Fibroadenoma should be removed my no. Fibroadenoma of the breast - to remove or not? Removal of the tumor under general anesthesia

Having heard the diagnosis - breast fibroadenoma, women are worried about whether to remove it or not. This disease occurs in the form of the formation of a benign tumor from the breast tissue. The tumor is quite mobile, often appears in the upper part and does not bind to the skin in any way. The size of the tumor can be very different (from a few millimeters to 7-8 centimeters).

Fibroadenoma arises from connective tissue, which begins to actively grow due to hormonal imbalance. The pathological process can develop as an independent disease or against the background of an already present one. Disturbances in the reproductive and nervous systems are considered common causes.

Causes

The exact reasons for the development of this pathology have not been precisely established. Among the female population, fibroadenoma is common in the age group from 16 to 45 years old. Thanks to many years of research, it was possible to identify some predisposing factors:

• Heredity.
• Frequent stress and neurosis.
• Diseases of the endocrine system by the type of thyroid or ovarian dysfunction.
• Diseases of the gynecological profile (cysts in the ovaries, endometritis, inflammation of the appendages, education in the uterus, endometrial polyposis).
• Pathologies that disrupt the liver.
• The frequency and quality of sexual activity. This factor is of considerable importance, because statistics say that women who have an irregular sex life are more susceptible to the development of breast pathologies.
• A considerable risk of fibroadenoma exists in women who do not become pregnant for a long time, provided they have a regular sex life.

Any form of benign neoplasm that affects the mammary glands increases the risk of developing breast cancer. For example, in women with a diffuse form of pathology, these chances are increased almost 3 times, and with a focal form in 7. Fibroadenoma increases the risk of developing cancer by 5 times. Given these factors and possible complications, women are advised to undergo regular examinations by a mammologist and gynecologist.

Symptoms and Diagnosis

Fibroadenoma is characterized by a painless course. Visual signs appear sluggishly, and only from the moment when the disease begins to actively progress. The general condition of the sick woman does not change, she does not feel pain, there is no hyperthermia or any other manifestations.

To establish a diagnosis in the early stages of the pathology is quite problematic, since the size of the tumor is still small, and it is difficult to find it. Such tumors are often found by accident, or when a woman seeks medical help for another disease.

The simplest place for diagnosis is the localization of fibroadenoma in the nipple area.

Signs that should alert a woman:

• Cracks, sores, nodules on or near the nipple.
• Pronounced pain syndrome when pressed.
• Light-colored discharge from the chest.

Without the necessary treatment, fibroadenoma can transform into a sarcoma - a malignant tumor. In this case, the course of the disease worsens sharply, the woman develops symptoms in the form of an increase in the size of the tumor and changes in skin color.

Diagnosis of the disease has several stages:

• First, the mammologist must conduct a visual examination, palpation, collection of an anamnesis of life and the disease itself.
• Hardware diagnostic methods (ultrasound, breast radiography - mammography).
• Biopsy.
• Cytological examination of tissue formation.

Based on the data obtained in the end, the doctor makes a diagnosis and prescribes treatment. The question of whether it is necessary to remove the tumor is assessed individually for each patient.

Treatment

The question that worries every sick woman is "Remove breast fibroadenoma, or not?" can be discussed with a mammologist. If there is a small knot in the breast that does not cause any discomfort, the woman may decide that surgery is not necessary.

Surgeons unanimously insist that fibroadenoma must be removed in any case, since this may be the only method of getting rid of the tumor. It is important not to waste precious time and carry out the procedure as soon as possible. It is advisable to get rid of the tumor immediately after its identification.

Among the main reasons why a woman can refuse the proposed surgical intervention is the reluctance to give her body to surgical manipulations. Among many women, there is a misconception that a tumor that does not bother you can be in the mammary gland and beyond. But such an attitude towards the tumor can be dangerous, because the neoplasm is growing and can threaten the body.

Some doctors rely on the treatment of fibroadenoma with conservative therapy. This approach can be applied with tumor sizes up to 1 centimeter, and only for 6 months. If no positive changes occur within six months, the woman is recommended to go for an operation.

The treatment plan is drawn up after a complete examination of the woman, but even under all suitable conditions, it is extremely rare to achieve a positive result from medication treatment.

Another danger that lies in wait for a woman with a tumor in her breast is the high risk of her acquiring malignant properties. The neoplasm rarely turns into cancer, but very quickly develops into a sarcoma. A huge threat is represented by leaf-shaped fibroadenoma, when diagnosed, only surgical removal is indicated.

