The menace of breast cancer is increasing day by day, particularly amongst the Asian women who run a high risk of suffering from it between the ages 40 and 70, as against their western counterparts, who show first symptoms of it (if at all) after crossing the age of 50 years.
Cancer is a malignant tumour and breast cancer is the tumour that either develops in the ducts that transport milk from the breasts to the nipples or in the milk-producing tissues of the breast.
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Despite being a curable disease, breast cancer is causing many deaths in the world. The prime reason for this is the late detection of the existence of cancerous cells and the existing stigmas related to breast cancer in the society, especially in rather conservative parts of the world.
It is important that we know about the signs and symptoms, causes and diagnosis options for the breast cancer:
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Signs and symptoms include:
- Swelling in the armpit
- Development of orifice around the nipples and painful discharge from them
- Nipple retraction/disfigurement
- Swelling and tenderness in the breast
- Formation of a lump on the breast, which may not be typically painful, but may cause an irritable sensation. The occurrence of lump does not necessarily indicate the presence of cancerous cells. However, clinical diagnosis is a must after you’ve felt the lump in your breast.
- Change in the colour, texture or temperature of the skin around the breast and the nipple.
- Prolonged exposure to radiation.
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How often one should self-examine their breasts
Self-examination of the breasts, at least once a month, to check the presence of any lumps is recommended for females after the age of 24. Though the breast cancer normally occurs after the age of 40, it is desirable that the females develop the habit of self-examination of breasts early in the life.
What are the causes of breast cancer:
- Age: Older the person, higher the risk of breast cancer.
- Family History: females with a family history of breast cancer must be on alert and go for mammography once every three years after the age of 30.
- Obesity: Females with morbid obesity run a higher risk of developing breast cancer.
- Menstrual Cycle: Early setting in of menses and delayed menopause can lead to breast cancer.
- Late Childbearing: With the increase in the average marriageable age for women, childbearing is also getting delayed. Moreover, career oriented women breastfeed their babies maximum for two months. This is also considered as one of the minor ‘lifestyle’ causes of breast cancer.
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How is breast cancer diagnosis and treated:
There are various diagnostic tools available for early detection of breast cancer in women. These are as follows:
- Mammography: An X-ray of the breasts is taken to identify any lump formations in the breasts. Mammography can show any lumps even three years before they can be felt physically. However, females with denser breasts must opt for MRI scan.
- Ultra-Sonography: The doctors use strong sound waves to check whether the tumour is filled with liquid or solid granules. This helps in carrying out further investigation and treatment.
- Core Needle Investigation: Liquid or tissue from the lump is taken out for further analysis with the help of a fine needle. The composition of the liquid or the tissue determines whether the lump is giving way to a malignant tumour or not.
- Surgical Biopsy: A part of the lump is removed and tested clinically to decide the further course of action.
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Treatment of breast cancer:
As stated earlier, timely detection of cancer leads to proper and effective treatment, which depends upon the clinical stage of the tumour. The various breast cancer treatment options include surgery (lumpectomy and mastectomy), radiation therapy, systemic therapy, hormone therapy and chemotherapy.
- Lumpectomy: This procedure refers to the removal of a lump containing the tumour (cancerous cells) or a portion of your breasts via a surgery. People often confuse this procedure with mastectomy. In lumpectomy, the amount of tissue removed from the breast is relatively smaller as compared to mastectomy.
- Mastectomy: This procedure involves the removal of one whole breast or both the breasts. In some cases, people who are at a higher risk of breast cancer go for mastectomy as a preventive measure. For e.g. Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie had a risk of developing breast cancer, and so, she underwent a double mastectomy, removal of both her breasts.
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- Radiation Therapy or Radiotherapy: Radiation therapy is mostly used as a treatment in the advanced stage of breast cancer. A person undergoes this procedure to destroy any remaining cancerous cells in the breast or the armpit area which could not be destroyed during the surgery.
- Chemotherapy: This is the most common way of treating cancer. In the case of breast cancer, chemotherapy is used to kill the cancer cells that may have spread to the other parts of the body.
Breast cancer is difficult to deal with, but if we are alert to any changes in the breast and are regular with our self-examination, it can be prevented.
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