In the last few years a lot has been talked about breast cancer. Women from all walks of life, including celebrities have done their bit to create awareness about this serious health condition. But little is known about the way cancer can be treated and cured if detected early on.
According to research, breast cancer in India is usually detected after the 3rd or 4th stage, which makes survival and cure impossible even if the treatment is aggressive.
“It usually starts off in the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the breasts with milk. A breast cancer that started off in the lobules is known as lobular carcinoma, while one that developed from the ducts is called ductal carcinoma,” explains Dr Bandita Sinha, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Fortis Hiranandani Hospital, Vashi, Mumbai.
She shares some eye-opening statistics. According to her, in India, the average age of developing a breast cancer has undergone a significant shift over the last few decades.
“The first symptoms of breast cancer are usually an area of thickened tissue in the woman’s breast, or a lump. The majority of lumps are not cancerous; however, women should get them checked by a health care professional,” she adds.
The root cause
1. Breast cancer is hereditary and can occur based on our genes.
2. Older women are more prone to breast cancer.
3. Obesity increases the risk of developing breast cancer.
4. Cosmetic breast implants may up your risks.
Ways to diagnose
1. Go for a routine breast cancer screening, typically a mammography, which is the easiest and most-used method.
2. Be aware of the changes in your body. Read about the signs and symptoms and check if you can notice these in your body.
According to the National Breast Cancer Organisation, a change in how the nipples feel can be the biggest sign. Nipple tenderness or a lump or thickening in or near the breast or underarm area, change in the skin texture or an enlargement of pores in the skin of the breast (some describe this as similar to an orange peel’s texture) and/or a lump in the breast (it’s important to remember that all lumps should be investigated by a healthcare professional; but not all lumps are cancerous.) are the early signs.
Change in nipple appearance and nipple discharge is also worrisome. But you can conduct a breast self-exam which will help you identify any changes that require further investigation. Even though the signs and symptoms do not mean you have cancer, but if that does happen, early detection can be a real boon as the medication can be started right away.
Importance of early detection
Talking about the root cause and symptoms she says, “The majority of lumps are not cancerous; however, women should get them checked.”
The older a woman gets, the higher the risk of developing breast cancer. Over 80 per cent of all breast cancers occur among women aged 50+ years.
“Women who carry the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes have a considerably higher risk of developing breast and/or ovarian cancer. These genes can be inherited. TP53, another gene, is also linked to greater breast cancer risk,” she adds.
The tumor detected during screening exams is more likely to be smaller and still confined to the breast. The size of a breast cancer and how far it has spread are some of the most important factors in predicting the prognosis of a woman with the disease.
Dr Bandita further shares, “While most people are aware of breast cancer, many forget to take the steps to have a plan to detect the disease in its early stages and do not encourage others to do the same.”
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