Know more about Breast cancer, its treatment plan and diagnosis

1. "An initiative to create awareness about Breast cancer and what every
women should know about her Breast"
BREAST CANCER
Dr.Murali Subramanian
By the Breast Health expert at Oncology India-Bangalore

2. This eBook will help you to
understand
1 - A b o u t B r e a s t C a n c e r a n d i t s c a u s e s
2 - S y m p t o m s o f B r e a s t C a n c e r
3 - B r e a s t c a n c e r s c r e e n i n g s a n d i t s
t y p e s
4 - W h e n t o p e r f o r m a n d s c h e d u l e
s c r e e n i n g s f o r b r e a s t c a n c e r
5 - H o w t o a s s e s s y o u r r i s k
6 - H o w t o p r e p a r e f o r a m a m m o g r a m
W H Y I S T H I S I M P O R T A N T ?
I N C I D E N C E O F B R E A S T C A N C E R I S V E R Y
H I G H . H O W E V E R W I T H E A R L Y D E T E C T I O N
A N D T R E A T M E N T , T H E C H A N C E O F S U R V I V A L
I M P R O V E S . T H I S R E S O U R C E W I L L P R O V I D E
Y O U T H E I N F O R M A T I O N A N D T O O L S ; Y O U
N E E D T O T A K E C A R E O F Y O U R H E A L T H

3. Cause of Breast Cancer
C a u s e s o f c a n c e r s c a n n o t b e p i n p o i n t e d
a n d t h e s a m e h o l d s t r u e f o r b r e a s t
c a n c e r . H o w e v e r , w e k n o w t h a t c e r t a i n
f a c t o r s c a n p u t s o m e w o m e n a t h i g h e r
r i s k o f d e v e l o p i n g t h e d i s e a s e .
H e r e d i t a r y r e a s o n s , h e a l t h h i s t o r y , d i e t
a n d l i f e s t y l e i s s u e s c a n a l l p l a y a p a r t
i n d e v e l o p i n g b r e a s t c a n c e r .
W o m e n w i t h a g e n e t i c p r e d i s p o s i t i o n f o r
b r e a s t c a n c e r , o r w h o h a v e a f a m i l y
h i s t o r y o f t h e d i s e a s e c o m p r i s e o n l y
1 0 % o f t h e p a t i e n t s . T h e r e s t o f t h e
b r e a s t c a n c e r c a s e s s t e m f r o m r a n d o m
c a u s e s , n o t a l w a y s i d e n t i f i e d . T h e r i s k
f o r d e v e l o p i n g b r e a s t c a n c e r i s
p r o p o r t i o n a t e l y r e l a t e d t o a w o m a n ’ s
a g e .

4. Breast Cancer Symptoms
E v e r y w o m a n o u g h t t o k n o w t h e
s y m p t o m s a n d s i g n s o f b r e a s t c a n c e r .
W h e n e v e r a n a b n o r m a l i t y i s d i s c o v e r e d ,
i t s h o u l d b e i n v e s t i g a t e d b y a s k i l l e d
h e a l t h c a r e w o r k e r . O n e o r t w o s i g n s o f
b r e a s t c a n c e r d o n o t n e c e s s a r i l y m e a n
t h a t y o u h a v e t h e d i s e a s e . M o n t h l y s e l f -
e x a m i n a t i o n o f t h e b r e a s t s i s t h e b e s t
w a y t o d i s c o v e r a n y c h a n g e s i n a n d
a r o u n d y o u r m a m m a r y g l a n d s . I f y o u d o
n o t i c e a n y t h i n g u n c o m m o n , c o n s u l t y o u r
h e a l t h c a r e s p e c i a l i s t i m m e d i a t e l y . H e r e
a r e s o m e o f t h e s y m p t o m s y o u m a y
n o t i c e

