About Breast Cancer
The word cancer refers to a disease in the human body that results in the formation of a swelling, lump or an ulcer in some part of the body.
Based on which organ is involved it called by that name, as in cancer occurring in the breast is called Breast Cancer.
All types of cancers have some common elements. The most important of those is the excessive production of defective cells and these overproduced cells form a lump. Second important aspect of any cancer is its ability to invade adjacent organs and also spread in the body through blood stream and lymphatics. These two features of cancer are responsible for all the problems a patient faces.
Modern day medicine is so advanced with various methods of treatment that cure is a possibility in most cancers, especially when it is found in early stages.
Breast cancer is a type of cancer that develops in the cells of the breast. It can occur in both men and women, though it is far more common in women. Breast cancer is the most researched human disease in history and when treated properly the success rate is almost 95-97 percent in early stages.
Breast Cancer is the most common cancer seen in Indian women and the incidence is steadily increasing. India sees around 2 lakh new breast cancers per year and each year 1 lakh women die of this disease. This unfortunate situation is because most Indian women present late in advanced stages when cure becomes a difficulty.
Common presentation of the disease is in the form of a lump, commonly felt during bathing. The other symptoms women express are discharge from the nipple, or swelling in the axilla.
It is always advisable to have cancer screening as advised by doctors. Breast self examination is a simple method, can be done by women in the comfort of their homes while mammogram is a simple test that can detect disease even before it can be felt by human hands.
Apart from surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, there are many modern methods of treatment like hormone therapy, immunotherapy and special molecular tests that can effectively predict your response to therapy. Such tests can help personalise the treatment, reducing costs, avoiding un necessary treatment, reduce toxicity and most importantly improve treatment success.
