Text/Yangcheng Evening News All-Media Reporter Zhang Hua Correspondent Lin Huifang
Photo/Visual China
“Breast nodule” is a “high-frequency word” in women’s medical examination reports , although mostly benign, for women who are trying to conceive or during pregnancy, a small nodule can touch their nerves: Does the nodule affect pregnancy? Need surgery?
Breast tissue may have nodules after lesions
Zhang Anqin, chief physician of the Department of Breast Cancer, Guangdong Maternal and Child Health Hospital, pointed out that many People are accustomed to refer to the small lumps in the breast as “breast nodules”. In fact, breast nodules do not refer to any specific disease, but are found in the breast through examinations (such as ultrasound, X-ray and other imaging examinations). a morphological change.
“Breast tissue may have nodules after lesions. Such nodules can appear in benign lesions such as breast hyperplasia, breast cysts, breast fibroadenomas, and mastitis, and can also appear in breast cancer. The feared ‘pink killer’ – breast cancer.” Zhang Anqin said.
High alert for hard nodules
Breast nodules may or may not be palpable. Whether it is palpation or physical examination found to have breast nodules, it is best to ask a professional doctor to judge first. Zhang Anqin believes that, in general, compared with benign nodules, malignant breast nodules have relatively poor mobility on palpation, and feel as if they are adhered to the surrounding tissue. Moreover, benign nodules may often be more Soft, and malignant nodules will feel hard, sometimes even as hard as a rock. If you touch this nodule, you must be vigilant!
Of course, it is impossible to accurately judge whether a breast nodule is benign or malignant only by the naked eye and touch. To further clarify, it is generally necessary to pass mammography, color Doppler ultrasound, MRI, puncture examination, etc. determination.
According to Zhang Anqin, there are usually two manifestations of breast nodules. One is benign nodules, which are more common, and many are hyperplastic nodules, breast fibroids and cysts:
< p>1. Hyperplastic breast nodules
The occurrence of hyperplastic nodules is mainly related to the imbalance of estrogen and progesterone levels, the hyperplasia and involution of breast tissue and mammary ducts, and the existence of the menstrual cycle. direct contact. “Generally, the mass increases and becomes hard before menstruation, and shrinks and softens after menstruation.” Zhang Anqin believes, “Many women have experienced this phenomenon, but ultrasound and other examinations are needed to exclude malignant tumors before we can determine it as mammary gland hyperplasia. Since only a small number of them have the risk of developing breast cancer, if there are no obvious symptoms, most hyperplastic breast nodules can be treated without special treatment, and follow-up is enough.”
2. Breast fibroma
Fibroadenoma is the most common breast disease in adolescent girls, and its “culprit” is female. Hormone stimulation, which may be related to the strong ovarian function and higher estrogen levels in adolescent women. In addition, unreasonable diet structure and excessive intake of estrogen-containing foods can also increase the chance of breast fibroids.
Zhang Anqin pointed out that, in general, although the incidence of breast cancer in 20-year-old women is relatively low, it also needs to be paid attention to. The youngest breast cancer patient reported in China is only 3 years old, while Guangdong Maternal and Child Health Care The youngest patient admitted to the hospital was 16 years old. According to professional examination and expert judgment, breast fibroma is not very large (less than 2cm), and usually does not require immediate surgery and can be treated conservatively. However, follow-up is once every six months. If the tumor size increases by more than 20%, puncture or minimally invasive biopsy is still required. Malignancy is ruled out.
For married young women, if they are planning to become pregnant, pregnancy and breastfeeding may lead to rapid tumor growth and even malignant transformation. To avoid problems during pregnancy, experts usually recommend surgical removal of “fibroids” larger than 1 cm before pregnancy. If the adenoma is discovered during pregnancy, it is necessary to pay attention to observe the growth of the adenoma. If a change in the shape or size of the mass is found, a pathological biopsy can be performed to confirm the diagnosis. If it is benign, it can be further observed and treated after delivery. However, if a woman over 40 years old still has “breast fibroma”, if it is discovered for the first time, it should be closely observed, and if necessary, an active surgical biopsy should be performed to confirm the diagnosis.