Indications for surgery

The absolute indications for surgical intervention for tumor removal are:

1. It has grown by over 2 centimeters in diameter.
2. The growth rate is too fast.
3. Leafy shape.
4. Suspected sarcoma.
5. Lack of positive dynamics after 6 months of conservative treatment.
6. Pregnancy planning.

The operating doctors recommend getting rid of the tumor for all women who wish to become pregnant soon. While the baby is developing in the womb, the body will experience impressive hormonal changes that can lead to the acceleration of tumor growth and its transformation into a malignant form. The fibroadenoma itself does not pose any danger to the unborn child, which cannot be said about the health and life of the mother.

The operation is performed under local or general anesthesia, it is performed in two versions:

• Enucleation is an operation performed on small-diameter tumors. Using a special surgical instrument, the surgeon removes the tumor so as not to touch healthy tissue. The rehabilitation period after enucleation is very fast.
• Resection - this operation is indicated in the presence of large tumors. In this case, the doctor removes part of the breast, covering the remaining defect with healthy tissue.

Recovery period

Often, during the recovery period after surgery, women experience a feeling of pain in the projection area of \u200b\u200bthe postoperative suture. This is normal and there is no reason to panic.

If the pain syndrome is very intense, the doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs that will eliminate the discomfort. To relieve pain, ice can be applied to the painful point. When the tumor is removed, a cosmetic suture is applied to the skin of the breast, the traces of which are almost invisible. They must not be wetted for 3 days. The surgeon should give advice on care.

Rehabilitation consists of the use of special ointments and gels that are used to lubricate the seams. These funds should contain substances that accelerate healing and prevent the formation of an ugly scar. The drug begins to be used 10-15 days after the operation, with a course of 2 months.

Unfortunately, surgery does not always guarantee 100% success in getting rid of fibroadenoma. In some women, the tumor may recur, because surgery will not eliminate the cause and will not normalize hormone levels. In order to prevent recurrence of the disease, it is necessary to identify the main cause and the state of hormonal balance. For diagnosis and treatment, it is necessary to contact a gynecologist-endocrinologist and a mammologist.

Related Videos

Fibroadenoma of the breast is a benign formation that develops from epithelial and glandular tissues.

The active development of these tissues occurs during pregnancy, and after the birth of a child, they participate in the formation and excretion of breast milk.

Given that the tumor is considered quite harmless, the need for its removal is often questioned.

If a patient has a breast fibroadenoma, it is only the doctor who decides to remove the neoplasm or not.

The question of removing fibroadenomas is decided individually in each case. To determine whether there is a need for surgery, you should evaluate:

• the age of the patient;
• general condition of the body;
• the structure of the neoplasm, its size and growth rate.

In most cases, fibroadenoma is a dense, painless mass limited by a capsule. It has a soft consistency, easily moves from place to place and is almost independent of neighboring tissues.

Fibroadenoma and its growth

On palpation, the tumor is defined as a rounded nodule with an almost smooth surface. Sometimes fibroadenoma remains invisible even for a doctor, since it is not palpable on palpation. In such cases, she is found by accident during an ultrasound scan, when a woman is carrying a child or comes for a routine examination.

Since most of these neoplasms do not declare their existence in any way, the question "Should fibroadenoma be removed?" seems more than logical. It may seem that if the tumor does not bother the patient, then it should not be removed. However, some women are afraid of the degeneration of fibroadenoma into a malignant neoplasm and insist on an operation.

As practice shows, the probability of a tumor degenerating into a malignant form is too small to seriously worry about it. Today, there is only one type of fibroadenoma (it is called leaf-shaped or phylloid), which threatens the appearance of a sarcoma.

3D photo of leafy fibroadenoma of the breast

It is worth noting that this happens rarely: the probability of degeneration of a leaf-shaped tumor into a sarcoma is only 10%. According to some doctors, such a tumor is a borderline condition of the mammary gland and is located at the junction of a malignant and benign neoplasm.

Thus, if the presence of leaf-shaped fibroadenoma is an absolute indication for surgical intervention, then the question of removing other formations is decided by the doctor.

Most of them do not pose a threat to life and can be in the body, subject to regular observation by a specialist and conservative treatment to prevent further tumor growth.

