Introduction
Breast cancer (also known as mamma carcinoma) is the most common cancer in women. Every year, about 70,000 new patients are diagnosed in Germany. In rare cases men can also fall ill with breast cancer.
In most cases, however, they are diagnosed much later, which leads to a worsening of the prognosis. As with most other types of cancer, early diagnosis and early initiation of therapy improve survival time many times over. As a rule, breast cancer is a malignant degeneration of the breast gland tissue that should be surgically removed.
However, not every structural change in the breast (lumps) is a reliable indication of the presence of breast cancer. If a lump in the breast tissue is palpable, this is usually due to a benign cause. Most often it is a so-called cyst (a fluid-filled cavity in the glandular lobule), which does not significantly increase the risk of breast cancer.
However, a clear diagnosis can only be made after closer examination, imaging (ultrasound, mammography, MRI) and possibly a tissue sample collection (breast biopsy) by the gynecologist. In order to be able to detect changes in the breast tissue at an early stage, it is advisable to palpate your own breast regularly or have your partner palpate it. The most suitable time in a woman’s cycle for this is about one week after the start of her menstruation.
At this time the breast tissue is particularly soft due to hormones. In addition, women between 50 and 69 years of age can take advantage of mammography screening every two years, in which the breast is x-rayed for structural changes. This examination is voluntary and is covered by the statutory health insurance. There are thus numerous procedures with the aim of diagnosing breast cancer as early as possible and initiating treatment. However, patients should never forget that a palpable lump in the breast or a conspicuous mammography image alone does not constitute evidence of malignant breast cancer, but rather that this always requires further diagnosis.
