Unfortunately passed away! A woman with cancer did not go to the hospital for treatment, but... Many people are still unaware of these misunderstandings

Expert of this article: Hu Zhongdong, deputy chief physician, health manager, registered nutritionist

When you are sick, in addition to the physical pain, you are also very anxious. All patients and their families hope to be cured as soon as possible. At this time, it is very important to seek medical treatment in time and receive treatment through scientific methods.

Recently, the topic #Woman died from cancer treatment using wish-paying-debt therapy# became a hot search topic. 33-year-old Ms. Jin was diagnosed with breast cancer, and the doctor told her that the cure rate of breast cancer was very high. However, she refused treatment in a regular hospital and listened to the "treatment" of self-cultivation and wish-paying-debt therapy. Unfortunately, after more than a year, her condition worsened and she eventually passed away.

Weibo screenshot

What is breast cancer? Who are the high-risk groups? How can we self-check and prevent it? Let's find out together.

01

What is breast cancer?

Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that occurs in the mammary gland epithelium (ductal or lobular epithelium). Existing studies have shown that the evolution of breast cancer is a multi-stage, multi-step process. There are many risk factors that cause the occurrence and development of breast cancer. The long-term effects of multiple factors can lead to mutation, carcinogenesis, development and metastasis of mammary epithelial cells.

According to data from the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the number of new cancer cases worldwide in 2020 totaled 19.29 million, of which 2.26 million were new breast cancer patients, ranking first among tumors. In China, breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor in women, with approximately 416,000 new cases each year.

02

How to screen for breast cancer?

Reducing the occurrence of cancer through scientific preventive measures is an important part of tumor prevention and treatment.

Copyright image, no permission to reprint

Early detection is the best way to improve breast cancer treatment outcomes and survival rates. Currently, commonly used breast cancer screening methods include clinical breast examination, mammography, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Among them, clinical breast examination and ultrasound are relatively common in my country.

Screening of women at average risk:

1. The "Guidelines for Breast Cancer Screening and Early Diagnosis in China" recommends that women aged 40 to 69 years of average risk undergo mammography screening, with the appropriate frequency of screening being once every 2 years.

2. It is recommended to conduct screening by combining mammography and ultrasound examination.

3. For women with dense breast tissue, combined mammography and ultrasound examination is recommended to improve diagnostic accuracy.

Screening of high-risk groups:

People at high risk of breast cancer include: those with a clear genetic tendency to breast cancer; patients with a history of atypical hyperplasia of the breast ducts or lobules or lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS); those who have received chest radiotherapy before the age of 30, etc.

1. Breast screening is recommended for children under 40 years old.

2. Have a mammogram once a year.

3. Have a breast ultrasound examination and a breast physical examination every 6 to 12 months.

4. Combined with breast enhanced MRI if necessary.

Copyright image, no permission to reprint

03

How to do a breast self-examination?

Breast self-examination can improve women's awareness of cancer prevention and may help detect tumors at a relatively early stage. It is recommended that premenopausal women perform self-examination 7 to 14 days after the onset of menstruation.

Do these four steps to self-examine

At a glance:

Stand in front of a mirror and observe whether the breasts are symmetrical, whether the skin color of the breasts has changed, whether the nipples are sunken, etc.

Second touch:

Raise one hand, and with the other hand, put the other four fingers except the thumb together, and slide them in a circular motion from the inside to the outside to touch the breast and check for lumps or nodules.

Three presses:

Press on the outside of the breast toward the armpit to check for lumps.

Four squeeze:

Press the areola to see if there is nipple discharge.

04

What factors are likely to induce breast cancer?

1. Overweight or obese;

2. Long-term smoking, drinking, and frequent consumption of high-sugar, high-fat foods;

3. Frequent use of drugs and health products containing sex hormones, and long-term use of skin care products containing sex hormones;

4. Irregular life, staying up late for a long time, and high pressure;

Copyright image, no permission to reprint

5. Women with early menarche (menstruation before the age of 12) or late menopause (menopause after the age of 55), unmarried women without children or women who have children late in life;

6. Not breastfeeding or breastfeeding for a short period of time.

05

How can I reduce my risk of breast cancer?

1. Avoid obesity.

Keep doing aerobic exercise and maintain a healthy weight;

2. Eat healthy.

Do not smoke, limit or avoid drinking alcohol, avoid eating moldy food, do not eat fried, pickled, or grilled food, eat less processed meat, drink less sugary drinks, drink tea in moderation, and eat more fresh vegetables and fruits;

3. Have children at the right age.

The best childbearing age for women is 25 to 30 years old. Adhering to breastfeeding is beneficial to reducing the incidence of breast cancer.

4. Manage your emotions.

If a person is in a state of depression, depression, and tension for a long time, it will lead to a decline in immune function and ultimately affect our physical health;

5. Use sex hormone drugs rationally.

Do not use health care products or skin care products containing sex hormones on your own;

6. Avoid radiation;

7. Maintain a regular work and rest schedule.

06

What are the misunderstandings about breast cancer?

Myth 1: Breast massage helps eliminate lumps?

Copyright image, no permission to reprint

Many people think that massage can eliminate breast tumors. In fact, malignant tumors such as breast cancer grow quickly, and massage not only cannot shrink them, but incorrect massage techniques may even promote tumor growth. Therefore, if you find a breast lump and its nature is unknown, seek medical attention in time.

Misconception 2: Can folk remedies cure breast cancer?

Once breast cancer is diagnosed, many patients and their families are under great psychological pressure, and some people begin to seek folk remedies. However, many of these folk remedies do not have validation data from patient population samples and cannot be used as scientific, reliable, and recommended methods.

Breast cancer patients need professional methods developed by professional breast doctors. Patients' treatment compliance is also very important. Failure to treat in time will not only delay treatment, but also lead to rapid progression of the disease and ultimately endanger life. Be sure to go to a regular treatment institution and follow a standardized treatment plan for treatment.

Myth 3: Recurrence and metastasis cannot be cured?

Some breast cancers may recur and metastasize after treatment, and many patients pessimistically believe that treatment is meaningless. In fact, there are still treatment options for patients with recurrent and metastatic breast cancer, such as endocrine therapy, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy and other comprehensive methods. Scientific treatment can still prolong the patient's life and improve the quality of life.

Finally, I need to remind you, especially cancer patients, not to believe in pseudoscience. You should face reality, trust doctors, believe in medicine, and adhere to scientific treatment. Early cancer can be cured, and it is also possible for patients with mid- to late-stage cancer to survive with the tumor for more than 5 or 10 years.

Breast cancer is not a terminal illness

Advanced breast cancer ≠ despair

Seek medical attention promptly if any abnormality is found

The cover of this article and the pictures with watermarks in the text are from the copyright library and are not authorized for reproduction