Breast Cancer Screening: Early Detection Can Save Many Lives: Dr. Chitresh Aggarwal

By Tricitynews

Chandigarh 31^st October:- Breast Cancer is now the most common cancer that affects Indian women. Every year around 1, 70,000 new cases are detected of breast cancer. For women breast cancer is a dreaded diagnosis and experience. Lack of awareness makes this problem even more badly.  Common symptoms are breast cancer is breast lumps for swelling, nipple retraction arm pit swelling, bloody nipple discharge. This was stated by Dr. Chitresh Aggarwal, Medical Oncologist & Heamato- Oncologist at Max Hospital.

While sharing more details about Breast Cancer, Dr. Chitresh Aggarwal, said that risk factors for breast cancer include advanced age, family history, contraceptive use and use of hormone replacement therapy, obesity, late marriages, late age at first child birth, early menarche and obesity screening for breast cancer is recommended.

He further said that Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that forms in the cells of the breast. Although mostly found in women, men can get breast cancer too. There are a number of symptoms associated with breast cancer, but the first noticeable symptom is often a lump or area of thickened breast tissue. A lump in the breast does not necessarily mean you have cancer-most breast lumps are not cancerous. However, it is always best to have them checked by your doctor. Treatment for breast cancer may include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapy or bone-directed therapy.

Screening recommendation includes self breast examination, chemical breast examination and annual mammography after 40 years of age. Screening includes clinical breast examination.

Breast cancer awareness is important because if this cancer is detected early then it is curable. With recent advancements in available treatments, even advanced stage patients can live longer 

Not every patient of advanced breast cancer requires chemotherapy and depending on type of breast cancer nowadays oral tablets are available which are easy to tolerate and have responses even better than chemotherapy.