Subjectively not going to the doctor, female patient discovered stage 2 cancer

The Nuclear Medicine and Oncology Center, Bach Mai Hospital is treating a female patient with breast cancer at a relatively young age.

Ng.TT (29 years old, in Hanoi) accidentally discovered a tumor in her left breast, went to the doctor and was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. Sharing with us, Ms. Ng.TT said that she thought she was young and in normal health, so she did not go for regular health check-ups.

Doctors at Bach Mai Hospital are examining patients.

Recently, she discovered an unusual lump in her left breast, which gradually grew larger and was a bit painful, so she went to the hospital for a check-up. “I thought breast cancer only affected the elderly, and I didn’t think this disease would happen to me,” Ms. T shared.

According to MSc. Le Van Long, Center for Nuclear Medicine and Oncology, Bach Mai Hospital, through examination and clinical results, the patient was diagnosed with a tumor in the left breast.

After a biopsy, unfortunately the patient was diagnosed with breast cancer. In that misfortune, there was also some luck that the patient's cancer was detected in the early stages (stage 2).

After consulting with specialists in oncology, pathology, ... especially with plastic surgery experts, the patient was given the most advanced treatment methods today, from surgery to plastic surgery and using targeted drug treatments, such as anti-her-2 therapy.

The doctors performed surgery to remove the entire breast and axillary lymph nodes (when performing the surgery, the skin was saved and the areola was preserved). The patient then underwent surgery to reconstruct the left breast using a DIEP flap (all the excess skin and fat in the abdomen) to cover the defect in the surgically removed breast. Currently, the patient's condition is stable and she is almost completely cured.

Through this case, the doctor also gave recommendations to prevent breast cancer, screening plays a very important role. Currently, the rate of periodic health check-ups in Vietnam is quite low, especially among young people.

They often think that young people have less risk of getting breast cancer. However, currently, the rate of this patient tends to be younger, there are patients around 20 years old who have breast cancer.

The cure rate of breast cancer if detected early can reach more than 90%, even up to 98%. Meanwhile, for patients detected at a late stage, the 5-year survival rate is only less than 20%.

To screen for breast cancer, we only need to do simple tests such as ultrasound, or self-examine ourselves. If we see any abnormal lumps or tumors, we need to go to a specialized medical facility for examination and early detection.

For patients who come to the hospital at a late stage, the cost of treatment will be much more expensive. Patients will not be able to use early stage treatment methods that can cure them, but will only be treated with the goal of prolonging the patient's life.

According to statistics in the world, breast cancer is tending to be younger and more common. GLOBOCAN 2022 data shows that breast cancer used to have a lower incidence rate than other types of cancer, but now it has "risen" to the second position in the world, and is in the leading position in Vietnam.

Every year, the world records about 2 million cases of the disease, and in Vietnam alone, in 2022, about 25,000 cases were recorded.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/chu-quan-khong-kham-benh-nu-benh-nhan-phat-hien-ung-thu-giai-doan-2-d218830.html