Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that occurs in the breast epithelial tissue. The early symptoms of the disease include breast lumps, nipple discharge, and enlarged axillary lymph nodes. In the late stage, cancer cells may metastasize far away, resulting in multi-organ lesions, which directly threaten the patient's life.

Breast cancer is known as the "pink killer", and its incidence ranks first among female malignant tumors, mostly occurring in middle-aged female friends over the age of 40. In China, the incidence of breast cancer is about 22 cases per 100,000 people, and it is the fourth most common cancer in women. It is more common in women with a family history of breast cancer, who have never given birth or who have given birth later.

Nowadays, breast cancer has replaced lung cancer as the largest tumor in the world. There are about 420,000 new breast cancer patients in China every year, and the incidence rate has increased by 3% to 4% every year in recent years. Younger onset also means a heavier burden on oneself, family, and society.

early symptoms of breast cancer

1. Some patients with early breast cancer often feel local discomfort although they have not yet been able to feel a clear mass in the breast. Especially postmenopausal women sometimes feel mild pain and discomfort on the side of the breast, or heaviness in the shoulder and back, soreness and discomfort, and even the upper arm on the side.

2. In the early stage, a broad bean-sized mass can be palpated in the breast, which is relatively hard and movable, and generally has no obvious pain. A few have episodic dull pain, sharp pain or tingling.

3. Changes in the shape of the breast, showing that the skin at the mass is uplifted, and some local skin is orange peel-like, and even edema, discoloration, and eczema-like changes.

4, near the center of the nipple with nipple retraction, also known as the dimple sign. Nipple erosion, nipple asymmetry, also known as orange peel sign, nipple discharge. The discharge is bloody and serous, and special attention should be paid to further examination. Regional lymph node enlargement is more common with ipsilateral axillary lymph node enlargement, and supraclavicular lymph node enlargement is already at an advanced stage.

Is tofu a 'catalyst' for breast cancer?

There is no scientific reason for the online rumor that "tofu is a catalyst for breast cancer", and breast cancer patients can eat tofu. Studies have shown that isoflavones contained in soybeans belong to a type of phytoestrogens. Its structure is similar to that of human estrogen, so it can bind to human estrogen receptors, thereby competitively blocking human estrogen and its receptors. The combination of estrogen plays an antagonistic role, but reduces the stimulation of human estrogen on the mammary gland.

And foreign surveys have shown that eating soybeans will not affect the recurrence of breast cancer, but has a certain protective effect on patients, so breast cancer patients can rest assured to eat tofu.

Reminder: These 3 things should really be avoided, stay away early

【Smoked and grilled food】

For women with breast cancer, it is best to avoid smoked foods, especially foods like fried meat, barbecue, smoked ham, etc., which can cause indigestion, anger and other symptoms, and smoked foods also contain A carcinogen, it is not good for disease treatment, so breast cancer patients are best not to eat or eat less smoked foods in peacetime.

【fried food】

Breast cancer patients had better control the amount of fried foods. Eating too much of these fried and high-fat foods will disturb the hormone levels in the body, resulting in an increase in the level of estrogen in the body, thus affecting the health of the breast. So it's best not to eat this kind of food.

【Royal Jelly】

The composition of royal jelly is more complex, which has the effect of estrogen, so it is best for breast cancer patients to eat less. Eating too much royal jelly will cause the production and release of certain hormones in the human body, which will stimulate the excessive proliferation of breast gland epithelial cells and cause the disease to recur. Therefore, it is best not to eat such foods as royal jelly.