Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, with a prevalence of 1 in 8 women. Dr. Pilar Rioja Torres explains that there is no direct cause for the appearance of breast cancer. However, like many other tumors, it is more frequently associated with factors such as smoking, sedentary lifestyle, alcohol consumption, late age of first pregnancy, early menarche… In the absence of these factors, breast cancer occurs in women because of its high frequency, so it cannot be said with certainty that avoiding these situations will prevent its appearance.
Is breast cancer hereditary?
Hereditary breast tumors, only 5% of the total, are those linked to the presence of the BRCA-1 and BRCA-2 mutation in women. Those women who are carriers of these genes have a probability of up to 85% of the cases of having it. It is especially studied in patients whose family members (aunt, mother, sister, cousins, etc.) have had it and if they are carriers of this mutation, a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy is performed to prevent its appearance.
What is the probability of daughters of mothers with cancer having it?
Only a single family history, in this case of the mother, does not necessarily imply that the daughter will have it. In the case of more family members, it can be suspected that it is hereditary and the appropriate tests can be carried out. If it is only the mother, annual check-ups are recommended for the daughters, 10 years before the age at which the mother presented it and always from the age of 25-30 years, not before.
What are the current treatments?
The best treatment for early breast cancer is conservative surgery and selective sentinel lymph node biopsy, although this is not always possible because it also depends on factors such as the relationship between the size of the tumor and the size of the patient’s breast. Certain treatments can cause hair loss. However, to date, not all breast cancers require subsequent chemotherapy treatment and not all chemotherapy treatments always do. Whenever the size of the tumor, in relation to the size of the patient’s breast, allows it, ensuring tumor-free margins and acceptable aesthetic results, breast-conserving surgery will be performed and mastectomy will not be performed.
When is reconstructive surgery performed?
However, in the case that the breast has to be completely removed, reconstructive surgery is the technique that allows to make a new breast. This can be done in certain cases in the same surgical act in which the breast is removed or after receiving appropriate treatments such as chemotherapy and / or radiotherapy. There are many techniques for breast reconstruction and the choice of the most appropriate one is personalized for each patient. The surgeon will be able to provide all the details once the case is known and the woman is examined.