Ms. Vang, 63 years old, had a pea-sized hard lump in her left breast. Doctors diagnosed stage 0 breast cancer and was cured.
Ms. Vang’s older sister passed away from cancer two years ago, so when she felt an abnormal tumor, she went to Tam Anh General Clinic, District 7, for a check-up. Ultrasound and mammography results showed that the tumor was 2 cm away from the nipple, had a poorly echogenic structure, was 32x12x28 mm in size, had rough, hard edges, and increased tortuous blood vessels.
On October 25, Dr. Le Ngoc Vinh, Department of Breast – Head, Face and Neck Surgery, Tam Anh General Clinic, District 7, Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, said that the tumor was classified as BIRADS 4B, which means it is possible. cancer rate is about 10-50%. Core needle biopsy sent to pathology showed ductal carcinoma in situ breast cancer, stage 0, grade three.
Ms. Vang had breast conservation surgery. The team of the Department of Breast – Head, Face and Neck Surgery cut the tumor and the surrounding margin about 2 cm, injected methylene blue around the areola, incised the skin in the armpit to remove blue-stained axillary lymph nodes and sent for pathology. As a result, the axillary lymph nodes did not metastasize, the patient did not need axillary lymph node dissection, reducing the risk of edema and arm weakness on the operated side of the chest. After surgery, Ms. Vang received radiotherapy to prevent the risk of recurrence.
According to Dr. Vinh, breast conservation surgery at stage 0 not only helps women treat breast cancer completely, but also preserves their breasts. Combined with radiotherapy, the 5-year survival prognosis is equal to that of mastectomy. . Ductal carcinoma in situ is a type of non-invasive cancer, malignant cells are found in the mammary ducts and have not spread outside. This type of breast cancer can be detected early and cured up to 99%.
When an abnormality is detected, the doctor marks points of interest on the patient’s chest. A doctor specializing in diagnostic imaging examines the entire breast tissue, focuses the probe on the marked area to look for abnormalities, sends the sample (if any) to a pathologist, and determines whether it is cancer. . Ultrasound and mammography machines detect abnormalities by clearly showing the distribution of blood vessels, the hardness or softness of the tumor… providing information for doctors to have a basis for ordering a biopsy to confirm the possibility of a biopsy. benign or malignant tumor. Accurately assessing the grade of the lesion (BIRADS level) helps doctors make the correct diagnosis and have an appropriate treatment plan.
“Stage 0 breast cancer can recur after treatment, but the rate is only 1%,” said Dr. Vinh. After treatment, patients need to have regular check-ups so that doctors can monitor them, detect abnormalities early, and treat them promptly.
Stage 0 breast cancer often has no symptoms and is mainly discovered during routine health checks. Dr. Vinh advises women to have regular breast exams and screen to detect breast cancer at an early stage. Women after age 40 should have a mammogram every year. Young women, even if they do not have relatives with breast cancer or risk factors (BRCA1-2 gene mutations, etc.), should have their breasts examined regularly. When detecting abnormalities in the chest, the patient should see a doctor immediately