5. Breast Cancer Symptoms
In the Breasts:
1 - A n y a b n o r m a l c h a n g e i n t h e s h a p e ,
c o n t o u r o r s i z e o f t h e b r e a s t
2 - A l u m p i n o r n e a r o n e b r e a s t o r i n t h e
u n d e r a r m t h a t r e m a i n s t h r o u g h o u t t h e
m e n s t r u a l c y c l e .
3 - A l u m p o r s w e l l i n g i n a b r e a s t ; i t m a y
b e a s s m a l l a s a p e a . I t s h o u l d b e
i n v e s t i g a t e d ; h o w e v e r , n o t a l l l u m p s a r e
t u m o u r s .
4 - U n e x p e c t e d s h r i n k a g e o f o n e b r e a s t ,
t h o u g h m a n y w o m e n h a v e o n e b r e a s t
s l i g h t l y s m a l l e r t h a n t h e o t h e r
5 - S k i n o f t h e b r e a s t h a s t u r n e d s c a l y
r e d o r i s i n f l a m e d
6 - A n y d i m p l e o n t h e b r e a s t

6. Breast Cancer Symptoms
In the Nipples
1 - T e n d e r n i p p l e s o r r e d n e s s o f t h e s k i n
2 - R e d n e s s o f t h e a r e o l a
3 - A b l o o d - s t a i n e d f l u i d d i s c h a r g e f r o m a
n i p p l e
4 - M i l k y d i s c h a r g e w h e n t h e w o m a n i s
n o t b r e a s t f e e d i n g i s n o t a l w a y s r e l a t e d
t o c a n c e r b u t s h o u l d b e i n v e s t i g a t e d
n e v e r t h e l e s s
5 - A n i p p l e , w h i c h h a s t u r n e d s l i g h t l y
i n w a r d o r h a s c h a n g e d s h a p e

8. 3 Steps to Early Detection
1 - B R E A S T S E L F - A W A R E N E S S
J u s t t o u n d e r s t a n d h o w y o u r b r e a s t
n o r m a l l y l o o k s a n d f e e l , i t i s i m p o r t a n t
t o u n d e r s t a n d a b o u t B r e s t s e l f -
a w a r e n e s s . T h i s w i l l h e l p y o u t o
u n d e r s t a n d i f a n y a b n o r m a l c h a n g e s i s
h a p p e n i n g i n y o u r b r e a s t a n d y o u c a n
r e p o r t t o y o u r h e a l t h c a r e p r o f e s s i o n a l
i m m e d i a t e l y . I f y o u f i n d a l u m p , v i s i t t o
y o u r d o c t o r b u t d o n ’ t p a n i c a s 8 o u t o f
1 0 l u m p s a r e n o t c a n c e r o u s

9. 3 Steps to Early Detection
1 - B R E A S T S E L F - A W A R E N E S S
C h a n g e s t o l o o k f o r i n c l u d e :
• A l u m p o r t h i c k e n i n g i n o r n e a r t h e
b r e a s t o r i n t h e u n d e r a r m a r e a
• A c h a n g e i n t h e s i z e o r s h a p e o f t h e
b r e a s t
• D i m p l i n g i n t h e s k i n o f t h e b r e a s t
• A n i p p l e t u r n e d i n w a r d i n t o t h e b r e a s t
• D i s c h a r g e ( f l u i d ) f r o m t h e n i p p l e
• S c a l y , r e d , o r s w o l l e n s k i n o n t h e
b r e a s t , n i p p l e , o r a r e o l a ( t h e d a r k a r e a
o f s k i n a t t h e c e n t e r o f t h e b r e a s t )

10. 2-Annual Examination
I t i s r e c o m m e n d e d t h a t e v e r y w o m a n
a b o v e 4 0 o r y o u n g e r p a t i e n t w i t h h i g h
r i s k s h o u l d v i s i t t h e i r f a m i l y p h y s i c i a n
o r g y n e c o l o g i s t a n d g o f o r e a r l y
c h e c k u p . T h i s i s t h e g r e a t o p p o r t u n i t y
w h e n y o u c a n d i s c u s s w i t h y o u r d o c t o r
a b o u t a n y a b n o r m a l c h a n g e s o r a n y
c o n c e r n a b o u t y o u r b r e a s t . Y o u r d o c t o r
m a y h e l p y o u t o d e t e r m i n e t h e m o s t
a p p r o p r i a t e s c r e e n i n g p r o g r a m m e a n d
e a r l y d e t e c t i o n s t e p s

