Early Diagnosis of Breast cancer can be lifesaving. Early breast cancer is not painful, so don’t wait till it becomes painful. Keep your eyes open and look for signs
A college principal once came to me in a state of advanced breast cancer. She regretted having ignored her early signs. What was once an early stage 1 cancer, had now progressed to stage. Another lady in her late 50s ignored a lump in her breast. Later, she started suffering from back pain. Upon diagnosis, we found it to be advanced breast cancer in stage 4. Yet another young lady had a spinal fracture and had become a paraplegic. She had been taking back massage sessions for her back ache and later accepted that she had ignored a small breast lump.
Learning from your mistakes is wise, learning from the mistakes of others is quicker and easier.
In India, for every three breast cancer victims, one dies. Lesson learned: Not all die. But why should they be dying at all? In India, cancers are diagnosed after they reach advanced stages -3 and 4. This needs to change. Like in the West, in India too, cases need to be diagnosed while they are still in stages 1 and 2. In the US the ratio is better. In every eight cases of breast cancer, only one succumbs. People are more aware. Screening is more prevalent.
So, early diagnosis is the key to saving lives. Five-year survival rates can be as high as 95% in Stage 1. However, in stage 4, the survival rate will be much lower. People should shed their nihilism towards cancer. They should shed their ignorance. Early breast cancer is not painful, so don’t wait till it becomes painful. Keep your eyes open and look for signs.
Now, how does early breast cancer present itself? A painless breast lump is the most common sign of breast cancer. Sometimes people come to us in a panic. A drop of blood from the nipple could trigger panic in them. But instead of panicking, it would be more useful to understand the early sign and act on them. Another sign is a recent retraction of the nipple. But mark the word “Recent” here: that’s the key.
How do we detect breast cancer early? Screening is one way. People should undergo annual mammogram screenings to look for early lesions through mammogram signs. Self-examination should be encouraged. The breast is a superficial organ and doesn’t need a doctor to diagnose a lump early. When in doubt, always ask for help from an expert.
When diagnosed early survival will be better and suffering would be even lesser. Not all breast cancer patients need Mastectomy (Complete removal of the diseased breast), Nowadays we operate with less radiality, especially in early breast cancers. Breast size, shape, and contour can be maintained with good oncoplastic techniques.
We as a society should stand with cancer patients. We should contribute to the patients wellbeing. We should help the patient to decide for the right and the good. Cancer is the new epidemic. Together we can fight and stop cancer. “Cancer” is a word, not a sentence!
Surgical Oncology, KMC Hospital, Mangaluru
