Myth and truth about breast cancer

Is it true that the primary prevention of breast cancer does not exist? And half of surveys for which we tout ads for the diagnosis of breast disease has nothing to do?

- Many believe that the prevention of breast diseases sufficiently checked by a gynecologist or general practitioner ...
- Only mammologist - a specialist in the field of disease diagnosis was breast cancer, and not anything else! In order to determine pathology, must have expertise in this area of ​​medicine and a great experience. And it's not all: the right strategy diagnosis can also choose only mammologist.

- In advertising, every now and then hear a prompt to action on breast cancer screening with thermal imaging equipment, electronic briefcase, computer tomography. Should we trust them?
- Complete rubbish! About the first two places I generally keep quiet, but even the CT scanner, which is actually used for the diagnosis of many diseases, the diagnosis of pathological processes in the breast has nothing to do. Type of diagnostic mammologist chooses, identifying high risk women. First collected history, that is, find out the age, whether in the family disease of the breast and other individual characteristics. As a rule, up to 35 years is sufficient to palpation and ultrasonography. With horror, we hear that some women under 35 years referred for a mammogram - it makes no sense at this age! Send it, usually after 45 years of age is at risk. If by history likelihood of breast cancer is high, at our center, the only one in Kazan, making genetic analysis of an inherited cancer. The risk of cancer in these women is extremely high. Inherited cancer in our region is 3 - 4% of all malignant breast disease. It is clear that the tactics of diagnosis and prevention of these women have special parameters.

- Please tell us about the primary prevention of ...
- This does not exist! Primary prevention - something that can prevent cancer. But such methods modern science of radiology does not know! Advice on proper nutrition, avoidance of harmful habits, timely delivery and breast-feeding, of course, good and welcome. But to prevent occurrence of cancer, they can not. The main thing - to find the formation of tumors at an early stage. Then the recovery is guaranteed 100%. And the treatment itself in a less aggressive and traumatic than in the later stages. Therefore, the only prevention of breast cancer - secondary prevention. In other words, early treatment of mastitis, or benign tumors.

- Who is at risk?
- The first woman of 45 years. Second, the emergence of the disease affects estrogen (hormone), the load that a woman receives throughout life. That is, the more years of continued menstruation and late menopause, the greater the risk. Third, the presence of close who have had breast cancer. These are the main risk factors. Others - late delivery, non-breastfeeding, smoking and so on. If they can influence the occurrence of cancer, it is only in the complex. Their evidence is not proved.

Mammography as a risk factor

Regular mammography does not decrease but increases the number of annual cases of breast cancer diagnosis, followed by a less painful for the ladies mastectomy.

According to data provided by Norwegian researchers, from the beginning of the use of mammography for breast cancer in the mid-1990s of the last century the number of cases, followed by a mastectomy, has increased significantly.

As counted specialists for women who were mammograms, the risk of breast amputation because of developing breast cancer increases by almost 31 percent, compared to their peers who abstain from the passage of this diagnostic procedure.

Created an implantable sensor for monitoring tumor

A microchip monitors the oxygen level, which indicates the status of the tumor.
The traditional measure of cancer treatment - surgery. However, not all tumors can be removed the operation. If the tumors are located in close proximity to the brain or liver, there is risk of damaging surrounding tissue and nerve cells. And in the case of slow-growing tumors (eg, prostate cancer), which appear mainly in older people, there is a serious threat to life.

The development of inoperable tumors need to continuously monitor, in time to meet them. Now used for this computer, or magnetic resonance imaging, and other similar technologies.

Group of German scientists from the Technical University of Munich (TUM), led by Professor Bernhard Wolf offers a watch from inside, not outside. Experts have designed a sensor and put it together with the supporting electronics, a radio transmitter and batteries in a sheath of biocompatible plastic. The resulting device is a length of about 2 cm are implanted into the body near the tumor and measures the concentration of dissolved oxygen in its tissues.

The main difficulty was to create a device that can perform its work completely independently and for a long time. It was important that he could act in the presence of protein and cellular "garbage" and not perceived by the body as a foreign object, said one of the participants in the project, Sven Becker.

Developers have successfully coped with its task: it confirmed the laboratory

experiments. Now comes the search for suitable patients for clinical trials. In the future, engineers intend to add other sensors that record temperature and acidity of cancer cells, as well as a mechanism for the introduction of low-dose chemotherapy as needed.

On this project, which is called IntelliTuM (Intelligent Implant for Tumor Monitoring), the German authorities have allocated € 500 thousand

Magnetic resonance imaging: for whom and why

New modern methods of research to help accurately diagnose and plan to establish the correct treatment.

One of the most effective methods is an MRI - magnetic resonance imaging. MRI - it is one of the best and most accurate ways to diagnose pathology in the soft tissues of the body. Yet there are contraindications to undergo this procedure. However, progress does not stand still, and that number every year is getting smaller.

