancer. But in the third and fourth stages, metastases can go with the flow of blood or lymph to other organs. Usually, lymph primarily carries cancer cells to the lymph nodes. But with blood flow they can affect the kidneys, brain, lungs or liver. Such metastases are called distant metastases of breast cancer.
As a rule, they are not amenable to treatment and can lead to death. Therefore, timely diagnosis of breast cancer and the appointment of adequate treatment is so important.
Diagnosis of metastases in the mammary gland
Diagnosis of metastases in the mammary gland is carried out by several methods. First, it is palpation. The woman herself should be able to regularly examine her mammary glands. It can be done standing in front of a mirror or lying on your back.
Breast can change in shape and size. It can be probed for seals or nodules, as well as hardening. When examining the breast, it is also necessary to examine the lymph nodes in the armpits. And nodes, and seals can hurt, lymph nodes may increase in size and lose mobility. All these signs should alert the woman.
The doctor can also conduct primary diagnosis by palpation of the breast. In addition, he can prescribe an ultrasound or a mammogram. Ultrasound examination is considered less harmful, but the reliability of its results is lower than that of mammography.
Mammography is an x-ray examination of the breast and the authenticity of its results reaches ninety percent. It is recommended to conduct it at least once a year.
In addition, the doctor can prescribe a number of tests, for example, a blood test for the presence of special proteins that are secreted by cancer cells.
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What tests are needed?
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Treatment of metastases in the mammary gland
Treatment of metastases in the mammary gland depends on the stage of cancer. In the first stages, removal of the tumor can lead to minimal trauma to the breast tissue. But it may be necessary and complete removal of the breast and even axillary lymph nodes affected by the tumor disease.
Also, when treating, it is important to determine the type of cancer and the rate of growth and metastasis. In addition to surgical intervention, radiotherapy can be used to treat metastases in the mammary gland. With this therapy, cancer cells are destroyed without surgery.
In addition, chemotherapy is used to treat breast cancer. She kills both the cells of the tumor itself and the metastases in the mammary gland that she could have had time to release. There are also biological and hormonal therapies that slow the growth of cancer cells in the body. They can be used together with other types of treatment.