Indian actress Hina Khan’s diagnosis of stage 3 breast cancer has once again raised concerns over breast cancer, which is the leading cancer among women in India, but breast cancer can often be asymptomatic in its early stages, where a lump is a common symptom, but it’s important to be aware of other symptoms that may seem less obvious. 1 in 8 women are diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime.
In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Professor SVS Dev, president of the Association of Breast Surgeons of India (ABSI), cautions, “Be alert to any changes in the size, shape or symmetry of your breast. Look for dimpling, shrinkage or an ‘orange peel’ texture to the skin. Nipple retraction, abnormal blood-tinged discharge and persistent pain in any area of the breast are also potential warning signs. It is important to familiarise yourself with your breasts to identify these potential early warning signs.”
He suggested, “Performing regular breast self-examination can help you become familiar with the baseline look and feel of your breasts, making it easier to detect any abnormalities. Self-examination should be performed every month after the menstrual cycle. Using the pads of your fingers, examine your breasts for lumps, bulges or areas of thickening. If you notice any changes, you should contact a doctor immediately. Early detection is key to successful breast cancer treatment. Simple and easily accessible tests like mammograms can be performed to rule out cancer.”
Patients often face anxiety due to complicated treatment procedures and potential consequences and delayed consultations, however, significant advances in technology have transformed breast cancer treatment. Professor SVS Dev reveals, “Advanced technologies such as fluorescence imaging provide surgeons with better visualization during surgery which helps in selective lymph node removal, whereas the traditional approach is complete node removal, resulting in fewer post-operative complications such as swelling of the arm known as lymphedema. Also, because the information is obtained in real time during surgery, we can now prevent many complications in advance and reduce the overall cost of healthcare.”
Dr Bhavisha Ghugre, Senior Consultant, Surgical Oncology, HCG Cancer Centre, Borivali, said breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in women, “It is advised that women after the age of 40 should get mammography done at least once a year. If detected on time, breast cancer is treatable and the chances of recovery are high. Cancer can be classified into stages 0-4 depending on how far the disease has progressed. When breast cancer is detected, they are either surgically removed, (breast conservation surgery or mastectomy) or sometimes chemotherapy is given first followed by surgery.”
Sharing a ray of hope, she said, “With technological advancements, breast cancer patients are getting treated successfully and the number of hospital visits for external radiotherapy has reduced significantly. In breast cancer, radiotherapy can be used for stage 1/stage 2 cancer patients. While there are many options to get the disease treated successfully, it is very important to be alert to any changes in the breast like lumps, yellow discharge, dimples, shrinkage or ‘orange peel’ like texture on the skin. Self-examination is important to identify early symptoms of the disease and get timely treatment.”