Risks of conservative therapy

Despite the huge number of funds intended for resorption of fibroadenoma, women with nodular forms of mastopathy continue to consult doctors.

This phenomenon can be explained only by the fact that resorption of fibroadenoma is impossible in principle.

Modern drugs and techniques allow stopping tumor growth, but it is impossible to get rid of it conservatively.

The danger of conservative therapy is that it may be ineffective: at best, the fibroadenoma will continue to grow, and at worst, it will degenerate into a malignant neoplasm and lead to the spread of metastases throughout the body.

In such cases, removal of the tumor requires a lot of time and effort, and it is not always possible to save the breast (often the doctor has to remove not only the neoplasm, but the entire mammary gland). In especially advanced cases, cancer leads to the death of the patient. You can avoid such a development of events if you contact a surgeon in time. During surgery, the tumor will be removed with minimal health consequences.

As for the drug therapy of fibroadenoma, it also has a right to exist.

However, it is important to understand that this technique is less effective than surgical treatment.

As part of drug treatment, hormone-containing drugs or drugs can be used to contain the growth of the tumor and prepare the body for the upcoming surgery. Please note: self-treatment of fibroadenoma can lead to unpredictable consequences. The choice of drugs and their dosages is carried out only by the attending physician.

If you experience chest pain, a feeling of heaviness and distention in the mammary glands, hardening or thickening of the nipples, unusual discharge from the mammary glands, enlarged lymph nodes in the armpits, and the appearance of other suspicious symptoms, you should make an appointment with a specialist.

The doctor will assess the condition of the breast, carry out the necessary diagnostic measures and choose a method of treatment.

Indications for surgery

There are several indications for surgical removal of fibroadenoma. These include:

1. Leaf-like structure of fibroadenoma. In most cases, such a neoplasm structure is an absolute indication for tumor removal.
2. Suspected cancer. It so happens that the data obtained in the course of diagnostic activities is insufficient to exclude breast cancer. In such cases, there is a high risk of confusing fibroadenoma with cancer. There are cases when the indication for the operation was the presence of fibroadenoma, and according to the results of the intervention and histology, it turned out that the tumor was breast cancer.
3. Rapid tumor growth. If the neoplasm is rapidly increasing in size, and measures to prevent its growth do not bring the desired result, fibroadenoma must be removed.
4. The large size of the neoplasm. If the tumor exceeds 5 cm, this may indicate the presence of phylloid fibroadenoma. Phylloid fibroadenoma is understood as a special type of tumor that rapidly increases in size and tends to disintegrate due to impaired blood circulation in the neoplasm. Patients with such tumors require surgical intervention. In especially severe cases (if the neoplasm has managed to degenerate into a sarcoma), they resort to the removal (amputation) of the mammary gland.
5. The presence of a cosmetic defect. Fibroadenoma, visible to the naked eye, can cause psychological discomfort. If the tumor changes the appearance of the breast and leads to its deformation, surgery is recommended.
6. Pregnancy planning. During gestation, the fibroadenoma may grow in size, so it is best to remove it before pregnancy.
7. The patient has carcinophobia (fear of contracting cancer).

As for the rest of the cases, they do not require the obligatory removal of fibroadenoma, so the decision to perform the operation is made by the patient herself.

If the benign nature of the neoplasm is confirmed and it does not interfere with the woman, monitoring the tumor will be sufficient.

Recovery after surgery

The duration of the recovery period depends on where the patient is: if at home, then about 10 days, if in a hospital - 24 hours.

After removing the tumor, sutures are usually applied to the skin incision site. They are removed 8-9 days after the operation.

Sometimes an inflammatory process occurs around the seams, which is accompanied by pain and a feeling of some kind of formation in the area of \u200b\u200bthe incision.

Over time, all the side effects fade away, and the scars become invisible (usually this happens after a few months). Also, the appearance of painful sensations in the area of \u200b\u200bthe seams, shoulder blades, shoulder joints and chest is not excluded. This phenomenon is considered completely normal and does not require treatment.

To recover from surgery does not take long, you should follow the surgeon's recommendations, namely:

• Do not wash for two to three days after surgery (if a cosmetic suture is applied). After this time, you can start hygiene procedures. Steaming and use of washcloths should be avoided. After washing, the seam should be carefully blotted with a towel.
• Refrain from playing sports for one week. Typically, complete healing occurs during this time.
• Avoid baths and saunas for two weeks. For the same reason, it is undesirable to take a bath.
• As for sunbathing (both on the beach and in the solarium), they are not prohibited. However, the scar should be protected from UV exposure.

