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Showing posts with label Best breast cancer Indian specialists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Best breast cancer Indian specialists. Show all posts
Medical Treatments in India with Best Doctors in Best Indian Hospitals.
Breast cancers are common cancers among women from all across the world. Early and prompt diagnosis and subsequent correct medical treatment can save many precious lives.In this blog we try to address common questions about breast cancers and their treatments.
Although breast cancer is common in women it can rarely affect men too. If you are a woman and above 50 years of age and feel that you have developed some lump in breast tissues and have changes in the texture of your breast skin, if you have a relative in your family who was diagnosed with breast cancer, you must see a doctor for a diagnosis.
The most common breast cancer symptoms could be:
A newly formed lump that could be soft and round or even hard and with irregular edges.
If your nipple turns inward.
If the skin on your breast or nipple area turns flaky, crusted, scaling, and appears to be peeling off.
Change in size and shape of the breast.
An unusual discharge from the breast other than the milk.
Redness, swelling, warmth, or darkening of breast skin.
You have a higher chance of getting breast cancer if you have the following risk factors:
Although men can also develop breast cancer but it is generally women who suffer more from best cancer.
Women with increasing age are more prone to acquire breast cancers.
Women who have an early onset ( Below 12 years of age ) are more prone to be affected with breast cancer later.
Women in whom menopause sets in late ( above 50 years of age ) are having higher risk of getting breast cancer.
Women with dense breast are at a higher risk
Some noncancerous breast conditions like atypical hyperplasia of breast or lobular carcinoma in situ ( Not a breast cancer ) increases risk of breast cancer
Women with a first degree relative like mother or daughter and sister have higher risk of developing breast cancer
Women who live a sedentary life style and are obese
Start drinking alcohol at early age like in teens also increases risk of developing breast cancer in future
Smoking or tobacco consumption is associated with many cancers including breast cancer
Exposure to radiation therapy increases one's risk of developing breast cancer in future
Certain birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy in post menopausal women are also identified as risk factors
Genetic mutations like BRC1 and BRC2 increases risk of breast cancer.
Combination of these factors increases risk of your being affected with breast cancer in future. It is important to note that Some of the women who were diagnosed with breast cancers never had any of the above mentioned risk factors and many other women who have many of these risk factors never had breast cancer.
Women who are at higher risk of developing breast cancer must undergo periodic breast cancer screening for early diagnosis of breast cancer.
Although being a woman , ageing normally , a family history of breast cancer and genetic factors responsible for breast cancers are not something that you can change but there are some changes that you can make to lower your chances of getting a breast cancer.
You can make following changes to reduce your risk of getting breast cancer.
Maintain a healthy body weight , being obese increases your chances of developing breast cancer
Adopt a regular fitness regime , doing basic physical exercises reduces risk of getting breast cancer
Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages and if you must , do it in moderation
If you are postmenopausal and taking hormone replacement therapy ask your doctor about your risk factors and the best suited HRT for you
If you are pre menopausal Oral contraceptive pills should be prescribed by a qualified doctor and after considering the pros and cons
Breast feeding your children is considered to lower the risk of breast cancer
If you have a family history of breast cancer or inherited changes in BRC1 and BRC2 genes , your doctor may suggest ways to reduce the risk of breast cancer
Living a healthy and balanced life will reduce your risk of breast cancer and God forbid , if you get breast cancer the chances of cure and survival are much better.
What is self breast examination, is it helpful in preventing breast cancer ?
Doing regular self examination of your breasts for any abnormal changes will not prevent breast cancer but paves way for early diagnosis and better treatment outcome.
Although not all abnormalities or changes in breast observed during self breast examination turns out to be breast cancer. In majority of cases it turns out to be a benign cause. But any new changes or abnormality observed during self breast examination will make you see your doctor and your doctor will confirm if it is breast cancer by asking you to do some diagnostic tests.
Self breast examination involve standing in front of a mirror and closely observing your breasts for any changes in breast cancer skin or texture changes , feeling the breast tissues with your fingers to know if you have any mass or lump in breast or in the armpit area. If there is any discrepancy in either of the breast.
Usually breast cancers are diagnosed when a person observe any new changes like a lump or hardness in breast tissues or change in the skin and texture of breast and discuss the observation with a doctor who does some diagnostic tests for confirming breast cancer diagnosis.
Early diagnosis of breast cancers offers a better prognosis.
When do i see a doctor if i suspect that i have breast cancer ?
If you observe any changes in breast during breast self examination , above 50 years of age , have a family history of breast cancer or observe any of the symptoms of breast cancers discussed earlier in this blog , Immediately see your doctor .
