Learn everything about breast cancer, the disease that affects Natalia Salas and thousands of women in Peru

This week the country woke up to the news that the Peruvian actress Natalia Salas announced that she had been diagnosed with breast cancerand that she should undergo surgery as soon as possible.

The former television host had a complication and will have to undergo a mastectomy treatment on Saturday, September 10. Like her, hundreds of cases of breast cancer they are discovered every day, so it is necessary to know a little more about the subject.

What is breast cancer?

As detailed on the portal of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the breast cancer It is a disease in which cells in the breast multiply uncontrollably.

There are different types of breast cancer and this will depend on which cells in the breast become cancerous.

This disease can start in different parts of the breast, taking into account that these consist of three main parts: lobules, ducts and connective tissue. The lobules are the glands that produce milk. The ducts are the tubes that carry milk to the nipple. Connective tissue (made up of fibrous and fatty tissue) surrounds and supports all parts of the breast. Most breast cancers start in the ducts or lobules.

According to data collected by the European Cancer Information System (ECIS), in 2020 a total of 34,088 new cases of breast cancer were diagnosed in Spain alone.

What are the types of breast cancer?

The CDC indicate that the most common types of breast cancer are:

• Infiltrating ductal carcinoma, when cancer cells start in the ducts and then break out of the ducts and multiply in other breast tissues. These invading cancer cells can also spread, or metastasize, to other parts of the body.
• Infiltrating lobular carcinomaIn this case, cancer cells start in the lobules and then spread from the lobules to nearby breast tissues. These invading cancer cells can also spread to other parts of the body.

What are the symptoms of breast cancer?

Warning signs of a possible breast cancer They can vary depending on the person. There are cases in which patients did not have any type of signs or symptoms.

Some warning signs of breast cancer are:

• A new lump in the breast or armpit (under the arm).
• Increased thickness or swelling of a part of the breast.
• Irritation or sinking in the skin of the breast.
• Redness or scaling in the nipple or breast area.
• Sinking of the nipple or pain in that area.
• Discharge from the nipple, other than milk, including blood.
• Any change in the size or shape of the breast.
• Pain in any part of the breast.

How is breast cancer treated?

There are several medical procedures to treat breast cancer, but this will depend on the type of cancer and the degree of spread. People with breast cancer often receive more than one type of treatment.

• Surgery: An operation in which doctors cut out the cancerous tissue.
• Chemotherapy: Special drugs are used to shrink or kill cancer cells. These drugs can be pills you take or drugs injected into your veins, or sometimes both.
• hormone therapy: Prevents cancer cells from getting the hormones they need to grow.
• biological therapy: Works with your body’s immune system to help it fight cancer cells or control side effects caused by other cancer treatments. Side effects are the way your body reacts to medicines or other treatments.
• Radiotherapy: High-energy rays (similar to X-rays) are used to kill cancer cells.

What treatment is right for me?

The CDC They say that choosing the right treatment for a person can be difficult. However, they recommend speaking with a cancer doctor about the treatment options available for your type and stage of cancer.

The doctor will explain the risks and benefits of each treatment, as well as its side effects.