Breast Cancer: Awareness and Detection

This blog has been compiled with the help of inhouse medical experts for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Cancer is a complex situation, but the importance of early detection shouldn't be. Among cancers, breast cancer is the most common malignancy in India today. According to Globocon data, in India it accounts for 13.5 % of all cancer cases and globally it counts for upto 12% of total cancer cases, surpassing lung cancer.

The journey from awareness, diagnosis, care to survival is manageable if detected early. Early diagnosis leads to better treatment and improved survivorship. The later it is diagnosed, the less likely it is to be successfully treated. The cultural backdrop of India makes it difficult to talk about breast health, but vigilance is the key.

Breast Health & Breast Cancer

When cells in a breast grow uncontrollably, they create a mass of tissue called tumor. Signs of breast cancer that one can watch out for are in the look and feel of the breast.

Know the Symptoms

If the breast looks and feels different, it calls for a self-examination or a visit to a doctor for evaluation, however small the change. Watch out for a newly inverted nipple, discolouration, lump or thickening, difference in size or shape, skin coloration or peeling/flaking of skin near the areola.

Mammogram and other screenings

Equivalent to an x-ray of the breast, mammogram is an effective way to detect breast cancer early before it is large enough to feel or cause symptoms. Having regular mammograms, as suggested in a study from Mumbai, hints that clinical breast examinations conducted every 2 years significantly reduces the risk of dying from breast cancer. Lack of adequate machines, high pricing, lack of trained technicians and Indian genetics offer some challenges when it comes to mammograms. New age companies have developed other screening methods like AI and machine learning employed on immunoassays to thermal imaging. Then there is digital mammography that uses computer-aided detection software too.

So are there any blood tests that can help detect Breast Cancer?

CA 19.9 blood test is another definitive marker for breast cancer for you to keep in mind. It is non-invasive and safe to get done. For a breast cancer test near you, visit our page (Madhu insert link here)

Way Ahead

Survival rate of patients can be increased with early detection, awareness and improved treatment options. Even a 2020 World Cancer Report suggests that the most efficient intervention for breast cancer is early detection and rapid treatment. In any case, detection is crucial.

The mortality-to-incidence ratio in rural areas for breast cancer is 66% due to late detection, compared to only 8% in urban areas where people are more aware, and the disease is detected early.

Timely detection is important because while the five-year survival rate of breast cancer patients is 100% in Stage 1 of the disease, it reduces to 22% by the time it reaches stage 4.

Busting Myths

• There aren't any conclusive studies yet about the usage of phones causing cancer.
• No lumps does not mean no cancer.
• No occurrence of breast cancer in your family does not mean you can never get it.
• An injury of the breast does not lead to breast cancer.
• While stress is not good for overall health, there is no absolute linkage between stress and breast cancer.
• Even though chances of breast cancer increase with age, younger women with family histories are known to develop it too.