Breast cancer

Occurrence and causes

Breast cancer starts with an uncontrolled growth of cancer cells in the mammary gland. It can often take years before the tumour reaches a size that can be seen or felt. 

The exact causes of breast cancer are still largely unknown. Genetic predisposition, not having children, hormone therapy during menopause or excessive body weight are factors associated with an increased breast cancer risk. Genetic testing is advisable if several members of your family have suffered from breast cancer. Women who carry a mutation on the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes face a very high risk of developing the disease.

Breast cancers are primarily differentiated according to the biological properties of the cancer cells. It is very important to determine whether the cancer is hormone-receptor-positive or HER2-receptor-positive, because this has a significant bearing on the choice of therapy.

Symptoms and diagnosis

Every woman should examine her breasts once a month. It is the easiest way to detect changes in the breast tissue (Explanatory video “How to correctly examine your breasts”). In its early stages, the cancer generally has only very minor symptoms through to no symptoms at all. Therefore, any change in the breast should be examined by a doctor so that any signs of cancer can be identified as early as possible. Nodules or hardening of the breast, changes in the nipples, discharge from the nipples and changes in the shape of the breast are all possible indications of breast cancer. From the age of 50 onwards, women are recommended to have regular mammograms .  

Mammography is the most important examination for diagnosing breast cancer. Mammograms make it possible to detect cancer in its very early stages. However, not every suspicious change detected by a mammogram is necessarily a sign of breast cancer. Therefore, if a doctor suspects that a patient has cancer, the diagnosis must always be confirmed by a biopsy examination.

Treatment and therapy

The treatment of breast cancer depends on the type of breast cancer and its stage of development:

• Hormone-positive breast cancers are treated with anti-hormone therapy.
• HER2-positive breast cancers are treated with special anti-HER2 medications.

Before the drug therapy begins, the tumour is usually surgically removed. These days, most surgical procedures do not involve the removal of the breast. Mastectomies, i.e. the complete removal of the breast, are now only necessary in exceptional cases. Surgery is still often followed by Radiotherapy.