What you should know about breast cancer
Content-Team SWICA
Almost a third of carcinomas among women are diagnosed in the breast. Breast cancer occurs when malignant cells divide in uncontrolled fashion, spread into the surrounding tissue and cause damage. The most frequent form of breast cancer, known in medical parlance as ductal carcinoma, originates in the milk ducts. If the condition originates in the lobules of the breast, it's termed lobular carcinoma.
Symptoms
- Palpable hardening or knots in the area of the breast
- Changes in the skin such as indentations or bulges in the area of the breast
- Sudden inflammation, reddening of the breast or orange-peel skin
- Inflammation of or fluid discharge from the nipple
- A change in the size difference between the breasts
- Enlarged lymph nodes around the armpit, collarbone or breastbone
- Inexplicable weight loss
These symptoms may, but don't necessarily, indicate breast cancer. Whatever the case, you should always get them checked out by a doctor – especially if you have an elevated risk of breast cancer. All the more so if you have a gene mutation or a family history of breast cancer.
Young women also affected
Although the risk of contracting breast cancer increases particularly over age 50, younger women are also affected. Around one fifth of all sufferers are below 50 when diagnosed. Even men can get breast cancer, although it's rarely diagnosed and in most cases affects men over age 60.
According to the Swiss Cancer League, other factors besides age can increase the risk of breast cancer. They include:
- Family members in the first degree (mother, sister or daughter) diagnosed with the disease
- Hereditary dispositions through so-called BRCA mutations, abnormalities in the genes related to breast cancer
- Hormonal influences: in cases where the woman has her first period before age 12 or her last after age 55, gives birth to her first child after age 30, or has many years of combined hormone therapy for the symptoms of menopause
- Radiation therapy for other forms of cancer
- Obesity, smoking and drinking
Breast cancer prevention
The earlier the cancer is detected, the easier the therapy and the greater the patient's chance of survival. Finding out whether a woman has breast cancer involves a mammogram (an X-ray examination of the breast) or biopsy (removing a tissue sample). The most common treatment methods are chemotherapy, radiation therapy and antibody therapy or surgery (these days more likely to involve breast reduction rather than complete removal). This article explains how breast cancer can be prevented.
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How is breast cancer treated?
There are various different treatments for breast cancer. In many cases, different types of treatment are combined, sometimes even being carried out simultaneously. The most common methods include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and hormone therapy.
Surgery
With a small tumour, surgeons will carry out breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy) wherever possible. If the tumour is too large, or if there are multiple tumours or other factors involved, the affected breast may need to be removed (mastectomy).
Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy is carried out as a follow-up to a lumpectomy. It is used to destroy any remaining cancer cells in the breast. In some cases radiotherapy is also carried out after a mastectomy.
Chemotherapy
In contrast to radiotherapy, chemotherapy destroys cancer cells in the entire body. It is used if there is an increased risk of the cancer coming back.
Hormone therapy
In cases where hormones stimulate the growth of cancer cells, hormone therapy drugs are used to treat breast cancer. These drugs work by either inhibiting the effect of the hormones on cancer cells or blocking the production of these hormones in the body.
Further information about the different types of treatment can be found on the website of the Swiss Cancer League (not available in English).
Solidarity with sufferers
The 15th edition of the Pink Ribbon Charity Walk will take place on 25 September 2022 – after three years finally on site again at the Letzigrund stadium. Pink Ribbon expects around 5,000 runners and walkers to join. The main aim of the event is to show solidarity with people affected by breast cancer. As in the years before, SWICA supports Pink Ribbon Switzerland. For more information on the Charity Walk check pink-ribbon.ch.
Video of the Pink Ribbon Charity Walk 2019 (in German):
For SWICA customers: santé24 and Benecura
In the event of further health-related questions, SWICA customers can contact the santé24 online practice free of charge on +41 44 404 86 86. A telemedicine practice licence allows santé24 physicians to provide additional medical services in cases that are suited to a telemedicine approach.
SWICA customers can also use the Benecura medical app to carry out a digital SymptomCheck and receive recommendations about what to do next. During a subsequent phone call with santé24, customers can decide for themselves whether to release their information from SymptomCheck to santé24.
