Each year, over 70,000 women in Germany are diagnosed with breast cancer. But this is not a death sentence. The chances of recovery are good if the cancer is detected in a timely manner, such as by mammography.
Every two years, women between 50 and 69 in Germany, the invitation to the mammography, an x-ray technique, with the Breasts on tumors are examined. This can be a life-saver. If the Tumor is still small, can remove the Doctors before it spreads and without that the whole breast must be amputated.
What happens during a mammogram?
In the case of mammography, the Breasts are positioned between two plates, then a recording is made, the breast tissue and to see any changes. Many women dread a mammography, says the 58-year-old Antje. She is the head of a self-help group for women with breast cancer. “The investigation is not really pleasant, but it is also not dramatic.” It does not take long until the recording was made.
Every two years, women are invited between 50 and 69 for Screening
As a rule, the patient undergoes directly after the examination whether there are any abnormalities. For women, the time until the findings are disturbing. Has found the doctors in the breast something that doesn’t belong there? Or is everything in order and there is a good reason to be relieved?
The finding is striking, is done to confirm the diagnosis an ultrasound. With this process, some abnormal tissue structures are easier to see than in the case of the mammogram, and Vice versa. Further clarification is needed, the following, in addition, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which can represent the structure of the tissue in the layer images.
What if there are abnormalities?
The doctor actually finds a Tumor, there are other investigations, as in the case of Antje. You went regularly for a mammogram. The results were always negative: no nodes, no Tumor, no cancer. “In a year, I have some grinding, but suddenly the feeling that I should go for a mammogram,” she says.
“My premonition was right. It turned out the mammogram, that there actually was something. There an ultrasound was made and the result confirmed.” The Diagnosis: Breast Cancer.
Breast cancer is in women, the most common tumor form
Especially in the case of mammography, there are also false-positive results, because it can be spotted even small, innocuous changes, of which there is no danger. In rare cases, it may happen that a false cancer diagnosis is not made, is true but even. In the case of the women, such a diagnosis can trigger – even if it is incorrect – uncertainty and great anxiety. Such incorrect diagnoses, however, can hardly be avoided.
Women should palpate your Breasts regularly for possible changes
In the worst case,
At the Points in the imaging process were noticeable, takes samples of the doctor. To do this, he punches with a needle, small pieces of tissue from the breast. Which are then examined in the laboratory exactly.
It really is cancerous, the next step is. This can be a surgery. Antje everything has gone off fairly lightly. “I breast I was holding a surgery. Sometimes even a small Dent is visible, but otherwise you can’t see anything,” she says. Chemotherapy was spared. She has received radiation and makes an anti-hormone therapy.
In the case of some women but the affected breast must be amputated. “An Amputation is of course a very new and a quite bad Situation for the women. You have to consider that the breast is missing.” Some no longer feel as a real woman, have a fear that the Partner no longer loves you or accepts. “If I am to call women after the diagnosis, then tears to flow, often only once. But ultimately, many will say of you then: ‘This is now, so be it.’ Most of the cope with of the time with the Situation. Some of the breast to reconstruct the other to wear a breast prosthesis.”
“At the Limit” – The photo is part of a project by the photographer Heike Günther on the topic of breast cancer
The Moment of truth
An important aspect: As the doctor of a woman that has breast cancer? Some are empathic and have tact, others have to deliver, in turn, the bad news is rather clumsy and very sober.
“You should not go alone to mammography, whether it is to bring his man, or a good friend,” says Antje. “In the Moment, you get the result and it is clear that it is cancer, many feel overwhelmed and run over. You do not turn off, even to hear what the doctor says.” The shock sits deep. You are accompanied by someone, can that person take later the most Important thing back together, the woman calm and to comfort.
Who communicates the diagnosis, needs fingertip feeling
“I don’t think it’s very important to bury your head in the Sand, or to say: I better not go for the mammogram, then I don’t know if there was something wrong,” says Antje. Unfortunately, however, there are still women who say: ‘I don’t really care. Nothing’s gonna happen.’”
Mastectomy as a radical Pension
If a woman has the Gene, a certain Mutation of the so-called BRCA1 or BRCA2 carries, is the probability of developing breast cancer, between 50 and 80 percent. These genes are also referred to as the breast cancer genes. Even more critical is when the mother or the grandmother’s breast had cancer.
Whether this is a risk, you can since the mid-nineties to determine. Then the Affected will need to decide whether your Breasts are supposed to be pre-emptively amputated. You decide for such an Operation, can be excluded, the risk of breast cancer almost completely.
Angelina Jolie had both Breasts removed
The familial gene mutation in breast cancer is rare. Only about five to ten percent of a Mutation for the breast cancer is responsible. But that is the case, then this is like a time bomb.
