In the Netherlands, approximately 13,500 people are diagnosed with breast cancer every year. Due to the aging population, this number will increase to approximately 17,000 in the next five years. These people often undergo painful tests necessary to make the diagnosis. Perhaps that will no longer be necessary in the future.
How does breast cancer develop?
Breast cancer is caused by an abnormality in the DNA. The cause of the abnormality is usually unclear. The abnormality in the DNA causes uninhibited cell division. It is known that people who are hereditary, people who have previously had breast cancer and people who have previously been treated for benign breast abnormalities are at a greater risk of breast cancer.
Other risk factors include:
- Insufficient exercise
- Smoking
- Overweight
- Excessive use of alcohol
- The first menstruation at an early age
- Breastfeeding for a short time or not at all
- Have few or no children
- Having children after the age of 35
- Taking the contraceptive pill (this risk decreases after stopping the pill)
- Long-term use of a hormone preparation against menopausal symptoms
- Late menopause
Not all people at risk will develop breast cancer and there are also many people who develop breast cancer without a risk factor.
Breast cancer symptoms
Alarm signals that can be observed are:
- A lump in the breast
- Unusual swelling of the breast
- Scaling or rash around the nipple
- Retraction of the nipple
- Thickening of the nipple
- Discharge from the nipple (blood or fluid)
- Retractions or folds in the chest
- Skin rash on chest (red and blotchy)
- Pain in the chest
- Appearance of blood vessels on/in the chest
The diagnosis of breast cancer
The diagnosis of breast cancer is often made on the basis of a mammography. This is an examination in which the breasts are pressed flat between two plates. X-rays are then taken. Abnormalities in the breasts can be seen on these photos. If abnormalities are found, a piece or more pieces of tissue are removed from the breast and further examined. These examinations are often experienced as painful.
Breast cancer treatment
If breast cancer is found to be present, surgery is often performed. Part or all of the breast is removed during surgery. Radiation therapy and medications such as chemotherapy can also be initiated. What exactly is done is determined per patient.
The breath test that can detect cancer
Recent scientific research, conducted among 177 people, has shown that it is possible to find out whether someone has cancer with a simple breath test. Someone with cancer excretes certain chemicals. These chemicals can be recognized by sensors in a breath test. The test can distinguish between the four most common types of cancer: breast cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer and prostate cancer.The breathalyzer is currently being tested among a much larger group of people. One hundred women are participating in the trial in Maastricht. They must breathe in and out quietly for two minutes into a long tube. Using sensors, the exhaled air is checked for chemicals that indicate breast cancer.It is hoped that the breath test can be used by general practitioners to test whether someone has cancer. For them, determining the diagnosis of cancer is difficult. The device will probably not become a real replacement for mammography and other examinations . These tests are necessary to make a definitive diagnosis.