Widely known, breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women all over the world. As treatment options and strategies for management improve outcomes, the need to create awareness and understanding of breast cancer becomes essential.
Breast Cancer Symptoms and Signs
Breast cancer may begin with very subtle symptoms, which means regular self-exams and screenings are important to catch any problems at an early stage. Symptoms can be recognized early when treatment efficacy can be improved. If you have the following symptoms, visit a breast cancer doctor in Delhi and get a clinical examination and imaging. Common signs and symptoms include:
Skin Changes on the Breast: Breast cancer can be marked by dimpling, redness, or scaliness on the breast skin.
Lump in the Breast or Underarm: The most common early symptom is a lump or mass in the breast, which may feel hard, irregular, and different than the parts of the other breast.
Breast Shape or Size Changes: The first warning sign is that one of your breasts is noticeably bigger or differently shaped.
Nipple Discharge: If you have any discharge—particularly if it is bloody—that occurs without squeezing, this should be checked out by a healthcare provider.
Inverted Nipple: Changes in the breast tissue can lead to the nipple turning inward or flattening.
Stages of Breast Cancer
Breast cancer has stages, which clinical pathologists determine by how large the tumor is and if it has metastasized. Now, let’s look at each stage:
Stage 0 (In Situ): This is the earliest form; it is also known as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). These are cancer cells that are confined to the duct of the breast and have not spread.
Stage I: The cancer is small (less than 2 cm) and has either not spread to the lymph nodes or has spread very little to the small nearby lymph nodes.
Stage II: With this stage, the tumor is now larger (2–5 cm in diameter) or has spread to several nearby lymph nodes (yet not elsewhere in the body).
Stage III: Tumors in this stage are cancer that has spread to nearby tissues or lymph nodes but not to yet other organs. This disease is also called locally advanced breast cancer.
Stage IV: It is breast cancer that has progressed to a stage where cells from the primary tumor have infiltrated distant organs such as the skeleton, the liver, the lungs, or the brain.
The breast oncologist in Delhi will also advise you for proper imaging tests, such as a mammogram or MRI and sometimes a biopsy, to find out whether a tumor is cancer or not and how far it has spread.
Treatment of Breast Cancer
The treatment of breast cancer is highly individualized, based on the stage and type of disease and on the individual characteristics of the tumor. Common treatment options by the trusted breast cancer doctor in Delhi include:
Surgery
Lumpectomy: In this surgery, most of the breast is preserved, and only the tumor and a tiny amount of surrounding tissue are removed.
Mastectomy: A procedure to remove the entire breast to stop the spread of cancer, often used when the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
Radiation Therapy
High-energy waves are used to target and destroy cancer cells with this treatment. Post-surgery, it is often used to eliminate any remaining cancer cells, especially if a lumpectomy is used.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is widely used to treat and destroy cancer cells in the body. Before surgery (neoadjuvant therapy) or after surgery (adjuvant therapy), it may be given to shrink the tumor or to reduce the risk of recurrence.
Hormone Therapy
Therapies that block estrogen and progesterone (hormones that can promote cancer growth) are used for hormone-sensitive cancers.
Immunotherapy
It’s a hot new treatment that brings the body’s immune system to bear on cancer cells. Specific cases of breast cancer use immunotherapy, and you can have it as a part of the broader treatment plan.
If you are looking for the best breast cancer specialist in Delhi, you must consult with such an expert. Dr. Kumardeep Dutta Choudhury, a renowned breast oncologist in Delhi, provides advanced and balanced treatment options that meet each patient’s needs.
A lump in the breast, changes in the breast size and shape, skin dimpling, nipple discharge (other than breast milk), or breast or nipple pain. If detected early, these can be treated or reversed with regular self-exams and screening.
Everyone's treatment depends on the type and stage of the cancer, but it usually includes surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy.
The cancer stage at diagnosis determines whether or not a patient's life can be saved. Breast cancers that are early stage have very high survival rates, usually above 90%. However, the survival rate normally decreases as we move on the stage.
Cancer
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