Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting women all over the world. If a woman develops any sign or symptoms of breast cancer, further treatment diagnosis should not be delayed. Due to the awareness of this disease, there is a steady decline in the deaths associated with it and the survival rates have increased.

Breast cancer is a type of cancer which develops in the cells of the breast. It occurs when the cells in the breast grow abnormally and these cells divide more rapidly than the healthy cells. These unhealthy cells then accumulate to form a lump or a mass in the breast.

Signs and symptoms of breast cancer include,

• A lump or thickening in the breast, which is different from the surrounding tissue.
• Inverted nipple
• Change in size and shape of the breast in appearance.
• Changes in the skin of the breast
• Peeling or flaking of the areola (the skin surrounding the nipple)

Causes of Breast Cancer

The breast cancer develops most commonly in the milk-producing ducts and in the glandular tissue. Though the exact cause is unknown, certain risk factors include,

• Hormonal imbalance
• Lifestyle
• Heredity factors
• Environmental factors
• Increasing age
• Alcohol intake

Treatments for breast cancer work best when the disease is diagnosed early. Therefore it is really important to get the right screening test done for the same. There are top cancer treatment hospitals in India, with a team of top-notch surgeons, for cancer treatment.

Breast self-examination and mammograms are the screening options for breast cancer detection.

Breast self –examination is a good screening option. You should get educated by your doctor on how to do it. Just stand in front of a mirror and look for any change in shape or size of the breast. With a light pressure of the hand, check for the presence of any lump near the surface of the breast. It is better to examine the breast, 3-5 days after periods. Any abnormal lump if observed should be brought to the notice of your doctor.

Mammograms are the most effective way to detect breast cancer. The lumps can be detected earlier than the self-examination procedure. Women above the age of 50 years should go for it in every 2 years gap.

A lump found during self-examination or a mammogram is not necessarily cancer there are few other imaging tests such as digital mammography, 3D mammography or an ultrasound to confirm the presence of cancer features.

Breast Cancer Treatments

If detected with breast cancer the treatment should never be delayed. The treatment plan depends on the size of the tumor, how far it has spread, age, and health of the patient.

1. Surgical treatment: it involves removing the entire breast and the surrounding lymph nodes (mastectomy) or just the lump in the breast (lumpectomy). After the surgery, most women get radiation, chemotherapy or hormone therapy.
2. Chemotherapy: powerful drugs are induced in the body to kill the cancer cells. It is also used to shrink the size of the lump before surgery.
3. Radiation therapy: high energy waves are given to the patient to destroy the cancer cells. It is often given to the patients after surgery to reduce the chances of recurrence.
4. Reconstructive breast surgery: a reconstructive plastic surgery which replaces the breast tissue that had been removed, to remove cancer. The patient can get breast implants.
5. Hormone therapy: if the cause of the tumor is the natural hormone, estrogen, and progesterone then the doctor gives endocrine therapy to block the body’s natural hormones from reaching the cancer cells.

Breast Cancer Treatment in India

Now as you are aware that the early detection and the treatment play a good role in treatment of breast cancer, therefore, it is really essential to go to the right place for the same. There are various cancer treatment hospitals in India which have their expertise in this field. These hospitals offer unmatched world-class treatment and after-treatment facilities. The use of latest technologies and guidance from the best surgeons in the field is a great reason why many people residing outside India opt for a surgery here.

The major cities in India have chains of multi-specialty hospitals, which offer treatment to the patient at a very effective rate, with no compromise in the facilities and techniques. These cities are easily reachable from any part of the world, therefore just sitting and delaying the treatment and increasing the severity of the disease is not at all a good option.

Come over and get treated by the best in the world!!!