In may 2013, the US actress Angelina Jolie, because she had, as a precaution, both Breasts cut off. You have such a defective BRCA1 Gene, which increases the risk of developing the disease, possibly eventually to breast cancer. The number of women who opt for such a radical solution, has increased the last few years.
A Good Chance Of Cure
The diagnosis of breast cancer is a deep incision in the life of every woman. But breast cancer is today a curable disease. To do this, the cancer must be recognized early enough and treated. Antje encouraged women to accept the offer and to go for mammography. From my own experience, you know: the smaller the Tumor is, the easier it can be removed.
With the diagnosis the lives of women changed fundamentally, even if it does not want some of the first true. “Women call me and they say: I hope, it will soon be all the same again”, but Antje has to disappoint these women: “no, it’s nothing like before and it will not be the same again.”
Breast cancer is also in the project of the photographer Heike Günther. The Title: “On The Limit”.
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Cancer avoid rather than cureThe fate in the Hand
A cancer diagnosis always hits hard and unexpectedly. Almost half of all cancer could be cases avoid. Alone, about every fifth tumour, Smoking is to blame. The toxic tobacco smoke causes not only lung cancer but also many other tumor types. Smoking is the most common self is not indebted to reason for cancer – but the only one.
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Cancer avoid rather than cureThick be fatal can be
Place two of the Cancer-causing agents: Obesity. Debt increased insulin levels are. You increase bubbles to the risk for almost all types of cancer, particularly for renal, biliary and esophageal cancer. Obese women are also more female sex hormones in the fatty tissue, and fall ill as a result is easier on the uterus and breast cancer.
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Cancer avoid rather than cureGet off the couch!
People hardly move, get the most frequently cancer. Long-term studies show that Sport prevents tumors. Because physical activity lowers insulin levels and prevents by the way, are the thick. And it needs to be a high-performance sports: something go for a walk or a bike ride, make a big difference.
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Cancer avoid rather than cureCancer benefit!
Alcohol is carcinogenic. He mainly promotes tumors of the oral cavity, the pharyngeal region and the esophagus. Especially dangerous is the combination of Smoking and alcohol is this: Thereby increasing his risk of cancer a hundred-fold. However, a glass of wine per day is healthy, because it supports the cardiovascular System. Everything that goes beyond that should be avoided.
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Cancer avoid rather than cureUnhealthy animal
Red meat may trigger bowel cancer. The exact reason is still unclear, long-term studies show a clear connection. Especially dangerous also, pig meat is beef, and, to a lesser extent. The cancer risk is increasing due to the consumption of about one and a half times. Fish prevents against cancer.
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Cancer avoid rather than cureDanger from the charcoal grill?
When grilling meat cancer-causing substances, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. In animals, these chemical Compounds trigger tumors. In long-term studies on people that’s not been proven yet. May be the consumption of meat is simply the Evil, not the method of preparation.
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Cancer avoid rather than cureFast food avoid
A diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables and fiber cancer preventing substances. In long-term studies, researchers have seen, however, that a healthy diet has less impact on cancer risk than was originally assumed: it reduces the risk only slightly, to a maximum of ten percent.
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Cancer avoid rather than cureA lot of sun is detrimental to a lot of
UV radiation in sunlight penetrates to the genome and changes it. The result is that black or white skin cancer. Sunscreen protects against sunburn – but as soon as the skin tans, it has gotten too much radiation.
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Cancer avoid rather than cureCancer by modern medicine
X-ray radiation damages the genetic material. In the case of an ordinary x-Ray exposure is low. Quite different in the case of a computed tomography: their you should take only if good reasons exist. A nuclear magnetic resonance tomography, however, is harmless. By the way: Also in the case of air travel, you are exposed to carcinogenic radiation.
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Cancer avoid rather than cureCancer due to infections
Human papilloma viruses can cause cervical cancer. Hepatitis B and C viruses can liver cells to Degenerate. The bacterium Helicobacter pylori (photo) a nest in the stomach and can cause stomach cancer. Against many of the pathogens can be vaccinated, against Helicobacter pylori antibiotics help.
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Cancer avoid rather than cureBetter than their reputation
The Anti-Baby-pill increases the risk slightly of developing breast cancer. But at the same time lowers the risk of ovarian cancer greatly. Overall, the pill protects more than it harms, at least in terms of cancer.
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Cancer avoid rather than cureA true stroke of fate
But also, if you do everything right, and very much against cancer, it is immune to never. Half of all cancer cases, the wrong genes are solely to blame – or simply the age. Especially brain tumors often develop without Intervention from the outside.