What Is Breast Cancer?

Breast cancer is a specific type of cancer that starts in the breasts. These types of cancers are often seen on the x-ray as a lump. Upon physically examining such patients, they complain of the lump increasing in size of over. Although breast cancers are most common in women, men can get these types of cancers too.

It is an important fact to understand that most of the lumps found in the breasts are benign, that is they are non cancerous. These are just abnormal growths that are present, and will not spread outside the organ. These bening non spreading lumps are not life threatening, but they definitely increase the likelihood of a woman getting a malignant breast lump sometime in the future.

This brings the importance of diagnostic and imaging tests in breast cancers. For most women, getting diagnosed at an early stage saves up a lot of their time and the outcome of the disease is way better than the rest. It is always suggested that a woman should get examined once a year for the same, and understand if there is some tumor growth or not.

Where breast cancer starts

Breast cancers might start from various parts of the breast -

• Mostly it originates from the ducts that carry milk to the nipples (ductal cancers)
• At times they might start from the glands - called lobular cancers
• There might be some less common cancers like phyllodes tumor and angiosarcomas.

These breast cancers after originating from one particular section, depending on their physiology, grow into either the rest of the breast, or if diagnosed at an early stage, then can be controlled to that particular junction.

Imaging Tests to Find Breast Cancer

Different tests that are done nowadays to diagnose breast cancers are mentioned below. These tests are done as a screening imaging test (mammogram), or incases where the patients have more symptoms or the cancer is already in an advanced stage, the doctors get to be sure about the staging

• Mammograms
• Breast Ultrasound
• Breast MRI
• Newer and Experimental Breast Imaging Tests

How is the technology changing the outlook of breast related cancers

With the latest advancement in the field of technology, a lot has changed. Most of the patients are now able to get high levels of diagnostic aid which help them to detect the previously undetectable breast cancers. This helps the patients in having a better prognosis and output of the disease.

More and more breast screening programs are now being run, which check the breast density. These tests include Mammomat Fusion, which is a FDA approved test by Siemens Healthcare. This is a full-field digital mammography test that enables the doctors to understand the various features of the breasts. These can include understanding the volume screening, density, texture and the internal blood flow. These technologies are now being installed at various medium to high sized establishments, given that they are not very expensive to start with.

These machines feature a cesium-iodide detector - which utilises low level radiation doses to view a full insight of the patients breasts. These mammograms usually go up to the depth of 50mm.

In previous times, the most common diagnostic aid was a 2-D mammogram of the breasts. These had their own shortcomings, and there was a need for them to be replaced by higher technology.

With the increasing technological advancements, early detection is possible. As per the numbers, more than 42% of the breast cancer cases are now detected at early stages.

Early detection of any cancer, changes the prognosis of the case a couple times. This is so because, if the cancer is diagnosed in the non-metastatic stage, the outcome of the prognosis varies and results in a better quality of life.

Community Outreach

The education and the accessibility of the services also play a very crucial role in the early detection and treatment of breast cancers. There are multiple organizations out there who have been creating public awareness for the same, and are finding new and different ways to educate the population about the changing trends in the same field.

For example, in recent days a lot of universities and colleges are spreading free test informative kits which educate the patients on how to avoid as well as how to look for the symptoms of such cancers. These tests and educational programs help the vulnerable women in the underserved communities to get more and more information about the better and cheaper changing facilities available out there for the public.

More and more people are able to get their tests done, and more people in the urban areas are able to undergo free annual tests too, to avoid or early detect any benign or malignant growth in the breasts.

The cost of breast cancer treatment in India depends on a lot of factors -

• Type of breast cancer diagnosed
• Staging of the breast cancer
• Age of the patient
• Treatment options best suited for the patient
• Treatment planning required - chemotherapy and radiation therapy are required - and the cost differs