Tatjana Patitz died of breast cancer: what you should know about diagnosis, symptoms and prevention

Supermodel passed away
Tatjana Patitz died of breast cancer: what women should know about diagnosis, symptoms and prevention

It is a tragic message: Tatjana Patitz, who became famous as a supermodel in the eighties and nineties, died on Wednesday. The mother of a son, once considered one of the most beautiful women in the world, had died of breast cancer, as her manager confirmed.

How common is breast cancer? What are the symptoms? And what is the probability that it spreads in the body? Answers to the most important questions.

How common is breast cancer?

According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) with 70,000 new cases every year, it is the most common form of cancer in women in Germany. Breast tumors appear at an earlier age than most other types of cancer. Almost every sixth woman affected is younger than 50 when she receives the diagnosis. The diagnosis usually comes as a shock to patients, but nowadays breast cancer is easily treatable. The RKI writes that advances in therapy have significantly improved the chances of survival.

What risk factors are there?

On interaction of various factors increases the risk of cancer: These include age, the hormonal situation, lifestyle, but also possibly inherited risk genes.

Can breast cancer be prevented?

You cannot protect yourself from cancer. However, some factors appear to contribute to reducing the risk of breast cancer. These include a healthy weight, low alcohol consumption and regular exercise – especially after menopause.

What are typical symptoms?

Breast cancer doesn’t always go through symptoms noticeable. Nevertheless, there are signs that women should take seriously and have them checked out. Anyone who notices lumps, compressions or hardening during regular palpation of the breast and armpits should be careful. It is normal for breasts to vary in size. If this is the first time, however, it is advisable to have it clarified. Changes in the nipple and clear or bloody secretions can also be an alarm signal. In addition, experts recommend that you see a doctor if the skin on your chest is pulled in, reddening does not subside or you have “orange peel” skin, as well as pain that is burning on one side or a pulling sensation in your chest.

How often does breast cancer come back?

About five to ten out of every hundred patients will have a breast tumor again within ten years. Some of these women also have tumor cells in the lymph nodes in the armpit or under the collarbone, writes the Cancer Information Service. Even then, doctors still talk about you local recurrence, to put it bluntly, a relapse. Treatment is similar to when the cancer first appeared. However, if the breast was preserved, a mastectomy, removal of the breast, may now be needed to reduce the risk of a recurrence.

How often does breast cancer spread?

If the cancer has spread in the body and other organs – such as the bones or the liver – are affected, experts speak of metastases. In the long term, according to the information service, every fourth patient must expect metastases. However, these are only average values. The individual risk depends on many things, such as how far advanced the cancer was when it was first treated and what type it is. In general, the risk decreases over time. However, the following applies to breast cancer: “Even many years after the first disease, metastases cannot be completely ruled out.” The cancer most commonly spreads to the bones, liver, and lungs. Brain or skin metastases are less common.

What is the prognosis once the cancer has spread?

“In many women, the disease can be stopped in the long term thanks to modern therapies,” writes the Cancer Information Service. So the disease can be brought under control. “More and more women with advanced breast cancer can expect to live a long time despite the metastases.” Although they need therapy, they live with the cancer as if it were a chronic disease. However, statistics say little about the course of an individual disease. “Some women live with metastases for decades, while in others the disease deteriorates very quickly, despite therapy.”

What treatment options are there?

As a rule, the diagnosis of breast cancer is not a medical emergency. “Every woman who has been asked has enough time to find out about the treatment options,” says the website Cancer Information Service.

The first step is usually an operation in which the tumor is removed. Many women are afraid of losing their breasts in the process. However, breast-conserving surgery is possible in most cases. Larger tumors can sometimes be reduced by prior chemotherapy before surgery. A mastectomy – a complete removal of the breast – is usually only performed if there are several lumps in the tissue or the tumor is particularly large.

The next step is irradiation of the breast, which is intended to reduce the risk of a recurrence in the remaining tissue. After a successful mastectomy, the doctor treating you decides whether this makes sense in the individual case.

Radiation is usually followed by drug treatment – either hormone withdrawal treatment, chemotherapy or therapy with so-called targeted antibodies. This is to reduce the risk of relapses. Sometimes the methods can also be combined.

Where can I find more information on the topic?

Detailed information is available on the website of Cancer Information Service. Women who have had breast or ovarian cancer in their family and who are suspected of having a genetic risk can find contacts at “German Consortium for Familial Breast or Ovarian Cancer“. Help in finding a good doctor or clinic is provided by an information sheet that here is available. The cancer information service can also be reached via a hotline (0800 – 420 30 40) – daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and free of charge. The German Cancer Society also has detailed information collected for patients.