Recently, some members in the Parliament of the country asked questions about presenting the statistics of breast cancer occurring in the country. In response to these questions, the Parliament released the state-wise number of breast cancer cases and mortality from 2019 to 2023. With these figures many Ch
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Why are breast cancer cases increasing in the state? Why is the mortality rate higher in breast cancer cases than other cancers? What do patients expect from breast cancer treatment? What mistakes are made in breast cancer diagnosis? What measures is the government taking to reduce breast cancer? We got answers to all these questions from a breast cancer expert.
Breast cancer statistics presented in Parliament
We are cancer expert Dr. Shakuntala Shah and Dr. Had a special conversation with Mithun Shah
Why are cases of breast cancer increasing?
Regarding the increase in cases of breast cancer, Dr. Shakuntala Shah says that this is a very serious matter. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women today. I don't believe that patients are not getting proper medicine or treatment because of this. Low awareness among people is responsible for increasing cases of breast cancer. People ignore minor symptoms and do not rush to the hospital, due to which more than 50% of cases are detected in the third stage. Genetic (hereditary) causes are also responsible in some cases. Cancer can be prevented if this is known in advance.
On the other hand, talking about this issue, Dr. Mithun Shah states that only 15% of cases have a family history, i.e. an inherited disease. While the main reasons for the rest of the patients are late menopause, obesity, taking more hormonal treatment, consuming alcohol, being overweight, some of these reasons appear to cause breast cancer.
Breast cancer is more serious than other cancers
Telling about the seriousness of breast cancer, Dr. Shakuntala Shah says that earlier breast cancer was mostly seen in women after the age of 50 but now there has been a huge increase in younger cases as well. If there is a hereditary history of cancer, then there are some cases that breast cancer is detected even during pregnancy at the age of 25. The side effects of breast cancer treatment at a young age are also serious. So caution is very important regarding this cancer.
Mammography boon in breast cancer
First of all, breast cancer appears in many cases even though there are no symptoms. Mammography is the only solution in such cases. According to me women should get periodic mammography after 45 years. Even if the mammography report comes back normal, mammography should be done again after three years.
Explaining the benefits of mammography, Dr. Mithun Shah says that when we get a tumor filled, that cancer has mostly reached the third stage. But mammography can catch even if the tumor is only 1 or 1.5 centimeters. So that breast cancer is detected very early and chemo therapy can be avoided and cured at low cost. Mammography definitely exposes the body to some radiation but no major side effects have been reported.
Do not ignore these symptoms if they appear
In most cases, some symptoms are visible. As for the main symptoms, breast lump, change in breast structure, sores on the nipple, bleeding from the nipple, swelling of the breast, if these symptoms are present, women should be alerted. Should stay.Dr. According to Mithun Shah, the best time for breast self-examination is four to five days after menstruation.
Do not mistake any tumor for normal tumor
Dr. Shakuntala Shah says that women should not mistake any lump for normal lump. A small lump like a tumor can also be a cancerous tumor. Rasoli can also cause cancer. Therefore, before taking any decision on your own, you should consult an expert.
Explaining the important thing about the tumor, Dr. Mithun Shah says that, generally, people consider it as serious if there is pain in the tumor. But not so here. Breast cancer tumors are not painful at first. Pain occurs when the tumor grows and reaches the skin. So if a woman has a tumor and it does not cause pain, it may be a cancerous tumor. A lump that is painful at first is less likely to be cancerous. However, any tumor should not be mistaken for a normal tumor and a doctor must be consulted without fail.
Do this if any symptoms appear
A family doctor should be seen first when any tumor or symptoms appear. After this, if needed, a cancer expert should be shown. Regarding the tumor, even if it appears to be a normal tumor, biopsy is mandatory before treatment
A child can get cancer even if not covered
Telling the reasons behind getting cancer at a young age, Dr. Shankutala Shah states that one of the main reasons behind developing cancer at an early age is genetic (hereditary). If there is a family history of this type of cancer, the person may develop cancer at a young age. Apart from this, lifestyle is also responsible for developing cancer at a young age. Not getting married at the right age, getting married at an older age, not feeding the baby at the right age, eating too much junk food and stress can also cause cancer at a young age.
Telling more about this, Dr. Mithun Shah says that breast feeding is the enemy of breast cancer. The amount of breast feeding in our country is decreasing. But this should not be done. Breast feeding protects you from breast cancer.
Do this to reduce the chances of breast cancer
Dr. Shakuntala Shah states that breast cancer cannot be completely prevented. But its chances can be definitely reduced and breast cancer can be detected in time. Women with a family history should get tested for breast genes. And if the report shows more chances of breast cancer, such women can reduce the chances of cancer by undergoing risk reduction surgery before cancer occurs. Apart from this, lifestyle also needs to be changed. Marriage and children should be done at the right age. Apart from this junk food should be consumed less. Try to live a stress free life. In my opinion every woman should definitely exercise for one hour a day. Women who aren't overweight don't have to assume I don't need exercise at all.
Also special connection to breast cancer and age at marriage
As a breast cancer expert, talking about the right age for marriage and childbearing in scientific terms, Shakuntala Shah says, you will be surprised to know that scientifically, getting married at the age of 25 and having children by the age of 30 will be good for your health.
'GST on breast cancer drugs should definitely be reduced'
Breast cancer treatment is included in Ayushman Bharat Yojana so there is no question for the patient who gets treated under it. Apart from this, sometimes if a patient is found to be really slow, we help them as much as we can by reducing our charges. But when it comes to medicines, I definitely believe that if GST is reduced, a large section of the society can benefit greatly.
Men can also get breast cancer
Dr. Mithun Shah states that not only women but also men get breast cancer. However, men have a lower incidence of breast cancer than women. Men also get lumps during breast cancer. There seems to be silver. Men should definitely consult a doctor if these symptoms appear
There is no need to panic about the cost of breast cancer
Dr. about the cost of this cancer. Mithun Shah says that the cost depends on the stage of the cancer. However, the initial cost, including the biopsy and finding out what stage the cancer is, is around 25 thousand. The main thing is that now the treatment of breast cancer comes under Ayushman Yojana. So patients need not worry much about the cost. Sometimes all the treatment including surgery is done for around 1 lakh rupees.
This is how to know the stage of cancer
If breast cancer has spread only to the breast, it is called early stage cancer. If the cancer has spread from the breast to the armpit, it is stage II or stage III cancer. Whereas if the cancer has started to reach the whole body then it is stage IV cancer. However, most of the research is done on breast cancer, so now there are treatments so that even a fourth stage cancer patient can recover.
'Don't Be Afraid About Chemo Therapy'
Dr. Mithun Shah says about chemo therapy, Cancer patients have a big fear about chemo therapy. However, there is no need to keep it. People think that chemo therapy will cause hair loss, chemo therapy will have many side effects. However, treatments to prevent all of these have come on the market. For example, there is a cooling cap which, if worn during chemo therapy, keeps your hair from falling out. So in this way there is a remedy for every side effect. So people don't need to be afraid of chemo therapy at all.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
