The importance of breast health

The core value of breast health is far more than just an add-on to support "beautiful appearance". It is directly related to women's quality of life, reproductive function and even life safety throughout their life cycle. It is the most easily underestimated core component of the women's health management system and the most in need of early attention.

I accompanied a friend to the Breast Department of a tertiary hospital last week for a follow-up consultation. I am still deeply impressed by the two cases in the waiting area: a 28-year-old girl had just given birth to her baby for half a year. She had chest pain for more than half a year, which she thought was a normal reaction to breastfeeding. Breast nodules require a biopsy to rule out malignant transformation. The 40-year-old lady sitting next to her is even more regretful. She has not participated in the free two-cancer screening at her workplace for three consecutive years. She always feels that "if you can't feel a lump, you are not sick." This time she came to the doctor because of nipple discharge. The pathological results showed that it was carcinoma in situ. Fortunately, she was not discovered too late.

The clinician, Dr. Zhang, has been in the breast department for 12 years and is an old friend of mine. She always said that the biggest feeling in the clinic over the years is that people’s understanding of breast health has gone to two extremes: one group is the "over-anxious party", and they are so scared that they buy dredging serum all night after seeing two pieces of popular science. Oil, maintenance underwear, even the slightest pain will make you feel like you are going to have cancer, and you can't wait to go to the hospital every month for an ultrasound; the other group is the "completely flat party" who believe that breast problems are only suffered by middle-aged and elderly people, youth is capital, and if you tolerate the pain, you will get over it, and they don't even bother to go for free screening. Both of these attitudes actually delay things.

The tumor annual report data released by the National Cancer Center in 2023 also confirms this: Breast cancer has ranked first in the incidence of malignant tumors in women in my country. The median age of onset is 10-15 years earlier than in European and American countries, and patients under the age of 40 account for more than 12% - but as long as it can be detected in the early stage, the 5-year survival rate can reach more than 90%. Once it is delayed to the middle and late stages, this number will drop directly to 27%.

Many people's understanding of breast health is still at the stage of "you need to pay attention after marriage and childbirth". There is even a widely circulated saying that "you will not get breast disease if you feed breast milk." Dr. Zhang said this and she would refute the rumor more than a dozen times every time she visits the clinic: She just admitted a 31-year-old patient who was unmarried and childless last month. She stays up late all the time to catch up on projects. When she is stressed, she can drink 5 cups of Bingmei a day. A grade 4a nodule was found in the physical examination, and the biopsy result was carcinoma in situ. Fortunately, it was discovered early, and the breast-conserving surgery basically did not affect subsequent life. There is also a 45-year-old eldest sister who gave birth to two children and nursed them until they were two years old. She always felt that she had a "fertility protection barrier" and did not undergo screening for three consecutive years. This time when a lump was felt and checked, it was already invasive cancer, and she missed the best opportunity to conserve breasts. Oh, by the way, don’t think that breast problems are exclusive to women. Male breast cancer accounts for about 1% of all breast cancer cases. Many men have no awareness of self-examination. They are often in the middle and late stages when they are discovered. If you have male elders in the family, you can also mention it.

Nowadays, the opinions on breast problems on the Internet are also polarized. One group says that "breast hyperplasia is a physiological phenomenon and does not need to be dealt with at all." The other group says that "hyperplasia will turn into cancer sooner or later. Take health care products to relieve it." Dr. Zhang said that these two opinions are too extreme: Physiological hyperplasia, such as slight swelling and pain before menstruation, does not require excessive intervention, but If the pain is so painful that you can't even put on underwear, or if you feel a clear hard lump, it is definitely not "normal" and you need to see a doctor in time for investigation. As for those essential oils and massagers that claim to be able to "dissolve nodules", they are even more IQ-taxing. She just received a patient a while ago, and she pressed the nodules at home for half a month. The nodules were broken and caused acute inflammation, but she suffered a big sin.

In fact, real breast care is not that complicated at all. Dr. Zhang’s advice to us old acquaintances is very practical: there is no need to deliberately avoid milk tea and coffee, as long as you don’t drink three or four cups a day as water; there is no need to buy thousands of nursing bras, just wear ones that fit well and do not tighten the breasts; 7 days after each menstruation Take two minutes to feel for yourself to see if there are any unknown hard lumps, nipple discharge, or skin recesses like orange peels. It is more effective than anything else. Under 30 years old, a breast ultrasound is done every year, and over 40 years old, a mammography target is added. Basic screening costs less than 200 yuan. If problems are discovered early, the cost is much lower than delaying it until the late stage.

The 28-year-old lactating girl I met before later had a benign biopsy. When she got the report, she sat on a chair in the corridor and cried for a long time. She said that before, she always felt that she had to work hard and take care of her children. She had chest pain for more than half a year and could not find time to go to the hospital. Now she feels that KPIs and the money for milk powder for her children are not as important as her own body.

To be honest, we have heard too many comments about breasts since we were young: whether they are big enough, whether they are firm enough, and whether they can feed children well, but few people tell us that they are first and foremost a part of your body, an organ that accompanies you from adolescence to old age. Its health is never to satisfy anyone's expectations, but just for you to live a comfortable and down-to-earth life. This is the most essential reason why we should pay attention to breast health.