According to the World Health Organization (WHO), breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in both developed and developing countries. To raise awareness of the importance of prevention, early detection and treatment, October is dedicated to the fight against breast cancer worldwide.
For most women, regular breast self-examination should be a natural and routine self-examination. A malignant tumor most often first appears as a painless lump that the woman can feel, but redness, edema or ulceration can also be a sign of the disease. If these symptoms appear, it is advisable to see a specialist as soon as possible for further examination. Often the lesion is so small that it cannot be detected by simple physical examination, so it is important to have a screening mammogram, which can detect even small lesions that are asymptomatic. Most breast tumors detected early can be cured, making treatment less time-consuming and painful, and even avoiding major surgery.
The risk for breast cancer increases with age
In Europe, 28.7% of newly diagnosed cancers are breast cancers. The risk of developing breast cancer is relatively low below the age of 30, increases thereafter until the age of 50 and then rises again after a short age, mainly due to hormonal changes in the female life cycle. Although it is essentially a disease of women, it is worth noting that one per cent of those diagnosed with breast cancer are men. According to experts, the risk of developing breast cancer may be increased not only by older age, but also by early first menstruation, late menopause, estrogen replacement, or long periods of contraceptive use before the first pregnancy, or by a family history of risk factors.
Tumor marker tests help to detect the disease
In addition to the recommended mammography screening, you should also have so-called tumor marker tests. The laboratory diagnostics service provider, HR-Pharma, in Szeged offers several blood test packages specifically for women. It is important to emphasize that tumor markers alone are not suitable for screening purposes and that a negative result does not exclude the presence of a tumor, as many tumor markers are non-specific, but the result may suggest further testing. Tumor markers may indicate recurrence or metastasis several months earlier than imaging or clinical signs. The first step is a quick blood sampling and laboratory examination, which are available in Szeged.