To reduce the scar after surgery, drugs like the Kontraktubex gel can be used.

Such products contain components that promote the resorption of scar tissue and prevent the appearance of a rough scar.

It is worth using such drugs one to two weeks after the suture is applied, when the crusts fall off.

The duration of use of local funds varies from one to two months.

In rare cases, during the recovery period, there are side effects associated with the removal of fibroadenoma. These include:

• inflammation of the wound and the appearance of pus;
• increased body temperature;
• relapse of the disease and the emergence of new fibroadenomas.

If the above symptoms appear, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Delete or not?

Thus, the doctor makes the decision to remove the fibroadenoma. This takes into account many factors: the patient's well-being, the type of fibroadenoma, the rate of its growth, etc. If there are indications for the operation, the tumor is removed. If there are no such indications, it is not necessary to go to surgery.

Cost, prices

The procedure for enucleation of fibroadenoma costs about 12-35 thousand rubles.

The cost of sectoral resection is determined by the degree of complexity of the surgical intervention.

Operations of the first degree of complexity cost in the region of 17-20 thousand rubles, of the second degree of complexity - about 30-25 thousand, and the third - at least 40-50 thousand.

Even benign tumors require medical supervision, because sometimes they can be reborn. refer to non-dangerous tumors, but you need to know about some of the features of their development.

Read about what diffuse breast mastopathy is.

The most dangerous of fibroadenomas is leafy fibroadenoma of the breast, as it can potentially develop into cancer. Read how to detect and treat it.

One of the types of nodular mastopathy is breast fibroadenoma. Delete or not? This question is asked by women who have been diagnosed. In each case, the doctor chooses an individual method of treating fibroadenoma.

The essence of the disease, classification, causes

Fibroadenoma of the breast is a non-malignant tumor that forms as a result of the proliferation of fibrous tissue. Despite its benign nature, the neoplasm can degenerate into a cancerous tumor (sarcoma).

Most often, fibroadenoma occurs in women aged 18 to 38 years. It can be localized both in one gland and in both. The tumor has a rounded shape ranging from 2 mm to several centimeters. Fibroadenoma is painless, there are 2 types:

• nodular;
• leafy.

The tumor is hormone-dependent, therefore, the cause of the formation of breast fibroadenoma is an increase in the amount of estrogen.

This happens in the following cases:

• Pregnancy.
• Taking hormonal contraceptives.
• Endocrine diseases.
• Obesity.
• Ovarian pathology.
• Stress.
• Menopause.
• Heredity.

How is breast fibroadenoma treated?

Should fibroadenoma be removed? Usually, education does not manifest itself in any way, so the need for an operation is questioned. The probability of transformation of a tumor into cancer is negligible. The only type of fibroadenoma that has a risk of degeneration into a sarcoma is a leaf-shaped (phylloid) tumor. This fibroadenoma is a cross between a benign and malignant tumor. According to statistics, 10% of phylloid tumors are transformed into cancer. Therefore, leaf-shaped fibroadenoma must be removed.

The decision about the operation is made by the doctor after the diagnosis, which includes:

• palpation;
• Ultrasound of the mammary glands;
• mammography;
• biopsy.

Depending on the degree of development, education is divided into:

• Immature fibroadenoma. She occurs in adolescence and lacks a capsule. Therefore, the tumor is easily amenable to conservative treatment.
• Mature fibroadenoma. It is diagnosed in adult women, has a capsule, so treatment with medication is ineffective.

If a tumor is found after childbirth, this is not a contraindication to breastfeeding. On the contrary, changes in hormonal levels during this period can have a positive effect and the fibroadenoma will decrease in size or disappear completely.

Conservative treatment of fibroadenoma

Conservative therapy consists of dynamic observation and hormonal treatment. Dynamic observation is used in the case of a small tumor (up to 1 cm), no symptoms.

Many women are familiar with a disease such as fibroids, so the dilemma of whether or not to remove breast fibroadenoma is quite relevant. The disease is not fatal, but without proper treatment it can ruin a woman's life.

What is fibroadenoma

Fibroadenoma is usually called a benign tumor that forms in the tissues of the breast. Often this pathology occurs in mastopathy and affects girls and women aged 20 to 50 years.

The neoplasm is mobile, more often formed in one breast and reaches 5 centimeters in diameter. The tumor is hormone-dependent.

