Breast cancer treatment in India

Breast cancer treatment in India

Symptoms of breast cancer

• If there is any new lump found in the breast area or armpit that doesn’t go away.
• If any part of the breast swells or thickens suddenly.
• If the skin in and around the breast region dimples or you feel irritation.
• If any area around the nipple has flaky and red skin.
• If there is crusting, peeling, or scaling around the nipple.
• If the nipple feels pulled in or there is a pain in the nipple region.
• If there is a bloody discharge from the nipple or any other kind of discharge, other than breast milk, from the nipple.
• If you feel any pain anywhere in the breast region.
• If there is any change that you observe in the shape and size of your breasts.

Risk factors for breast cancer

• Family history has a huge role to play and some of the cases are linked to gene mutations passed down through generations.
• Aging is another risk factor as our immune system slows down increasing the chance of breast cancer.
• Other pre-existing breast conditions like atypical hyperplasia or LCIS can also result in breast cancer in some cases.
• If one of the breasts was infected with breast cancer then there is a higher possibility for the other one to contract as well.
• Inherited gene mutations like BRCA1 & BRCA2 increase the chances of breast cancer in many women.
• Exposure to radiation around your chest area at a young age also increases the chances of breast cancer.
• Obesity is also found to be a risk factor for breast cancer. With more fat, there is a higher estrogen level stimulating the growth of tumors. It is important to have a balanced diet and follow a physically active lifestyle to eliminate this risk.
• Menopause after 55 or early menstruation before the age of 12 also increases the risk of breast cancer. Longtime exposure to estrogen, linked with menstruation, can also increase the risk of contracting breast cancer.
• Women who have never been pregnant or those who have their first child after 35, are also at risk of breast cancer.
• Medications for hormone therapy post-menopause can also lead to breast cancer.
• Usage of alcohol and exposure to cigarette smoke can also increase the possibility of breast cancer.
• Long-term use of oral contraceptives can prove to be lethal as it can lead to breast cancer in the future.
• For women who have dense tissues on their breasts, there is a higher chance of getting breast cancer.

Breast cancer treatments

Surgeries and therapies involved in breast cancer treatment in India:

• Breast-conserving surgery or lumpectomy is when a wide excision at the site is made and the tumor tissue is removed with a little healthy tissue. In the case of larger tumors, chemotherapy is prescribed first to reduce the tumor and then remove it.
• Removal of breast tissue or mastectomy involves the removal of ducts, lobules, fatty tissues, skin, areola, and nipple. Newer techniques like skin and nipple-sparing options are becoming quite popular.
• The lymph nodes that receive the lymph drainage first from the tumor are removed and if no other nodes are affected, the rest of the tissue and region is left as is. This procedure is known as the sentinel node biopsy.
• The additional lymph nodes are removed in case of infection in the sentinel nodes, under the procedure of axillary lymph node dissection.
• Cancer in one breast does not imply cancer in another but depending on predispositions, family history, etc., some women are advised to remove the healthy breast as well and it is performed under contralateral prophylactic mastectomy.
• Radiation therapy uses protons, and X-rays for destroying the undetectable cells causing cancer. There are many variations in this option and it is used along with a surgical procedure or separately depending on the condition of the patient.
• Chemotherapy or the therapy using drugs to kill cancer cells is used to decrease the possibility of a recurrence after surgery. There are side effects like fatigue, nausea, hair loss, etc., experienced in this therapy.
• Hormone therapy is more applicable in the case of cancers attaching to hormones and it helps in blocking the cells from attaching to hormones.
• There are also other therapy options like immunotherapy and targeted therapy available to treat advanced and large-sized cancer tumors.