According to the latest statistics, 美国女性平均有12%的几率患乳腺癌. 乳腺癌是癌症死亡的第二大原因，但幸运的是，发病率正在下降. 当乳房中的正常细胞生长失控时，乳腺癌就会发展.
What are the symptoms of breast cancer?
大多数被诊断为乳腺癌的女性不会注意到任何异常, 他们的癌症是通过乳房x光检查诊断出来的.
乳腺癌最常见的症状是无痛的肿块或肿块. 边缘不规则的硬肿块更有可能是癌症, however breast cancers can be tender, soft or rounded.
Other symptoms include swelling in the breast, skin dimples/irregulation, pain or retraction of the nipple, redness or thickening of the nipple, nipple discharge or swollen lymph nodes.
How is breast cancer diagnosed?
乳腺癌诊断越早，临床效果越好.
Mammograms, including screening, diagnostic and tomosynthesis (3D), 乳房的x光片能发现乳腺癌的迹象吗. 植入乳房的女性可以进行乳房x光检查，有时还会拍摄额外的照片. 其他快速检查包括乳房超声检查和乳房核磁共振检查. 诊断包括取出一小块组织样本，由病理学家评估是否存在癌症.
What are the stages of breast cancer?
乳腺癌的分期描述了癌症在体内的程度和扩散的程度. 从0期(导管原位癌)到IV期(转移性癌), 美国癌症联合委员会(AJCC), updated most recently in January 2018.
- 第一阶段:肿瘤直径不大于2厘米，未扩散到其他部位. The lymph nodes are unaffected.
- IIA期:乳腺肿瘤直径不大于2厘米或没有乳腺肿瘤, 但癌细胞已经扩散到几个腋窝淋巴结, 或者肿瘤直径在2-5厘米之间，但没有扩散到任何淋巴结.
- IIB期:乳房肿瘤在2-5厘米之间，肿瘤已经扩散到几个腋窝淋巴结, 或者肿瘤大于5厘米，但淋巴结没有癌变迹象.
- IIIA期:肿瘤尚未扩散到胸壁或乳房皮肤，但已扩散到附近的淋巴结. The size of the cancer may vary.
- IIIB期:肿瘤累及胸壁、乳房皮肤或两侧. 在某些情况下，癌症已经扩散到附近的淋巴结.
- IIIC期:肿瘤已广泛扩散至附近淋巴结.
- Stage IV: This is metastatic breast cancer, which has spread to distant parts of the body, such as bones, lungs, brain and liver. This can be the stage of cancer when diagnosed, 或者它可能在乳腺癌的其他阶段进展和扩散后发展.
What are the treatments for breast cancer?
If you’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer, 您的癌症护理团队将与您讨论您的治疗方案. 仔细考虑每一个选择是很重要的. 权衡每种治疗方案的好处和可能的风险和副作用.
What about breast reconstruction?
如果你做了乳房切除术或者大面积的乳房肿瘤切除术, you may decide to undergo breast reconstruction, 在这种手术中，植入物或从身体其他部位取出你自己的组织. 重要的是，在癌症手术之前，你要和你的外科医生谈谈你的重建选择和偏好. In some cases, a nipple-sparing mastectomy may be possible, although this is not an option for all women.
What are the risk factors for breast cancer?
有些乳腺癌是有遗传因素的, so if your mother, daughter or sister has had breast cancer, you are considered at higher risk. The risk of breast cancer also rises as you age. 从未生过孩子或晚生第一个孩子的妇女比年轻生育的妇女有更高的风险. 母乳喂养至少一年也能降低风险. Many of these factors are out of your control, 但其他事情是你可以控制的:吃健康的饮食, maintain a healthy weight, quit or don't start smoking, exercise regularly and limit alcohol intake.
了解乳腺癌还有哪些额外的资源?
如果你或你爱的人患有乳腺癌, CalvertHealth有一系列的服务，旨在帮助你，让你永远不会独自踏上这段旅程. Please talk to your CalvertHealth provider, your Nurse Navigator, 或者查看服务页面获取治疗信息, services and support groups. 有关乳腺癌的更多患者友好信息可在
breast cancer page 国家综合癌症网络网站.
