Perhaps there are few women who have never in my life had such unpleasant phenomena such as swelling and breast tenderness. Statistics show that 60% of women are faced with similar problems breast month. Mammalgia or breast swelling and tenderness, can be either premenstrual syndrome or breast disease symptom. Swelling and tenderness of the breast cause psycho-emotional disorders, lower quality of life and performance. Often swelling and breast tenderness occur in early pregnancy.

Mammalgia

Mastodynia - is swelling (swelling) and increased sensitivity, until the appearance of pronounced pain, chest young women with nervousness before menstruation, as well as girls in adolescence. There are cyclic and acyclic mastodynia.

Also mammalgia could be evidence of a different breast pathology (eg, breast). Cyclic mammalgia associated with fluid retention, leading to swelling of the stroma of the mammary glands before menstruation and venous stasis of blood. This results in the compression of the nerves, and connective tissue proliferation is enhanced breasts, caused by the action of estrogen and prolactin. Furthermore, in the blood level of biologically active substances that enhance chest pain (histamine, serotonin, prostaglandins and pain amines).

Causes

Causes mastodynia varied and numerous. The appearance of swelling and pain in the mammary gland can result from the following factors:

• hormonal surges at different periods of a woman's life (pregnancy, menopause or puberty);
• premenstrual syndrome (except mastodynia marked mood disorders, headaches, drops in blood pressure, etc.);
• inflammatory diseases of the breast (mastitis, abscess Abscess - why it is so dangerous ulcers?   mammary gland);
• breast tumor (cyst, fibroadenoma, or breast cancer);
• trauma or surgery in the breast;
• taking certain medications (combined oral contraceptives in the first three months, antidepressants, diuretics, drugs to stimulate ovulation);
• myalgia (muscle pain), pain in the heart Pain in the heart - always consult a doctor Osteochondrosis Osteochondrosis - learn how to properly distribute the weight , intercostal neuralgia Intercostal neuralgia - learn to distinguish between pain , Joint pain;
• large breast sizes;
• malfunction of the liver and the gastrointestinal tract;
• stress and emotional stress;
• abortion.

Clinical manifestations mastodynia

Cyclical breast pain is directly related to the menstrual cycle and there is a second phase, due to a lack of progesterone or excess production of estrogen (from the tenth - fourteenth day before the start of menstruation). The woman feels the aching or dragging pain in the chest, a sense of the severity of the mammary glands. Mammary gland increases in size and swell ("swell"). There breast tenderness or pain, mammary impossible to touch. Pain occur in both breasts.

Acyclic mammalgia in the breast is not related to the menstrual cycle. The intensity of pain varies, it is often burning, sharp, localized in a certain location. Pain is usually constant or occur intermittently. The process involves a mammary gland (asymmetry of pain). Acyclic mammalgia observed in postmenopausal women (40-50 years).

Treatment

In the first place to facilitate mastodynia necessary to eliminate the factors of pain (linen, the correction mode of the day and power, normalization of hormonal balance). Showed vitamins (B, A and E), sedatives and diuretics. Appointed by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (indomethacin, ibuprofen, ketotenal). When expressed pain sensations appointed bromocriptine and hormones.

Anna Sozinova

The most common cancer in women is breast cancer. Chemotherapy is the treatment of the disease plays a supporting role, however, this method of treatment with the correct application and the selection of drugs able to suppress the development of cancer recurrence and improve the quality of life of the sick woman.

Chemotherapy - what is it?

Chemotherapy - a systemic drug treatment, wherein the main effect appears to all malignant tumor cells Malignant tumor: cells are mad Located in any part of the body. But the drugs that are used for chemotherapy Chemotherapy - it always falls the hair? Certainly have a negative effect on other cells of the organism that causes numerous side effects. However, "it's worth it" - are the side effects, and the spread of cancer is suppressed.

Side effects of chemotherapy are manifested mainly in tissues and organs, which are composed of rapidly growing cells (as well as tumor cells) - these are the cells of the oral mucosa, stomach and intestines (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea), cells of hair follicles (hair loss hair) and the cells of the hematopoietic system (changes in the composition of the blood).

Preparations for chemotherapy are selected individually for each patient - the selection of such treatment is a real art. Chemotherapy is considered an auxiliary method of treatment and is held before or after surgery, significantly increasing the effectiveness of the treatment and reducing the risk of disease recurrence and metastasis to distant organs and tissues. Features of chemotherapy is that it "finds" the cancer cells in any part of the body, no matter where they hide.

Chemotherapy performed in cycles, the number of which can be up to four or seven (depending on the condition of the woman, tumor spread and applied drug).

Drugs for chemotherapy

To suppress and destroy cancer cells use several groups of drugs. They are administered in various combinations, which are chosen strictly individually.

• Alkylating drugs. These drugs disrupt DNA synthesis in tumor cells, which leads to disruption of their life, the suspension of division and destruction. Most often this group of drugs used cyclophosphamide.
• Antimetabolites. These drugs are incorporated into the DNA of cells in lieu of the desired substance to its development (e.g., folic acid), inhibiting cell division and tumor growth. For drugs in this group is methotrexate. To modern drugs in this group are 5-fluorouracil and Gemzar (gemcitabine).
• Antibiotics. The action of these antibiotics is to inhibit DNA of dividing cells, which leads to their death. The most famous antibiotic of this group - doxorubicin (Adriamycin).
• Taxanes. This cytotoxic agents (substances that suppress the livelihoods and cell division), vegetable and synthetic origin. These include paclitaxel (taxol), which is obtained from the bark of the yew tree and semisynthetic drug docetaxel (Taxotere).

How effective chemotherapy for breast cancer

With combination chemotherapy can achieve complete suppression of life of cancer cells. The main advantage of this method is that the drugs enter the bloodstream and have a general (systemic) action, destroying cancer cells through the blood that could get anywhere. With surgery or radiotherapy is not possible to remove such cells.

But this treatment is not always possible to pick up, so chemotherapy is rarely used as the primary method of treatment. Chemotherapy is ineffective in hormone-dependent tumors - in this case, women are usually prescribed drugs that inhibit the action of female sex hormones that stimulate the growth of tumors. Conversely, when hormone-independent breast cancer Breast cancer: what every woman needs to know   Chemotherapy is very effective.

Chemotherapy can be effective in the treatment of cancer metastasis. This is very important the correct selection of preparations. For example, if a particular drug is not effective, then it is replaced by choosing the most appropriate treatment. With the right mix of chemotherapy drugs in the body eliminates all types of cancer cells. When this combination therapy should have a minimum of side effects and it should not be addictive (resistance) of cancer cells.

Chemotherapy with proper use and selection of drugs can be very effective, it can not only inhibit the development of cancer recurrence, but may suspend the distribution of metastases Metastasis - danger everywhere   cancer.

Galina Romanenko