What tests my doctor need to do to confirm breast cancer diagnosis ?
On suspicion of breast cancer , your treating doctor will do a physical examination , take your family history and recommend following tests for confirming the diagnosis:
Diagnostic mammograms are performed when your doctors have a suspicion of breast cancer.
If on diagnostic mammogram where the mammogram technician take multiple images of your breast , some abnormalities are observed further tests will be done to confirm the diagnosis.
Breast ultrasound is done to take images of breast to find for a lump or mass or a cystic lesion.
An MRI will be conducted to take 3D images of breast . MRI is also done for women with dense breast. Dense breast means presence of more connective tissues than the normal fatty breast tissues.
A more confirmatory tests called breast tissue biopsy.
What are different types of breast biopsies to confirm breast cancers ?
FNAC of Breast is fine needle aspiration of breast tissues. FNAC for breast is done under local anesthesia where a fine needle is inserted to collect fluid and some tissues from the lump or concerned area of breast to be tested in a lab.No cut is made or surgery is done in FNAC of breast. At times doctors may decide to do a ultrasound guided FNAC to collect the fluid and tissues from the concerned area of breast.
Core Needle breast biopsy is using a thick needle inserted into the breast lump or the concerned tissues of breast and small cylinder of breast tissues are removed for pathological findings.
Surgical breast biopsy or True cut breast biopsy is done by making a cut in the breast. The surgeon removes part or all of the lump or area of concern. In some cases the lump may be small, deep, and hard to find. Then a method called wire localization may also be used. For this, a thin needle with a very thin wire is put into the breast. X-ray images help guide it to the lump. The surgeon then follows this wire to find the lump.
Biopsy is the actual confirmatory test for diagnosis of breast cancer , it also confirms the type of breast cancer you may have and breast cancer treatment is decided on that.
How my doctor will decide about stage of my breast cancer ?
Staging of a breast canceris done on grounds of size of tumor , extent of spread of tumor ( Localized or spread to lymph nodes , whether it has metastasized to any other surrounding or distant organs), types of cells of breast involved , expression of hormone receptors, and biomarkers.
There are two ways to determine the stage of breast cancer.
Pre surgery assessment (Clinical stage)
Post surgery (pathological stage)
The stage provides a common way of describing the cancer, so doctors can work together to plan the best treatments.
Depending on stage of cancer , doctors will decide about treatment course. Following treatment modalities are used for treating breast cancers.
Surgery for treating breast cancer:
Breast cancer surgery may involve lumpectomy , Mastectomy , Modified radical mastectomy , breast onco-plasty and breast reconstruction surgery.
Chemotherapy for breast cancer treatment:
Chemotherapy is administering chemotherapeutic medicines to treat breast cancers. It can be given prior to surgery as Neo adjuvant chemotherapy to reduces size of tumor , also given if lymph nodes are involved for a less extensive surgery.
Chemotherapy is also given post surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells and recurrence ( coming back ) of breast cancer. Chemotherapy when given post breast cancer surgery is called adjuvant chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy is the main treatment for metastatic breast cancer.
Chemotherapy is given in cycles like it may be given weekly , every 14 days , 21 days or every 28 days.
Radiation therapy for breast cancer:
Radiation therapy is also advised for breast cancer patients. Radiation therapy is usually given once your breast cancer surgery wounds are completely healed.
Radiation therapy for breast cancer is given either as external beam radiation therapy ( EBRT) or as internal radiation therapy ( Brachytherapy).
Your treating doctor will recommend the type depending on your breast cancer stage and kind of breast cancer surgery you have undergone.
External beam radiation therapy is given in sessions like 5 days a week and two days rest per week.
Targeted drug therapy for breast cancer:
Targeted drug therapy is used for those patients whose biopsy results shows affinity for certain hormones. Like for HER2 receptor positive breast cancers a targeted drug therapy is used either alone or along with the routine chemotherapy for breast cancer patients.
Immunotherapy for breast cancer:
Cancer immunotherapy is one of the most significant advancement in cancer treatments.
Cancer immunotherapy involves administration of immunotherapy agents that boosts one's own immunity to recognise and destroy breast cancer cells. Immunotherapy has demonstrated impressive anti tumor activity and durable clinical outcome in triple negative breast cancers.
Hormone therapy for Breast cancer:
If your breast cancer biopsies expresses an affinity for certain hormones like estrogen , progesterone or HER2 , your doctor may add hormonal therapy for your breast cancer treatment protocol.
