BREAST CANCER – Facts, Symptoms & Treatment

VPS Lakeshore Hospital Kochi, the flagship of health services in Kerala encourages the early diagnosis and screening.

According to World Health Organization (WHO), breast cancer is the  second leading cause of all cancer deaths(15%) and the  most common cancer among women ,globally impacting 2.1 million women each year. Since 1992, the world unites every year to observe Breast Cancer Awareness on October 10th. Even though there is insufficient knowledge about the causes of breast cancer ,professional health experts blame unsteady hormone levels  and  flipped lifestyle ,as the possible reasons. Sadly, most patients are diagnosed with breast cancer in its final stage. This emphasizes the need  for breast cancer awareness and  early detection.

BREAST CANCER FACTS

• Breast Cancer is gender neutral, but mostly affects women.
• Women  in the 40-70 age group are more prone to breast cancer.
• Early detection of breast cancer ensures effective treatment.
• People without family history of breast cancer can also get the disease.

BREAST CANCER SYMPTOMS 

The  nature and emergence of breast cancer symptoms can vary from one person to the other including, appearance of a lump in the breast or underarm region, a noticeable deformation of breasts, inverted nipples, bloody or fluid nipple discharge,. If any of these symptoms have started to occur on your body, immediate consultation with your physician is mandatory. Even if these warning signs are absent, an early detection procedure and screening for breast cancer is recommended to women in their forties to detect breast cancer long before the emergence of the symptoms. This also helps  ensure accessibility to effective hassle-free treatment.

EARLY DETECTION OF BREAST CANCER 

The most important breast cancer early detection strategies are early diagnosis and screening of breast cancer. In the absence of breast cancer symptoms, women especially in their forties are recommended to undergo screening for breast cancer.
The breast cancer screening options include Mammography and Clinical Breast Exam (CBE), which helps  to identify early breast cancer  before the appearance of warning signs. Mammography is done to detect the abnormalities, by exposing breasts to X-rays beams of lower radiation and is recommended by the experts to be done every 1-2 years. CBE is a physical examination done under the supervision of an experienced professional to find deformities or lumps in the breasts and armpit region. CBE is recommended to be included in the regular medical check-up and has to be started before undergoing mammography. Breast Ultrasound, MRI Scanning, biopsy and Breast Self Exam are also techniques  that aid in the early detection of breast cancer.

BREAST CANCER TREATMENT OPTIONS

Before beginning  breast cancer treatment, it is vital to  create  proper awareness about the disease. Breast cancer treatment may include surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy depending on the stage of the disease. Patients  can choose their treatment options by consulting with their physician. Most people undergo surgery to get rid of the tumour, either by removing the cancerous lump, known as ‘lumpectomy’ or the entire breast, known as ‘mastectomy’. 
After the surgery, sometimes the patients are asked to take radiotherapy for 3 to 4 or 5 to 6 weeks, by which cancer cells are destroyed using high energy radiation. The need for systemic therapy, which includes chemotherapy/targeted therapy and or hormonal therapy is decided based on the stage and the type of breast cancer by the Medical oncologist. Even though the complete cure of breast cancer depends upon the health and post-treatment care and lifestyle adopted by the survivors, methods like reconstructive surgery , breast implants and breast enhancement  can help to overcome the psychological effects and body consciousness of survivors. Some are likely to battle with mental trauma due to the sufferings of the disease and discomfort of the treatment. Therefore, proper counselling along with routine check-up is mandatory to keep body and mind at equilibrium after the breast cancer treatment.

DETECT EARLY WITH VPS LAKESHORE

VPS Lakeshore Hospital Kochi, the flagship of health services in Kerala encourages the early diagnosis and screening for the concerned by introducing customised preventive health care packages to tackle with the expected barriers to the breast cancer treatment. We provide you with services ranging from breast cancer screening options to post treatment care. Learn how to monitor your body changes, self-examination techniques, personalised diet plans, exercises and other remedies to keep breast cancer at bay with our expert guidance.

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