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Mucinous carcinoma, also known as colloidal carcinoma, is a rare breast cancer, accounting for about 1% of all cancers in this area. It most often affects elderly women. It belongs to the group of infiltrating neoplasms, it has a good prognosis and an intermediate degree of malignancy, it metastasizes to distant organs relatively late. Due to the fact that it is a cancer that is well demarcated from neighboring cells, it differentiates with benign proliferative changes.

Contents:

  1. breast cancer - symptoms
  2. Breast mucus cancer - diagnosis
  3. Breast Mucus Cancer - Treatment
  4. Breast mucus cancer - prognosis
  5. Breast mucus cancer - prophylaxis

Mucinous breast canceris characterized by a cluster of mostly small, homogeneous cells floating in large amounts of extracellular mucus, which makes it difficult for the tumor to infiltrate adjacent structures.

The hallmarks of mucinous cancer include a slow clinical course, the presence of progesterone and estrogen receptors on the surface of neoplastic cells, which allows for specific and effective treatment, rare metastases to the lymph nodes, and a good response to treatment and a good prognosis.

breast cancer - symptoms

The symptoms of mucinous cancer include, first of all, the presence of a palpable lump in the breast, but also a change in the size and shape of the breast, and their asymmetry.

There may also be a change in the appearance of the nipple - nipple retraction, ulceration, bloody discharge, and skin changes around the nipple.

There are also changes in the breast skin:

  • multiple
  • thickening
  • skin tightening
  • ulcer
  • erythema and the so-called "orange peel", i.e. the occurrence of alternating deepening and thickening on the skin of the breast

The features of inflammation of the mammary gland are also an important symptom - redness, swelling, breast warmth and breast pain, as well as enlarged lymph nodes in the armpit area.

Breast mucus cancer - diagnosis

The basis for the diagnosis of mucinous cancer is palpation and imaging tests, such as:

  • mammography, which is the basis of preventive examinations of breast cancer
  • Breast ultrasound
  • magnetic resonance imaging

If a suspicious change is found in the palpation examination, an imaging test should be performed to confirm the presence of a tumor.

The diagnosis is confirmed by performing a breast biopsy and examining the material collected during the biopsy under the microscope. This allows the type of cancer to be determined and a final diagnosis to be made.

You should also perform tests that show the presence of metastases in distant organs - due to the fact that mucous cancer most often gives metastases in the lymph nodes, it should be included in a detailed diagnosis.

Mucus cancer is much less likely to metastasize the lungs, liver and bones, chest X-ray, bone scintigraphy and the evaluation of liver tests in laboratory tests are helpful in the diagnosis of metastases.

Breast Mucus Cancer - Treatment

Treatment of mucinous cancer is a multi-stage process. The basis of treatment is surgery involving the complete removal of the breast (mastectomy) or conserving surgery, i.e. the removal of the altered part of the breast gland along with the axillary lymph nodes.

The choice of the method of surgery depends on the patient's condition and the stage of the tumor.

The treatment also includes radiotherapy, i.e. the use of high energy radiation to destroy cancer cells, and chemotherapy.

Mucinous carcinoma is characterized by the presence of estrogen and progesterone receptors on the tumor cells, which makes it possible to use hormone therapy. This treatment is based on the administration of drugs that block the secretion of estrogen or block the estrogen receptor, which allows the suppression of tumor growth.

Hormone therapy is started after the completion of all planned chemotherapy cycles and is continued for 5 years.

Hormone therapy has fewer side effects and side effects compared to chemotherapy and is easy to administer - oral administration is possible.

Since this drug inhibits the secretion of estrogen, it also causes menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, irritability and bone loss, which may result in symptoms of osteoporosis.

Breast mucus cancer - prognosis

Mucinous cancer is one of the most promising breast cancers with 5-year survival rates over 80%.

The prognosis is most influenced by the cancer stage at the time of diagnosis, the presence of estrogen receptors and the condition of the axillary lymph nodes at the time of diagnosis.

Breast mucus cancer - prophylaxis

Key to cancer prognosisearly diagnosis, which is possible only through prophylaxis, which includes breast self-examination and mammography.

The first symptom of mucosal cancer is the presence of a palpable, painless lump in the breast, which can be seen during breast self-examination.

Prophylactic self-examination of the breasts should be performed once a month a week after menstruation, because this is when the breasts are not too sensitive, as is the case before and during the period.

Breast self-examination involves viewing and touching your breasts.

At the beginning, put your hands on your hips and look carefully in the mirror if the breasts are symmetrical, if there are no visible swelling, and if the skin on the breasts is tense or red.

The next step is the touch test.

First, squeeze the nipple and check that no fluid is leaking from it. Then place your left hand behind your head and your right hand on your left breast and use three fingers to make circular movements along your breast, from top to bottom and back again.

Then do the same on the right breast. This simple examination reveals any nipple abnormalities. Not every lesion examined by us is a cancer, but each one should be shown to the doctor who will determine whether there are indications for in-depth diagnostics.

Mammography is an imaging examination showing changes in the breasts. It consists in taking a series of x-rays of the breast and the assessment of visible changes in them. In Poland, there is a preventive program that en titles women aged 50-69 to have a free mammography every two years.

In the case of younger women, it is recommended to perform an ultrasound of the breasts. According to the latest recommendations, breast ultrasound should be performed once a year in women between the ages of 20 and 50.

The examination does not require preparation, breastfeeding or a history of breast augmentation with silicone implants are not a contraindication to its performance. It is best to undergo breast ultrasound in the first half of the cycle after menstruation.

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  • Inflammatory breast cancer: causes, symptoms, treatment
  • HER2 positive breast cancer
  • fibroadenoma - benign breast tumor easily detectable in self-examination
About the authorBow. Agnieszka MichalakA graduate of the First Faculty of Medicine at the Medical University of Lublin. Currently a doctor during postgraduate internship. In the futureplans to start a specialization in pediatric hematooncology. She is particularly interested in paediatrics, hematology and oncology.

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Category:

Oncology