Sometimes more than 2 of these treatment modalities are used by your breast cancer treating doctors team to ensure a better success rate , minimizing the side effects of treatment and reducing the chances of breast cancer coming back.
Which country offers best and affordable breast cancer treatment ?
India has emerged as the top destination for breast cancer treatment among the global breast cancer patients. Patients not only from Nigeria, Tanzania , Kenya, Ghana . Rwanda, Uganda,Angola ,South Africa , Zambia , Zimbabwe , Cameroon, Iraq, Saudi Arab , Oman , Bahrain, Kuwait, Sudan, Uzbekistan , Kyrgyzstani, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan,Afghanistan , Bangladesh , Nepal, Bhutan , Burma ( Myanmar) but United states, Australia, Philippine and many other European countries prefer to come to India for breast cancer treatments.
Why one should choose India for breast cancer treatment?
India is the favorite country for global medical travelers for complete and comprehensive yet affordable breast cancer treatment.The major reason for choosing India for breast cancer treatments are listed as below:
Expertise and competency of Indian breast cancer specialists
prompt start of treatment , no waiting period
Truly global class hospitals and latest diagnostic infrastructure
Ease of getting medical visa
English being a commonly spoken language and availability of Language interpreters for overcoming language barrier
Low cost of diagnostics and treatment
All treatment options are available to offer complete and comprehensive breast cancer treatments
Flexible and affordable accommodation rentals as per the need and budget of patient
Safety and political stability
How do i decide a hospital for my breast cancer treatment ?
For any cancer treatment center availability of all major branches ( Nuclear medicine, diagnostics, Surgery , chemotherapy and radiation therapy ) at one center is most important.
Because at these hospitals a tumor board meeting is routine for deciding the best breast cancer treatment protocol for every individual breast cancer patient.
We can help you in having a video consultation with top Indian breast cancer specialists . Send all your medical reports and a brief medical history to us even before flying to India.
You can chose among the top Indian breast cancer specialists and breast cancer hospitals with our help for your breast cancer treatment.
How will i travel to India for breast cancer treatment ?
Breast cancer treatments in India with best Indian Breast cancer specialists.
Many of the doctors around the world feels that early detection can save thousands of precious lives every year. Awareness among global population about the screenings for early detection of breast cancer and who are at greater risk of developing breast cancer can really help in saving precious lives. We at CMCS Health offer best and affordable Breast Cancer treatment in India. with best Indian breast cancer specialist doctors at well equipped and well managed hospitals. Let us understand certain basics about breast cancer.
What are the risk factors associated with breast cancer:
It is very difficult to pin point factors responsible for breast cancer. Many of the women who were exposed to breast cancer risk factors never had breast cancer whereas many women who developed breast cancer have no apparent risk factor, of course apart from being a woman and growing old. But some of the established risk factors associated with breast cancer are listed below.
Age:
Age is a major factor for breast cancer,usually older woman are more prone to develop breast cancer but there are reported incidences of young woman developing breast cancer too. Women who are fifty and above have higher incidences of developing breast cancer. In general ,the women who are diagnosed with breast cancer,about 8 out of 10 woman were aged above 50.Women who are in the age group of 50-70 years and carry other risk factors needs to be screened every third year as an effective measure for early diagnosis and better treatment options.
Medications:
Recent oral contraceptive usage:
Certain studies suggest that women who are currently on oral contraceptive pills are marginally more susceptible to breast cancer than the women who have never used them.Women goes back to normal risk of acquiring breast cancer once they stop using oral contraceptive pills. Studies suggest that after 10 years of stopping oral contraceptive pills women have the same risk of getting breast cancer as of those who have never taken oral contraceptive pills.
Women should be advised by their family physician the choice of oral contraceptive pills after considering other risk factors.
Hormone replacement therapy after menopause:
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) , post menopausal hormone therapy ( PHT) or Menopausal hormonal therapy (MHT) are synonyms for medications given to post menopausal women for relieving the symptoms of menopause and preventing osteoporosis ( Bones getting brittle and porn to fractures).
There are three main types of hormone replacement therapies for post menopausal women.
Combined Hormone Therapy (HT):
Combined hormonal therapy consists of estrogen and progesterone and is usually prescribed to women who retains the uterus.Progesterone is needed b'cause only estrogen will increase the risk of women getting uterine cancer. The increase in risk for women taking combined hormone therapy can be seen even in a very short span of two years. Women taking combined hormone therapy are also exposed to risk of breast cancer being diagnosed in a very advance stage.As per the studies only those women on combined HT stand the danger of getting breast cancer who are current or recent users.