Characteristics of the disease

Fibroadenoma is very common. Therefore, medicine has studied all its types and forms:

1. Perianalicular fibroadenoma is diagnosed when fibrous and connective tissue grows only near the milk ducts. This type of pathology does not degenerate into oncology.
2. Intracanalicular the form is characterized by the proliferation of tissue in the lumen of the duct of the gland. In this case, the risk of oncology is also excluded.
3. Mixed the form consists of the above forms. This type of disease is more common.
4. Leafy fibroadenoma is the most aggressive form. The tumor grows rapidly and can transform into a malignant sarcoma. Here it is better to consult a doctor and decide whether it is necessary to remove the fibroadenoma of the breast.

Only a specialist can determine which form of the disease develops in a particular woman. For this, a specific diagnostic procedure will be assigned.

Causes

The exact cause of the appearance of the tumor is not yet clear to doctors. There are several factors that can provoke its formation:

1. Hormonal disruption, in which estrogen rises sharply in the body. This happens during puberty and during pregnancy.
2. Liver problems.
3. Endocrine system diseases.
4. Diseases of the genitourinary system.
5. Excess weight.
6. The presence of diabetes mellitus.
7. Irregular menstrual cycle.
8. Gynecological problems.

In addition to health problems, external factors can also influence the formation of fibroadenomas in the mammary gland.

These include the following phenomena:

1. Polluted environment.
2. Stress.
3. Excessive passion for solarium.
4. Chest trauma.
5. Frequent abortions.
6. Treatment with hormonal drugs.
7. Using a coil that is incorrectly installed.

Among physicians, there is an opinion about the hereditary factor in the transmission of the disease. But there is no scientific and official confirmation of this conclusion.

Symptoms

Experts say that the pathology does not cause any specific symptoms. Its only sign is a knot located in the soft tissue of the breast. This knot is solid, with clear boundaries. Its size can be from 10 millimeters to 5-6 centimeters. The neoplasm is mobile, not associated with tissue. It is often localized in the upper chest.

Almost always, the problem is discovered by chance when a woman feels her breasts. Visually, a neoplasm is visible only when it is very large. Fibroadenoma does not cause pain. Unpleasant sensations are present only with the leaf-shaped form of the disease.

Clear signs of fibroadenoma appear when it is located near the nipple.

A woman may notice the following phenomena:

• a crack, sore on or near the nipple;
• pressure pain;
• highlighting a light color.

If you do not start the treatment of an aggressive type of pathology in a timely manner, then there is a risk of developing sarcoma - a malignant tumor. In this case, the skin on the chest changes color, and the neoplasm greatly increases in size.

When conservative treatment is possible

A benign tumor can be treated conservatively. This can be done if the patient is no more than 25 years old. It is better to consult with a specialist about whether it is necessary to remove the fibroadenoma of the breast. In case of refusal of the operation, the woman is prescribed to take certain medications and undergo special procedures that help to quickly get rid of the pathology.

Surgery is not performed when a tumor is found during menopause. This is due to the fact that such a neoplasm does not grow and does not threaten a woman's life. In addition, a non-enlarging fibroadenoma that does not interfere with the patient may not be removed.

In order for the tumor not to progress, a woman should drink pills and perform physiotherapy procedures, forget about alcohol and cigarettes, and saturate the body with vitamins and microelements.

Delete or not

A woman who has discovered changes in the mammary gland should consult a specialist for a complete examination. After examination and diagnosis, the specialist will decide whether to remove the neoplasm or not. If a medic insists on an operation, then you should not ignore his words.

Indications for removal

There are several points in the development of which one cannot do without surgical intervention:

1. The tumor is more than 2 centimeters in diameter.
2. The neoplasm is growing rapidly.
3. A leaf-shaped form of the disease was diagnosed.
4. The risk of developing sarcoma.
5. Conservative therapy has no effect after 6 months of treatment.
6. When planning a pregnancy.

If a girl wants to give birth to a child, then surgeons are advised to remove the fibroadenoma before conception. Hormonal changes in the body when carrying a baby can lead to the growth of a tumor and its malignancy. The disease itself does not affect the child.

The risk of starting the disease

If it is wrong or untimely to treat the pathology of the mammary gland, then an oncological process may occur. But such a phenomenon is diagnosed very rarely, so a tumor that does not grow is not removed.

