| FAQ's |
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Q. What does Breast Cancer mean?
Ans : Breast cancer means a cancerous (causing infiltration and destruction of tissue) growth that originates in breast tissue. |
Q. Whom does it affect the most?
Ans : The risk of breast cancer increases with increasing age, mostly among females. |
Q. How does Breast Cancer progress?
Ans : Usually an excess of estrogen stimulates the growth of the tumour. |
Q. What are the causes of Breast Cancer?
Ans : The causes are |
- Positive family history.
- Early menarche
- Late menopause.
- First child after thirty years of age.
- Excessive body fat.
- Prolonged use of oral contraceptive pills.
- Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for 10 years or more.
- Oncogenes
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Q. What are the symptoms of Breast Cancer?
Ans : The symptoms are |
- A painless lump in the breast
Dimpling of the skin in the area of the lump that looks like orange peel.
- Inversion of the nipple.
- A bloodstained nipple discharge.
- Pain in breast.
In Paget's disease: patch of dry, flaky skin on the nipple. A change in the appearance or texture of the breasts.
- Cachexia
- General symptoms: malaise (weariness)
- loss of appetite
- fatigue
- thirt
- fever
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Staging
The international TNM classification is recognized for staging:T- Extent of primary tumour |
- T1 to T3 shows the increase in the extent or size of the tumour.
- N- Involvement of nodes
- N1 to N3 shows the increasing node involvement.
- M- Presence of metastases (distant spread)
- M0 no metastases
- M1 presence of metastases.
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Q. What investigations are done?
Ans : The tests conducted are |
- Mammography
- Radiology
- USG
- CT scan
- MRI
- Lymphangiogram
- Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology [FNAC]
- Aspiration
- Biopsy
- Estrogen Sensitivity
- Biochemical screening
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Q. What are the treatment measures?
Ans : TreatmentDepends on: TNM stage Estrogen sensitivity |
| Includes |
- Surgery
- Radiation therapy
- Chemotherapy
- Hormone therapy, or
- Most often, a combination of these.
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| Management of pain through |
- Oral analgesics and localized techniques of pain relief.
- Antibiotics, in case of presence of infection.
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Q. What is the prognosis?
Ans : Prognosis is good, if early diagnosis is followed by prompt radical cure. Prognosis worsens with increasing stage of the cancer. |
Q. How can the disease be prevented?
Ans : The disease can be prevented through regular self-examination of breasts for lump. If there exists a positive family history of breast cancer then regular mammography should be conducted after the age of 30 years. |
Q. Important things one should know about Breast Cancer?
Ans : One needs to know about the complementary therapies that can help in the healing process. |
- Relaxation exercises
- Meditation
- Psychological counseling.
- Family and colleagues support.
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| Terminal care |
- Psychological support
- Appropriate nutrition
- Treatment of cough, pruritis and nausea
- Family and friend's support
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| Q. there is a very small red mark on my left breast away from nipple.i just cant remember for how long this mark has been there.is it have any dangerous sign.also sometimes i feel severe pain im my both breats specially when i put off my bra i night.is it normal or bcoz of tight bra? |
Ans. Ordinarily, red spots on the skin are not dangerous if they have been there for long time and are not changing in size or color. So I would advise you to take note of any change over the next several months and have it checked by your local doctor in case it changes.
About the pain in the breasts, it is not uncommon especially in younger women(<50 years of age) and does not require anything particular done as long as it is stable and a mild pain. But if it is increasing in severity, I would suggest that you ask your doctor to do a physical examination and make sure that you do not have any lumps in your breast(s). |
Dr. Sewa S. Legha, MD |
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