Cancer is the scariest of all diseases. Though medical science has made revolutionary progress over the last decade, cancer continues being an enigma for the oncologists and scientists alike. What studies have unearthed till date is only a tip of the iceberg. More are yet to be learn and done. In this blog, we will keep our focus restricted to breast cancer.
What is the difference between tumour and cancer?
Tumour or neoplasm is caused by excessive growth of cells. The process is called mitosis. This swelling can be of two types – non-cancerous or benign and cancerous or malignant. Benign tumours have slow growth and they don’t spread to other parts of the body. They pose no danger even if not removed. Malignant tumours grow rapidly and invade the nearby tissues and distant organs. If not removed, they cause death. Good news is if detected in early stage and treated properly, cancer is curable in many occasions.
Early diagnosis and proper treatment are a key to prolonged survival and prevention of recurrence. There are several risk factors for developing cancer. The disease can be prevented by avoiding these risk factors. These risk factors include smoking and other forms of tobacco consumption, obesity, excessive exposure to sun etc.
Breast Cancer – How to Prevent It?
Researchers are still not sure about the causes of breast cancer. However, they have identified some factors as the probable causes of the disease:
Age: Usually after 30 years
Sex: 99% occurs in women
Dietary Habit: Low intake of unsaturated fat, vitamin A-enriched fruits and vegetables; high intake of fat and alcohol
Increased Oestrogen Exposure: Late marriage and pregnancy, delayed menopause, not breast feeding, prolonged use of contraceptive pills.
Genetic Problems: Though rare, genetic abnormalities may also turn breast cancer a hereditary disease running in a family.
Of all the factors discussed above, genetic abnormalities are beyond control and so are not avoidable. But by avoiding other risk factors, you can certainly reduce your risk of having breast cancer.
Biopsy for Cancer Diagnosis
Biopsy is the mainstay of cancer diagnosis. There is a misconception that biopsy causes cancer spread. Due to this misconception, many cancer patients don’t want to undergo biopsy test and disappear from the clinic only to come back when the cancer has already metastasized and not much can be done. Even if cancer is highly suspected, biopsy is the only way to confirm diagnosis. Biopsy involves taking out a small tissue and it causes no dissemination of cancerous cells.
Treatment for Breast Cancer
A multidimensional approach, which is quite the norm as the best cancer treatment in Kolkata, is taken to treat the patient after a diagnosis. It includes surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone therapy. The surgical treatment removes the entire breast and axillary glands. If the tumour is small, the malignant tumour along with a rim of healthy cells around is removed. This surgery is called breast preservation surgery.
Breast Reconstruction after Surgical Removal
Young patients usually favour breast reconstruction after mastectomy (breast removal). It can be done either at the time of surgery or after adjuvant treatment. Silicon implants are most popular but very costly.