Everything you need to know about breast cancer
SANTO DOMINGO. - Doctors Zacarías Marte, gynecologist and obstetric oncologist, and Mario Fulcar, general surgeon, oncologist and mastologist, were in charge of the breast cancer prevention panel held at the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC), aimed at students and collaborators, in which they addressed general information about the disease, symptoms, risk factors and how to prevent it.
Breast cancer is defined as the rapid, excessive and uncontrolled multiplication of cells, which grow beyond their normal limits. During his participation, Dr. Marte explained that it is the number one cancer in the United States, representing 15% of all types of cancer according to the National Cancer Institute (NIH) of that country. Likewise, he mentioned that it is the most common cancer worldwide, followed by colon, lung, cervical and thyroid cancer.
Risk factors and symptoms
Among the most common risk factors observed in patients, Dr. Marte mentioned the family's medical history, since 15% of breast cancers are hereditary, and the woman's training at an early age.
“Having a very early age of formation, the patient is exposed to estrogens,” which he explained are the hormones responsible for the multiplication of cells in the area. Lifestyle, diet and alcohol consumption are other determining factors regarding this disease.
In the social environment, Dr. Fulcar expressed limited access to adequate follow-ups and economic limitations to carry out control studies as the greatest challenges for people from remote provinces. However, he insisted on the importance of educating the population throughout the year on the subject.
Migration and beliefs in people who are not specialized in the subject, such as “naturopathic doctors, witches and spiritualists,” are other factors that Fulcar mentioned that have influenced the increased risk of the disease in some economic and social sectors of the country.
As for the most common and noticeable symptoms in the breast, Dr. Marte mentioned hardening, indentation, rash, redness or burning, unknown fluid, holes, protuberance, growing vein, sinking nipple, asymmetry, orange peel skin and internal lump .
Protective factors
Repeat pregnancy, breastfeeding and physical activity are common factors in patients who have not contracted this disease and that Dr. Marte emphasized during the talk. “Getting pregnant repeatedly is a protective factor since there is a decrease in estrogen for 40 weeks,” explained oncologist Marte. In the case of breastfeeding it is similar, since during this there is no production of estrogen.
Other factors not related to breast cancer were abortion, hair dyes, chemicals (such as pesticides), breast implants, caffeine, and tubal ligation.
How to prevent breast cancer?
Dr. Fulcar commented on the importance of identifying patients in time in order to avoid major complications, which is why he urged those attending the activity to motivate their families to undergo constant check-ups, in order to detect irregularities in time. “It is with great sadness that we see patients whose disease progresses inexorably without an aunt or friend noticing that something was happening,” he commented.
That is why both doctors motivated breast self-examination, which consists of self-analysis of the breasts in order to detect anomalies in time, and to have them attended to and evaluated by health professionals. The doctor advised performing the monthly test starting at age 20, seven days after the end of menstruation.
In the case of postmenopausal women, aged 30 years and older, an annual clinical examination is recommended on a fixed date. If you are over 40 years old, annual mammograms are recommended.
In the treatment process, surgeon Fulcar said that this will depend on the patient's functional status, type of tumor, histopathology, molecular biology and staging, which measures the amount or degree of spread of the cancer in the body.