Breast cancer

About breast cancer

Breast cancer is grouped into subtypes according to hormone receptors (ER and PR), HER2 and growth rate. The subtype largely decides which drugs work, so accurate pathology is the foundation of every treatment plan.

Symptoms

The most common sign is a painless lump in the breast or armpit. Other signs include changes in breast shape or skin, nipple discharge or a nipple that turns inward. Many cancers are found by screening before any symptoms appear.

Diagnosis

Mammography, ultrasound and sometimes MRI are followed by a core-needle biopsy. The pathology report gives the subtype, and scans check whether the cancer has spread.

Treatment in China

• Surgery. Breast-conserving surgery, mastectomy and sentinel lymph node biopsy, with reconstruction when appropriate.
• Neoadjuvant therapy. Chemotherapy or targeted therapy before surgery to shrink the tumor, widely used for HER2-positive and triple-negative cancers.
• Drug treatment. Endocrine therapy, HER2-targeted drugs, CDK4/6 inhibitors, antibody–drug conjugates and immunotherapy.
• Radiotherapy. After breast-conserving surgery and for selected patients after mastectomy.

Why patients choose China

Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center runs one of the largest breast cancer programs in China. Its team, led by Shao Zhiming, established the “Fudan classification” of triple-negative breast cancer, which divides this hard-to-treat subtype into groups that respond to different targeted strategies.