Breast Cancer – Early Signs, Causes, Types, and Treatment

Breast Cancer is one of the most common diseases found in women globally. Every four minutes, a woman in India receives a diagnosis of breast cancer, which accounts for 14% of all tumors in Indian women. If detected at an early stage breast cancer is curable with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Here, we will talk more about Breast Cancer and ways to address it.

Breast Cancer – What Is It?

An abnormal growth in the breast tissue of the breast is known as breast cancer. A malignant tumor is a mass of cancer cells which may either metastasis (transfer to other parts of our body) or develop into the tissues around it. Although it is occasionally found in men, the condition primarily affects females.

Lobules are ducts that are little tubes that carry milk to the nipples from stroma (also known as glands that produce milk). Most breast tumors form in the borders of the ducts (also termed ductal cancers). Others (lobular cancers) begin in tissues other than the cells which make up the lining around the lobules.

Early Signs of Breast Cancer

Distinct people will experience different breast cancer symptoms. Some folks completely lack any symptoms. Some indicators of breast cancer include:

● A newly discovered bulge on the breast (or armpit)

● Bump in a breast region

● Breast skin irritation or dimples

● Redness, scaliness, or flaky skin in the breast or nipple area

● Discomfort in the nipple

● Bleeding from the breasts (while breastfeeding)

● Any modification to the breast’s and nipple’s size or form

● Any breast region can experience pain.

● Swelling or thickening in the breast region

Remember that these symptoms might also be caused by diseases that are not cancer.

Causes of Breast Cancer

● Aging is one of the biggest risk factors for developing breast cancer. As you get older, the chances of breast cancer increase i.e. after the age of 45-50.

● It can be hereditary. For e.g. If a woman’s mother or grandmother or any first-degree relative has had breast cancer, she is at a much greater risk to have breast cancer.

● Alcohol consumption on a regular basis is linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. The risk of breast cancer can be decreased by reducing your alcohol use.

● After menopause, being overweight or obese, increases the risk of developing breast cancer.

● Research shows that smoking marginally raises the risk of breast cancer.

● The impact of having children on the risk of breast cancer is multi-faceted. Pregnancy generally lowers the risk of breast cancer over the long run. The risk of breast cancer decreases upon breastfeeding of the newborn child.

● Upon halting your hormone replacement treatment (HRT) abruptly, the risk of breast cancer increases.

Types of Breast Cancer

1. Invasive Ductal Carcinoma

IDC is one of the most prevalent kinds of breast cancer, which accounts for around 70–80 percent of all occurrences (IDC). A milk duct is where IDC first appears before spreading to other breast tissues.

2. Invasive Lobular Carcinoma

The next most frequent kind of breast cancer is invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC). Breast tissue nearby is first affected by ILC, which forms in the lobules (where breast milk is produced).

3. Paget’s Disease of the Breast

Paget’s condition of the breast, sometimes called Paget’s disease of the nipple, is a far less typical breast cancer type. Paget cells, a particular type of tumor cell, are produced as it progresses in the nipple and areola.

4. Angiosarcoma Cancer

Breast cancer called Angiosarcoma develops in the lymphatic or blood vessel linings. It is uncommon, making up just 2% to 3% of all sarcomas.

5. Phyllodes Tumors

Phyllodes tumor is an uncommon form of tumor known that appears in the connective fibrous tissues of the breast. It focuses more on the glandular tissue that generates milk or the fatty tissue that gives the breasts their bulk. The fibrous, stabilizing connective tissue holds all other tissues in position.

Treatment of Breast Cancer

1. Lumpectomy

This entails the removal of the tumor along with a minimal margin of healthy tissues around the tumor that is cancer-free. The breast is still mostly there. After surgery for invasive cancer, radiation therapy to the residual breast tissue frequently is advised, particularly for younger patients, those with tumors that lack hormone receptors, and those who have larger tumors.

2. Mastectomy

Removal of the complete breast surgically is called Mastectomy. This alternative is usually used when Lumpectomy treatment is not an option. There are also exceptions where women, due to the fear of getting breast cancer again; some women Mastectomies come in varieties. You can consult with your doctor if it is possible to keep the skin intact, which is known as a skin-sparing mastectomy, or in the case of nipple, it is known as a nipple-sparing mastectomy. A Plastic surgeon is also part of the cancer surgery in many cases.

Types of mastectomies

There are several different types of mastectomies, based on how the surgery is done and how much tissue is removed.

Simple (or total) mastectomy

In this procedure, the surgeon removes the entire breast, including the nipple, areola, fascia (covering) of the pectoralis major muscle (main chest muscle), and skin. A few underarm lymph nodes might be removed as part of a sentinel lymph node biopsy depending on the situation.

Radical mastectomy

Modified radical mastectomy

A modified radical mastectomy combines a simple mastectomy with the removal of the lymph nodes under the arm (called an axillary lymph node dissection).

This extensive surgery is rarely done now. The surgeon removes the entire breast, axillary (underarm) lymph nodes, and the pectoral (chest wall) muscles under the breast. It has been

found to be just as effective and with fewer side effects. This operation might be done if the tumor is growing into the pectoral muscles.

Skin-sparing mastectomy

In this procedure, most of the skin over the breast is left place. Only the breast tissue, nipple, and areola are removed. The amount of breast tissue removed is the same as with a simple mastectomy. Implants or tissue from other parts of the body can be used during the surgery to reconstruct the breast.

Nipple-sparing mastectomy

A nipple-sparing mastectomy is similar to a skin-sparing mastectomy in that the breast tissue is removed and the breast skin is saved. But in this procedure, the nipple and areola are left in place. This can be followed by breast reconstruction. The surgeon often removes the breast tissue under the nipple and areola during the procedure to check for cancer cells. If cancer is found in this tissue, the nipple and areola must be removed.

Double mastectomy

When both breasts are removed, it is called a double (or bilateral) mastectomy. Double mastectomy is sometimes done as a risk-reducing (or preventive) surgery for women at very high risk for getting breast cancer, such as those with a BRCA gene mutation. Most of these mastectomies are simple mastectomies, but some may be nipple-sparing.

· Chemotherapy. Using special medicines to shrink or kill the cancer cells. The drugs can be pills you take or medicines given in your veins, or sometimes both.

· Hormonal therapy. Blocks cancer cells from getting the hormones they need to grow.

· Biological therapy. Works with your body’s immune system to help it fight cancer cells or to control side effects from other cancer treatments.

· Radiation therapy Using a focused high-intensity laser beam, malignant tissue is removed through laser surgery.

Get The Best Breast Cancer Treatment in Ahmedabad at Shalby Hospitals

Shalby Multispecialty Hospitals, the best breast cancer Hospital in Ahmedabad, provide comprehensive cancer care using cutting-edge technology. You can benefit from our services to get the greatest evaluation, diagnosis, and care. Shalby Multispecialty Hospitals is equipped with an amazing team of professionals who have solid professional and medical experience, making it the most capable and committed cancer hospital in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

Shalby Hospitals offer the best quality treatment at an affordable breast cancer treatment cost in India. The cancer treatment methods available at Shalby include:

● Laparoscopic surgery involves using a little tube with a camera for performing surgery through small incisions to flesh.

● Endoscopy procedure involves examination of the internal organs by inserting a thin, flexible tube with a light, camera, and lens on the tip into a body orifice. This aids in removing tissue samples that may be aberrant for further analysis.

Our Exceptional services at Shalby Hospitals have helped heal millions of families. We pride in being an integral part behind those millions of smiles. Consult with the Oncology Care department at Shalby Hospitals near you for the best professional opinion today.