In the event that the presence of leaf-shaped fibroadenoma in the chest is confirmed, doctors prescribe an operation. The same decision is made when the neoplasm has exceeded 3 centimeters in diameter. If we talk about removing a tumor for cosmetic purposes, then the woman herself decides.

Surgical treatments

Surgical intervention to remove fibroadenoma is of two types: exfoliation and sectoral resection.

The tumor is excreted when there is no oncology. The operation is performed through a small incision under local anesthesia. If cancer is suspected, resection is prescribed. Before cutting out the neoplasm, doctors must examine the patient well and take all the necessary tests.

Enucleation

The method is used to get rid of small tumors. It practically does not injure the mammary gland. The patient is anesthetized, an incision is made and a seal is cut through it.

Resection

Resection is performed under local anesthesia, injected subcutaneously. It is customary to use lidocaine or novocaine here. The operation lasts about 30 minutes, and after a few hours the woman can go home.

The seal, which was removed during the operation, is sent for histological analysis. It is he who will help determine the nature of the tumor and refute or confirm cancer.

Laser removal

The technique is ideal for the treatment of any type of fibroadenoma. During its implementation, the integrity of the skin is not disturbed, and the affected tissue is burned out. This makes it possible to destroy the tumor and leave no visual traces of the operation.

Rehabilitation

Very often women complain of pain in the seam area. This is considered normal and should not be a cause for panic. If the pain cannot be tolerated, then the doctor prescribes anti-inflammatory drugs. At home, the pain syndrome can be removed with lotions from ice wrapped in gauze.

When the tumor has already been removed, the doctor applies a cosmetic suture to the affected area so that over time it is practically invisible. During the first 5 days, it is forbidden to wet this seam.

During the rehabilitation period, a woman should use gels or ointments that should be applied to the postoperative suture. Such products contain special substances that heal the tissue and prevent possible scarring. You can use these drugs 14 days after surgery. The course of treatment lasts at least 2 months.

After the suture has completely healed, the woman can return to her previous life: go in for sports, visit the pool or sauna, use moisturizing creams for the breast. In addition, the operation is not an obstacle to breastfeeding your baby.

For quick wound healing and acceleration of the recovery period, women are advised to adhere to some rules.

They are as follows:

1. Get plenty of rest.
2. Avoid stress.
3. Eat right. Food should be fortified with vitamin C and protein.
4. Wear comfortable underwear made from natural materials.
5. Choose a comfortable bra. It is recommended to give preference to sports models.

Forecast

Doctors give the most favorable prognosis when pathology is detected at an early stage. This suggests that girls should independently examine their breasts every month. At the slightest change in the mammary gland or the presence of seals in it, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Whether or not to remove breast fibroadenoma is up to the specialist. Removal of the neoplasm does not lead to the appearance of new tumors, but sometimes, without the restoration of hormonal levels, fibroadenoma appears on the other breast. The most important thing is to carefully monitor your health and not be afraid to consult with specialists.

Video

More information about rehabilitation after removal of fibroadenoma and recommendations for maintaining the health of the mammary glands - in our video.

Fibroadenoma of the mammary gland is one of the varieties of benign tumors of the mammary glands or focal mastopathy. All non-malignant diseases of the mammary glands are divided into diffuse and focal forms (fibroadenoma). Diffuse mastopathy is subject to conservative treatment and patient monitoring. Focal forms must be treated promptly. Sometimes in one patient, several such foci in the mammary glands are found (fibroadenomatous hyperplasia).

Causes of occurrence

The causes of this disease are still not fully understood. Fibroadenomas are more common in women between the ages of 16 and 45. Clarified what matters:

• Hereditary factor,
• Stress and neuroses
• Diseases of the endocrine sphere, such as dysfunction of the thyroid gland, ovaries.
• Gynecological diseases (endometriosis, ovarian cysts, inflammatory diseases of the appendages, uterine fibroids, endometrial polyposis).
• Diseases leading to impaired liver function (intoxication, viral infections, jaundice).
• The frequency and quality of sexual activity. More often women who are sexually active irregularly suffer from breast diseases. Constant interrupted sexual intercourse leads to diseases of the nervous and endocrine systems and, as a result, to mastopathy. A high risk of getting sick is in women who have not had a pregnancy for a long time with regular sex. All these factors lead to disruption of the hormonal balance in the body and to the occurrence of diseases of the genital area and mammary glands.

Why are mastopathy dangerous?

