Is every mass we detect in the breast malignant?
When you notice a mass in your breast, you may be concerned about the development of cancer. However, most of the masses we detected in the breast are benign masses. Yet each audience must be taken into account. First of all, an examination should be performed by a breast surgeon.
What should we pay attention to when doing breast self-exam?
Every woman should examine herself on a certain day of each month to learn about her breast structure. For menstruating women, the first week of menstruation is very suitable for examination. There are varying amounts of adipose tissue, glandular tissue and connective tissue in the breast. Every woman’s breast structure is unique. In addition, breast structure varies according to age and drugs used. The tenderness, pain and swelling you feel in the breast may vary according to the menstrual cycle. Existing masses may feel even larger before menstruation. When should I consult a doctor?
If you detect a change in your breast structure that is different from usual, you should definitely consult a breast surgeon. Change in breast size, shrinkage of the breast skin, ingrowth, a newly developed nipple change; Findings such as inversion of the nipple, nipple discharge, especially bloody discharge, and palpable swelling under the arm should make you suspicious.
What are the tests that should be done when a suspicious mass is detected in the breast?
For masses detected in the breast, we would like to make an examination according to the age of the patient after the examination. Breast ultrasonography is the first imaging method to be applied in women under 40 years of age and without familial cancer risk. For women over 40 years of age, mammography and breast ultrasonography should be performed together. If the structure of the present mass cannot be fully understood in both examinations, we refer to breast MRI examination. We recommend performing breast MRI for differential diagnosis of masses in women with dense breast structure.
When should a breast biopsy be performed?
We would like to find the cause of the mass by taking tissue samples in suspected masses in imaging tests. For this purpose, we perform fine-needle or thick-needle biopsy depending on the condition of the mass. Sometimes, on mammography, we detect images that are suspicious for cancer, which we call microcalcification, but not a mass. In such cases, the wire-marked breast biopsy technique is preferred.
How should we follow-up the masses that are not detected as cancer?
These masses should be followed closely by examination and imaging. For this purpose, we sometimes want to see the breast every 3 or 6 months. If no change is detected in the mass during close follow-up, the follow-up intervals can be extended.
How should the follow-up of women who have no complaints be?
If you do not have any complaints in the breast and you do not have a mass that requires follow-up, we recommend women aged 25-40 to have their own breast examinations monthly. Women over the age of 40 should have annual mammography and ultrasonography up to the age of 69. From the age of 70, follow-up should be continued by performing mammography every 2 years.