Zhu Lijing passed away from breast cancer! Doctor: Breast examinations for women under 40 and over 45 are different

Singer Zhu Lijing, who won the talent show "Super Idol", was reportedly killed on the 3rd due to breast cancer at the age of 40. The incidence of breast cancer ranks first among the most common cancers among women in China. In recent years, there has been a trend of younger age groups, with women aged 40 to 64 accounting for about 70% of all breast cancers and those under 40 years old accounting for nearly 10%.

Breast ultrasound examination is suitable for women under 40 years old, because young women are more susceptible to radiation and mammography is not suitable as a preliminary examination tool.

Dr. Li Ruiwen, director of the health management department of Cheng Ching Hospital's Baiqi Health Management Center, said that among the cases discovered through screening, a high proportion are in the early stages, and with proper treatment, the survival rate for stage 1 breast cancer is as high as over 90%, and for stage 2 it is still 80%. However, by stage 4, the survival rate is less than 20%. Currently, the National Health and Family Planning Administration provides mammograms every two years for women over 45 or women over 40 whose second-degree relatives have had breast cancer, but does not include young people under 40.

Dr. Ying-Ying Hung, a medical imaging doctor who has examined breast images of nearly 10,000 women, said that breast "X-rays and ultrasound examinations" are powerful tools for diagnosing breast cancer, but their accuracy will be higher when used together. Mammography mainly detects calcification points smaller than 0.5 cm in size in malignant tissue. However, because the breasts of Asian women, especially young women, are denser, X-rays cannot easily distinguish between abnormal shadows and normal breasts, resulting in reduced screening sensitivity. Due to this situation, given the trend of younger breast cancer in Taiwan, young women under the age of 40 are recommended to prioritize breast ultrasound examinations.

Breast ultrasound examination is suitable for women under 40 years old

Breast ultrasound examination is suitable for women under 40 years old, because young women are more susceptible to radiation and mammography is not suitable as a preliminary examination tool. Ultrasound examination is non-invasive and radiation-free. When suspicious lesions are found, it can also supplement the examination of corner areas that cannot be captured by X-ray instruments (especially in smaller breasts). Ultrasound can also be used to guide fine needle aspiration cytology or coarse needle tissue biopsy.

Mammography is suitable for people over 45 years old

For women who are about to enter menopause, the density of their breasts decreases. Irregular lumps or tiny calcifications seen in X-ray images may indicate the presence of breast cancer lesions. At this time, combining ultrasound examination with the other examination tools can amplify the diagnostic advantages of the two different examination tools and further improve accuracy.

Women who have breast augmentation or small-needle cosmetic surgery should first choose breast magnetic resonance imaging

Breast MRI does not require clamping the breasts, so there is no need to worry about breast implants being squeezed and ruptured. It also has no radiation and is non-invasive. Through the dynamic development of contrast agent injection through magnetic resonance imaging, doctors can accurately identify malignant tumor tissue with abnormal vascular proliferation. For high-risk groups, it can also assist in the deficiencies of ultrasound or X-ray examinations.

Risk factors for breast cancer include: family history, gene mutation, history of gynecological cancer, long-term use of birth control pills or hormone supplements, first menstruation before the age of 12 or menopause after the age of 55, obesity or frequent intake of high-fat and high-calorie foods, etc.

In order to maintain breast health, doctors recommend that in addition to a healthy lifestyle, regular breast screenings should be performed to prevent breast cancer.