Any form of benign breast disease increases your risk of developing breast cancer. So, with a diffuse form of the disease, this risk increases three times, with a focal form, 7 times, with fibroadenoma, 5 times. These data indicate that those suffering from diseases of the mammary glands should be regularly observed by mammologists and gynecologists with adequate treatment.

Diagnostics

The leading role in diagnostics is occupied by regular (at least once a year) medical examinations of women by gynecologists and mammologists. Already upon examination and palpation, the first signs of the disease can be detected.

• For the early detection of breast diseases, ultrasound diagnostics and X-ray mammography are successfully used. The development of new technologies has led to the emergence of high-frequency ultrasonic sensors, with the help of which it is possible to detect neoplasms 2-3 mm in size and determine their density and quality. The method is called "elastography".
• Modern digital X-ray mammography is also capable of detecting early forms of the disease and differentiating them as malignant or benign. However, due to the harmful effects of ionizing radiation, mammography is not recommended for patients under the age of 40.
• The method of diagnosing mastopathy in women under 40 is an ultrasound of the mammary glands. Sometimes, with questionable results of primary diagnosis, the method of magnetic resonance mammography is used. But this method is quite expensive and time-consuming (about 40 minutes), so it is rarely used.
• The morphological method is of primary importance in the diagnosis of identified diseases of the mammary glands. If neoplasms are detected in the mammary gland or if a tumor is suspected, the patient must undergo a puncture biopsy under ultrasound guidance. An ultrasound doctor, under the control of a transducer, enters a tumor or cyst with a needle and takes material for examination under a microscope. A specialist morphologist with great accuracy determines the risk of developing breast cancer from this neoplasm. This makes it possible to eliminate the tumor at the earliest stages without mutilating operations and long-term, difficult and dangerous for the body chemotherapy or radiation treatment.

In addition to the above diagnostic methods, laboratory diagnostics is also important: determining the level of hormones in a person's blood. Usually, the level of sex hormones, pituitary hormones (prolactin, FSH, LH), and thyroid hormones are determined. Unfortunately, until now there are no reliable test systems that allow judging the presence of an early form of breast cancer by blood tests. Existing tumor markers for breast cancer in the early stages cannot “detect the enemy”. Therefore, ultrasound of the mammary glands and timely biopsy of detected small neoplasms remain the main ones in the diagnosis.

Conclusion: regular examinations (at least once a year) by a mammologist with an ultrasound diagnostic method using modern equipment minimizes the risk of developing breast cancer. Every woman should know about it!

Treatment

Diffuse mastopathies (cystic, fibrous and adenous forms) are treated only with medication. In treatment, the main place is given to the stabilization of nervous activity, the normalization of the disturbed endocrine balance. In this regard, phytopreparations are used containing indole, twig, valerian root.

Hormone therapy is also used, most often these are progesterone preparations. The prescription of antioxidants such as vitamin E is essential.

Of great importance in treatment is the normalization of the patient's sex life and the onset of pregnancy. The risk of breast cancer decreases with the number of pregnancies. With three pregnancies, the risk is minimal.

Treatment of breast fibroadenoma with medication is not effective. Focal forms of diseases are treated only with a surgical method. However, it should be noted that benign tumors less than 1 cm in size can be observed without surgery. Such patients should be examined twice a year with an ultrasound of the mammary glands. Primary puncture biopsy is required. Repeated biopsies are performed only when the tumor grows

The morphological forms of fibroadenomas are as follows: ductal fibroadenomas (they usually do not become malignant) and phylloid or leaf-shaped fibroadenomas (have a high risk of degeneration into sarcoma). It is not possible to establish an accurate diagnosis without microscopy of the operating material. Therefore, if more than 1 cm of fibroadenomas are found in the mammary gland, surgery is necessary!

Modern methods of surgery, the use of high-tech, absorbable suture material, as well as the ultrasound method in the operating room allow removing fibroadenoma without major trauma and noticeable scars. Scars become invisible after 1-2 months. Such an operation is carried out under general anesthesia using modern drugs that do not depress the nervous system. Such an operation does not require inpatient treatment. Patients go home on the day of surgery.

It's important to know

To protect yourself from a big trouble that will radically change your life and the lives of your loved ones, it is enough to visit a mammologist once a year. A doctor's examination with an ultrasound examination of the mammary glands will take 15 minutes a year. It will take a lifetime to treat stage 3 breast cancer!