After 5 years of quitting HT therapy their risk of getting breast cancer is almost similar to those women who have never been prescribed combined HT.
Estrogen alone therapy (ET):
Women who have undergone a hysterectomy (uterus removal surgery) are generally prescribed Estrogen alone for relieving symptoms of menopause. ET alone was not associated with significant increase in risk of breast cancer but there are studies which shows that usage of ET after a long duration ( About 10 years or more) increases the risk of post menopausal women of getting breast or uterine cancer.
Bio-similars or Bio-identicals:
Biosimilars are bioidenticals are being marketed as of exactly same chemical structure as human hormones (estrogen and progestin). Theoretically they are supposed to cause less side effects as compared to synthetic versions.There are not many studies establishing the superiority and safety of biosimilars to existing synthetic preparations.
Hormone replacement therapies should be taken only after the physician makes the women understand the benefits and potential side effects. A due consideration should also be given for other risk factors like heart disease,blood clots and strokes.
Family History or Genetic Factors:
Family history plays an important role in predicting for possible development of breast cancer in a woman. A woman whose mother,sister or daughter has developed breast cancer and someone who has more than one first degree relative,who has developed breast cancer is at 2 -3 times higher risk of developing breast cancer. BRCA genes (BRCA1 and BRCA2) and lesscommonPTEN, TP53are identified as the genes which controls any abnormal cell growth. A mutation in these genes, inherited from either of the parents increases the chances of a woman developing breast cancer.
Race and Ethnicity:
It is ironical but with reasonable justifications that white women are more prone for being diagnosed with breast cancer as compared to black women. But the rate of mortality is higher in black women as compared to white women. It may be because of the early screening as per the developed countries norms and lack of proper screening and diagnostic centers in under developed countries.
The lifestyles and cultural norms also play an important role as causative factor for breast cancer.
Life Styles related factors:
Obesity and being overweight:
Women having a BMI ( Body mass index ) over 25 stand higher risk of getting breast cancer as compared to women with normal body weight.Being over weight also increase the risk of recurrence for a previously treated breast cancer patient. An interesting fact for ladies and their men is extra fat around belly is linked with increased breast cancer risk as compared to same amount of fat around thighs and hips.
Dietary Habits:
Sedentary Lifestyles:
Living a physically active life reduces risk of breast cancer.Regular exercising controls blood sugar levels and limits blood levels of a hormone called insulin growth factor. Insulin growth factor are proven to have a role in growth of breast cells and their behavior.
Moderate to intense exercise schedules of 4 to 7 hours per week are believed to reduce breast cancer risks.
Alcohol Consumption:
Drinking alcoholic beverages like liquor, beer and wine can increase estrogen and other hormone levels which can increase risk of hormone receptor positive breast cancer. Regular Alcohol consumption is also known to damage DNA in cells and thus increase breast cancer risks.
Smoking:
Smoking or tobacco consumption is linked with many cancer risks including breast cancers.Studies suggests that smoking increases the risk of breast cancer in premenopausal women. Studies also suggest a possible co relation between exposure to heavy second hand smoke with high breast cancer risk in post menopausal women.
Exposures of harmful materials and chemicals:
Exposure to radiation therapy or Diethylstilbestrol exposure is linked with breast cancer risk.
For any queries please feel free to contact us.We will get back to you after consulting with the competent specialists.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among the women all across the globe. Breast cancer is more common in developed countries as compared to developing countries and a possible reason could be improper screening or poor reporting.Breast cancer usually affects older women but there are incidences of younger women being diagnosed with breast cancer too. A breast cancer which is detected early has better treatment outcome.At CMCS Healthwe are associated with best indian cancer specialist surgeons,Radiation oncologist and medical oncologist and best hospitals forBest and cost effective breast cancer treatment in India.
What Causes Breast Cancer:
The exact reason for development of breast cancer is still not known but there are risk factors identified,which can predict that what women are at risk of developing breast cancer. These risk factors are important to know as they predicts that what women should be screened periodically for possible breast cancer.As like any other cancer the chances of treatment are better when it is diagnosed in an early stage.The following factors can be the risk markers for a woman who may develop breast cancer.
Age: Age is a major factor for breast cancer,usually older woman are more prone to develop breast cancer but there are reported incidences of young woman developing breast cancer too. Women who are fifty and above have higher incidences of developing breast cancer. In general ,the women who are diagnosed with breast cancer,about 8 out of 10 woman were aged above 50.Women who are in the age group of 50-70 years and carry other risk factors needs to be screened every third year as an effective measure for early diagnosis and better treatment options.