Year of foundation magnetic rezonanskoy tomography in medical circles, is considered to be 1973rd, and this despite the fact that in 1960 the Soviet scholar V. Ivanov proposed a method and apparatus for tomographic method for studying the internal organs and tissues using nuclear magnetic resonance - NMR tomography. As a result, the inventors of MRI officially became Peter Mansfield and Paul Loterbur who received for his contributions to science in the 2003 Nobel Prize in medicine. Apart from these, a significant contribution to the development of MRI has made Damadyan Raymond, who studied the principles of operation and created the first commercial MRI scanner (who also holds a patent on MRI).

By the way, his final title was reserved for an MRI since 1986, after the Chernobyl disaster: then evolved in humans radiophobia made it extremely difficult to use the word "nuclear" in the name of the medical device. But in any case it does not negate the very essence of the method in the staff of MRI radiofrequency coils pick up the special response of the nuclei of hydrogen atoms in the body, in a special combination of electromagnetic waves in a constant magnetic field of high tension. Unlike computed tomography and conventional X-rays, MRI uses no ionizing radiation, which can lead to the formation of free radicals, causing massive loss of cells.
Why use MRI?

Magnetic resonance imaging is mainly used for the diagnosis of changes in soft tissues. In addition, this research method to visualize the brain and spinal cord and other internal organs with the highest quality, inaccessible to X-ray, ultrasound or CT scan. MRI plays an important role in early detection, diagnosis and treatment of common diseases and conditions such as cancer, neurological disorders or injuries of the locomotor apparatus. The most common use of MRI - to examine the spine and central nervous system. The method allows to accurately assess the structure of the bodies, identify disease, tumors, traumatic changes, and so on. In addition, MRI is widely used in Angiology, oncology, urology and other fields of medicine.

Head of the laboratory of social and economic risk analysis HNIZ, Chairman of the Working Group of Cardiology of young Russian Scientific Society of Cardiologists End AV said that an MRI - is a modern high-tech diagnostic method, which allows you to look inside the human body and identify a range of diseases, including cancer. Most importantly, this method can be applied at the earliest stages of the disease when treatment is effective.

In addition to the study of internal organs and soft tissues, this method allows non-invasive diagnosis - that is, without intervention - to investigate organ function: measure the speed of current of cerebrospinal fluid, blood flow, determine the level of Diffusion in the tissues, to track the activation of the cerebral cortex, and much more. It turns out that for one MRI can clarify several aspects of human health. During the passage of an MRI patient in a horizontal position is placed in a narrow tunnel (pipe) with a strong magnetic field for about 15-20 minutes, depending on the type of research. The patient must maintain complete immobility of the body parts which are subject to inspection.

The procedure is painless, but is accompanied by a loud noise, to reduce the discomfort that patients are often offered headphones. By the way, in order to pass magnetic resonance imaging, the patient does not need special training. He can continue to use any drugs, do not limit themselves in eating and drinking, as well as other medical procedures take place. Only the examination of the pelvic organs to take care of filling the bladder. But before examining the head, women's better not to apply make-up, as the shadow, mascara and other cosmetics may interfere with obtaining high-quality images, and thereby reduce the accuracy of the procedure. In addition, the patient is important to provide all the previous data on the ultrasound and MRI studies - then the specialist will be easy to trace the dynamics of change.

Contraindications for using MRI

But, unfortunately, not all patients can use this method of diagnosis, since there are a number of absolute and relative contraindications. For example, a completely non-pass magnetic resonance imaging in the presence of the established pacemaker, metal implants and various metal fragments in the body. At the same time relative contraindications are insulin pumps, nerve stimulators, various non-ferromagnetic implants and prostheses, pregnancy, claustrophobia and the need for physiological monitoring.

If we talk about patients with pacemakers, the MRI would be very useful for them in terms of studying the state. On doctors' estimates, about 50-75% of patients worldwide were living with implanted pacemakers, one way or another in need of an MRI scan during the lifetime of the device. Thus in 2010 appeared the first and only worldwide pacemaker manufactured by Medtronic with a unique technology that allows the passage of magnetic resonance imaging. This was achieved through the modification and improvement of the internal circuitry system and reduce the number of ferromagnetic components. To date, the new pacemaker can already run a full examination by MRI more than 13 000 patients worldwide, and in June 2011 announced the release of this system is pacing the Russian market.

With regard to pregnant women, to date, experts gathered insufficient evidence that MRI is completely safe for the fetus. But, doctors say, is preferable to MRI imaging and computed tomography, and yields more information than by ultrasound. In addition, the relative restriction to the passage of magnetic resonance imaging may be the presence of tattoos, made with pigments containing metal compounds, including compounds based on titanium (eg titanium dioxide), though in itself is not ferromagnetic titanium and virtually safe MRI.

There is also a psychological problem due to the fact that the procedure takes place in a narrow space, people with even a mild form of claustrophobia, may experience severe discomfort. However, today there is less bulky machines MRI with a wider aperture, and the time of the procedure is reduced. Also, there are open sets and apparatus in which a patient can undergo research standing. But, experts say, the quality of the results obtained is inferior to traditional methods. So, sometimes for the full and effective investigation used a local or full anesthesia, especially for infants and young children who can not remain immobile during the procedure.