Indicating that the size of the tumor is of great importance in the stages and treatment of breast cancer, General Surgery Specialist Prof. Dr. Neşet Köksal said, “The earlier and the smaller the tumor is diagnosed, the more we expect from treatment. When diagnosed early, the cure rate is almost 100 percent. However, the cure rate of advanced breast cancer is also quite high today. Treatment is possible in up to 90 percent for locally advanced breast cancer that has not spread to other organs.” Stating that patients still frequently consult a doctor after a mass is detected, Prof. Dr. Köksal said, “After a mass is detected in these patients, they want to learn how the size of the mass affects the treatment and enter research on this subject.” “THE PROLIFERATION RATE IN BREAST CANCER IS USUALLY ABOUT 6 MONTHS” Underlining that the size of the tumor in breast cancer is a condition that closely affects both the stage and treatment of breast cancer, Yeditepe University Koşuyolu Hospital General Surgery Specialist Prof. Dr. Köksal said, “The smaller the tumor size at the time of diagnosis in breast cancer and the earlier the diagnosis is made, the higher our expectations from treatment and the faster the patient can return to their normal lives.” Stating that the proliferation of cancer cells is different from the normal cell structure and that cancer cells continue to proliferate uncontrollably, Prof. Dr. Köksal continued his words as follows: “These growth and proliferation rates are different in different types of cancer. It is faster in some types of cancer, slower in others. We use a phrase called double time or doubling time to indicate this proliferation rate. What this means is the time it takes for a cancer to double in size. In other words, the time it takes for a cell to become 2 cells, or for a one-centimeter tumor to reach two centimeters. Although there are various factors that affect the growth rate in breast cancer, this period is around 6 months on average. The time it takes for a tumor to reach a size of approximately one centimeter in breast cancer varies between 2-5 years.” “AGE IS ALSO IMPORTANT IN THE COURSE OF BREAST CANCER” Stating that there are many factors that affect the growth rate of cancer, Prof. Dr. Neşet Köksal continued his words as follows: “The most important of these factors is age. For example, breast cancers that occur under the age of 40 grow faster and are more aggressive. It is also known that breast cancers that occur before menopause grow faster. Growth is faster in both people with a family history of breast cancer and in people who receive hormone therapy after menopause. In the pathological evaluation of the tumor, certain parameters that provide us with information about the proliferation rate are also examined. In cases where the differentiation or proliferation index in cancer cells is high, breast cancer grows faster.” “IT IS CONSIDERED THAT THE SPREAD TO REGIONAL LYMPH NODES INCREASES AS TUMOR SIZE INCREASES” Emphasizing that early diagnosis is of vital importance in breast cancer, Prof. Dr. Neşet Köksal underlined that the chance of treatment in the early stage of breast cancer is almost 100 percent. Prof. Dr. Köksal continued her words on the subject as follows: “We define breast cancers where the tumor size is under 2 centimeters as early stage, even if it has spread to the underarm lymph nodes. If the tumor size is between 2-5 centimeters, the condition of the underarm lymph nodes becomes important. If there is no disease in the lymph nodes, we still accept the disease as early stage. However, if the tumor size is between 2-5 centimeters and there is spread to the lymph nodes, or if the tumor size is over 5 centimeters, we understand that the disease has moved one step further without looking at the condition of the lymph nodes and define the disease as locally advanced breast cancer. If there is spread to organs such as the liver or lungs, we accept it as metastatic, or spread breast cancer, without looking at the size of the tumor.” Stating that it is accepted that as tumor size increases, spread to regional lymph nodes or organ metastases increases, Prof. Dr. Köksal said, “In some studies; "While the probability of spreading to the axillary lymph nodes is around 10 percent in breast cancers measuring 1 cm and below, this rate increases to 70 percent in cancers measuring over 5 cm. However, the relationship between tumor size and spread to the axillary lymph nodes does not increase proportionally. This shows that there are other factors, such as molecular characteristics, that affect spread in addition to tumor size," he said. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: ► DHA: http://bit.ly/dha-ytabone You can follow the latest news from Demirören News Agency (DHA) at https://www.dha.com.tr. Our Social Media Addresses ► / dha ► / dhainternet ► / dha ► / dha