logo

Blogs

Breast Cancer - Diagnosis & Treatment

April,27,2022
breast cancer hospital Bangalore

Breast issues are more common in growing girls and women. Breast cancer is a disease that is caused by the cells of the breast. After skin cancer, breast cancer is most common in women in India. Most women experience a few breast-related issues at some point. A broad range of factors such as age, hormone levels and medicines you take can make your breast experience some changes, which may give you a feeling that something is not good. In most cases, theseissues are not too major, but in some, they can hint toward a certain serious breast condition.

Therefore, it is always advised to consult the top breast cancer specialist in India in case you feel anything different or abnormal in your breast. 

Cancer Therapy India is associated with some of the top breast cancer hospital in Bangalore and has a team of the best breast cancer specialists who are specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of several breast-related conditions ranging from nipple discharge to chronic issues such as breast cancer. We focus on providing the best care and support for each patient and ensuring the best health for all.

Breast Cancer Symptoms

Signs and Symptoms of Breast Cancer include:

  • A breast lump that feels different from the nearby tissue
  • Changes in the size and shape of a breast
  • Changes to the skin over the breast
  • A newly inverted nipple
  • Pitting of the skin over the breast
  • Redness over breast skin

Breast Cancer Causes 

Specialists don’t know what exactly causes breast cancer, but certain things make you more likely to develop it. Your age, personal health history, genetic factors, and diet all play a role. Some you can control; others you can’t.

Breast Cancer Prevention

These changes in daily life may help to reduce the risk of breast cancer. 

  • Breast Cancer Screening: Consult with your doctor about when to start breast cancer screening exams and tests. Talk to your breast cancer specialists in Bangalore about the benefits and risks of screening.
  • Self-exam for breast awareness: Try to occasionally inspect your breasts for breast awareness. If you see any change, lumps, or unusual signs in your breasts then consult the doctor immediately.
  • Drink alcohol in moderation: Reduce the alcohol amount to no more than one drink a day.
  • Do Exercise Daily: Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day for the week. 
  • Choose a Healthy Diet: Eat plant-based foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts.

Breast Cancer Stages

There are two stages of breast cancer:

  1. Anatomic Stage: The areas of the body where breast cancer is found and help to define appropriate treatment.
  2. Prognostic Stage: It helps breast cancer specialists communicate how likely a patient is to be cured of cancer assuming that all appropriate treatment is given.

The anatomic staging system is as follows:

Stage 0: The stage in which the disease is localized to milk ducts.

Stage I: The stage in which breast cancer is smaller than 2 cm across and hasn’t spread anywhere.

Stage II: In the second stage breast cancer is one of the following:

  • The tumor is less than 2cm across but has spread to underarm lymph nodes (IIA).
  • The tumor ranges between 2 - 5cm
  • The tumor is greater than 5 cm and has not spread to the lymph nodes below the arm.

Stage III: It is also known as “advanced stage breast cancer.” The tumor is of any size with cancerous lymph nodes that stick to another or to nearby tissue (IIIA).

Stage IIIB: It is a tumor of any size that has spread to the chest wall, skin, or internal mammary lymph nodes.

Stage IV: A tumor of any size that has spread to areas away from the breast, such as bones, lungs, liver, or brain.

Types of Breast Cancer

There are various types of breast cancer, but the most common is ductal carcinoma, which starts developing in a milk duct. Another type is lobular carcinoma, which starts in a lobule, one of the tiny glands that secrete milk.

“Invasive” breast cancer involves cancerous cells spreading to close tissue. It is then more likely that cancer will spread to other parts of the body.

“Noninvasive” breast cancer remains in its original place.  These cells may eventually become invasive.

Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Constant Breast self-examination for any painless lump, monthly before each menstrual cycle, is an easy-to-follow method in the early diagnosis of breast cancer. Doing a yearly x-ray examination also called a mammogram after the age of 40 (after the age of thirty when family history is present) is also recommended.

At Cancer Therapy India, our team of top breast cancer specialists uses the latest and cutting-edge diagnostic techniques as well as their wide knowledge to diagnose a number of breast-related issues. The diagnostic process is-

  1. The breast specialists surgeons start the diagnosis by understanding the medical history of the patient and learning the symptoms that they undergo.

  2. In the next step, they perform a physical examination, to check for any visible abnormality with the breasts or appearance of any breast lumps.

  3. Based on the findings, the doctor may ask you to go through some tests which may include an ultrasound, mammogram, or biopsy.

Breast Cancer Treatment

Modern-day breast cancer treatment is unusual compared to what it was before the year 2000. The first significant difference is in the protection of the breast. Experience showed that taking out the lump with a margin and adding radiotherapy to the affected breast gives the same survival as the removal of the entire breast. The breast protection approach had an extraordinary impact on the psychological dimension, making people come forward for treatment in the early stages.

In some conditions, when lumpectomy (surgery) is difficult or not possible, chemotherapy (neoadjuvant chemotherapy) is administered first. This process reduces the tumor and makes many patients suitable for surgery.

  • Surgery: Basically, surgery is consistently the best form of treatment for the lump that is felt in the breast (lumpectomy). With this approach, the operated breast becomes almost close to the other breast. Sometimes, there is a requirement for plastic surgery techniques to attain this either in the same sitting (oncoplastic procedure) or later. The surgical mark would also be as invisible as possible. Simultaneously, lymph nodes close to the chest in the armpit are taken off (axillary dissection).

  • Chemotherapy/Immunotherapy/Targeted Therapy: The use of early diagnostic techniques like immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) have led to the recognition of the genetic pathways which lead to breast cancer. All breast cancer patients need testing for ER/PR/HER2/Ki67, and based on the detection of these main drivers of cancer development, a combination of chemotherapy, targeted therapy, hormone therapy, and immunotherapy has led to upgrading outcomes. To deliver chemotherapy safely & effectively, newer venous access devices like PICC lines and chemo-port are being used. Advances in helpful care like the use of powerful anti-vomiting medications and the use of growth factor support have decreased the side effect profile making chemotherapy well tolerable in the majority of patients.

  • Hormone Therapy: Hormones like estrogen and progesterone increase the growth of certain types of breast cancer cells. These types of breast cancers are recognized by a test called Immuno-histochemistry (IHC). By identification of the specific types of cells having hormone receptors (ER/PR positive), oral medications are administered, which block the receptors that control the action of these hormones. Hormonal therapy is mostly recommended for five years after completion of treatment for breast cancer. In certain early-stage cancers, the use of the latest genetic mutation profiling techniques has led to the identification of specific subtypes of breast cancers that have a lower risk of recurrence. In these cancers with a good prognosis, chemotherapy can be safely avoided, and only hormonal therapy is necessary to attain long-term control.

  • Radiotherapy: Usually, radiotherapy started within six months after surgery. This interval also coincides with the completion of chemotherapy cycles. The overall procedure is to remove the lump (with or without chemotherapy first), give chemotherapy to remove cells in all areas of the body, and consolidate with radiation to the operated portion. When chemotherapy is not needed, radiotherapy is started three weeks after surgery.

Looking for a breast cancer treatment hospital in India, then contact Cancer Therapy India and talk to the top breast cancer surgeons in Bangalore.