How long can you live with malignant breast cancer? The authoritative answer is this

As we all know, if breast cancer becomes malignant, it will be extremely serious and difficult to cure. Many people will lose their precious lives because of it. The survival time of this disease is related to many factors, so patients need to adjust their mentality.

1. The 5-year survival rate for mid-term breast cancer is 10%. The median survival was only 15 months (range, 11-19 months). The survival time of breast cancer depends on both the doctor and the patient. First of all, after clarifying the pathological stage of the tumor, it is crucial to take appropriate treatment in a timely manner.

2. For early breast cancer, since the tumor is small and has not spread or metastasized, the most effective treatment is surgical resection. Breast-conserving surgery is an important surgical treatment for early breast cancer. Conventional radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery has a good effect. The 5-year survival rate of breast cancer patients after surgical resection is over 60%.

3. Clinically, the absence of recurrence or metastasis within 5 years is considered cured, which means that breast cancer can be cured. Different people have different physiques and different medical conditions, so the patient's survival period is definitely different. If the patient maintains a good attitude, it will be of great help to the condition and may increase the survival period.

4. Surgical operations for breast cancer include two parts: the breast and axillary lymph nodes. Breast surgery includes breast-conserving surgery (breast-conserving surgery) and total mastectomy. Axillary lymph node surgery includes sentinel lymph node biopsy and axillary lymph node dissection. Sentinel lymph node biopsy is to remove only the sentinel lymph nodes, and then perform axillary lymph node dissection after detecting sentinel lymph node metastasis. Some people also call it axillary-preserving surgery.

5. Breast-conserving surgery has strict surgical indications, and currently not all breast cancer patients can undergo breast-conserving surgery. For breast cancer patients who are not suitable for breast-conserving surgery, breast removal is still required, and doctors can use plastic surgery techniques to reconstruct the breast. Breast reconstruction can be done with either autologous tissue or prosthesis. Breast reconstruction can be performed at the same time as tumor removal surgery, or it can be performed after treatment is completed if all follow-up examination results are normal. Having breast reconstruction does not affect your overall breast cancer treatment.