11. 3-MAMMOGRAM
I n i t s e a r l y s t a g e s , b r e a s t c a n c e r
d o e s n ’ t u s u a l l y c a u s e s y m p t o m s . I t i s
r e c o m m e n d s t h a t w o m e n a g e s 4 0 a n d
o l d e r g e t a m a m m o g r a m e v e r y y e a r .
T h i s i s a n i m a g i n g t e c h n i q u e t h a t u s e s
X - r a y s t o c a p t u r e a s i n g l e 2 D i m a g e o f
t h e b r e a s t . T h e l a t e s t a d v a n c e i n
m a m m o g r a p h y i s D i g i t a l T o m o s y s n t h e s i s
t h a t g e n e r a t e s 3 - d i m e n s i o n a l i m a g e s o f
t h e b r e a s t w i t h t h e h e l p o f X - r a y s .
H e n c e , i t i s s o m e t i m e s r e f e r r e d t o a s
3 D m a m m o g r a p h y . T h e i m a g e t a k e n i n
d i g i t a l m a m m o g r a p h y c o m e s a l i v e o n t h e
c o m p u t e r s c r e e n . T h e i m a g e c a n b e
z o o m e d i n , w h i c h m a k e s i t e a s y t o
d e t e c t a b n o r m a l i t i e s i n r e a l - t i m e .

14. A risk factor is a characteristic that increases the
likelihood of developing cancer
A . I a m a w o m a n a g e d 4 0 o r a b o v e
Y e s N O
B . I h a v e b e e n p r e v i o u s l y d i a g n o s e d
w i t h b r e a s t c a n c e r o r o v a r i a n c a n c e r
Y e s N O
C . M y m o t h e r , s i s t e r o r d a u g h t e r h a s
b e e n d i a g n o s e d w i t h b r e a s t o r O v a r i a n
c a n c e r
Y e s N O
D . I h a v e t e s t e d p o s i t i v e f o r a g e n e
m u t a t i o n t h a t i s a s s o c i a t e d w i t h h i g h e r
r i s k o f b r e a s t c a n c e r
Y e s N O
If you answer “yes” to any of these
questions, it may be time to talk to your
doctor about getting a mammogram.

16. Before you get a mammogram, you may want to
ask your doctor the following questions:
A - W h a t s h o u l d I d o t o p r e p a r e
f o r m y m a m m o g r a m ?
B - H o w l o n g w i l l t h e m a m m o g r a m
t a k e ?
C - W h e n w i l l I l e a r n a b o u t t h e
r e s u l t s ?
D - W h o w i l l n o t i f y m e o f m y
r e s u l t s ?
E - W h a t h a p p e n s i f t h e
m a m m o g r a m s h o w s s o m e t h i n g
a b n o r m a l

17. Share your personal medical history:
Share your family medical history
1 - I ’ v e h a d t h e s e b r e a s t
p r o b l e m s i n t h e p a s t :
2 - T h e s e a r e t h e b r e a s t e x a m s
a n d t e s t s t h a t I h a v e h a d :
3 - M y l a s t m a m m o g r a m w a s o n
t h i s d a t e :
4 - M y l a s t m e n s t r u a l p e r i o d
b e g a n o n t h i s d a t e
1 - M y f a m i l y m e m b e r s h a v e h a d
t h e s e b r e a s t p r o b l e m s
2 - T h e s e f a m i l y m e m b e r s h a d
b r e a s t c a n c e r :
3 - T h e y w e r e t h i s a g e w h e n t h e y
w e r e d i a g n o s e d w i t h b r e a s t
c a n c e r

18. Before Your Mammogram
1 - S c h e d u l e t h e m a m m o g r a m a
f e w d a y s a f t e r y o u r m e n s t r u a l
c y c l e . T h i s i s w h e n y o u r b r e a s t s
a r e l e a s t s e n s i t i v e .
2 - M a k e s u r e y o u h a v e a l i s t o f
w h e r e a n d w h e n y o u h a v e h a d
a n y p r e v i o u s m a m m o g r a m s , a s
w e l l a s t h e r e s u l t s o f t h o s e
m a m m o g r a m s .

19. The Day of Your Mammogram
1 - D o n o t u s e a n y d e o d o r a n t ,
l o t i o n , c r e a m o r p o w d e r o n y o u r
u n d e r a r m s o r b r e a s t s . T h e s e
w i l l s o m e t i m e s i n t e r f e r e w i t h
t h e m a m m o g r a m r e a d i n g .
2 - P r o v i d e y o u r d o c t o r w i t h t h e
d o c u m e n t s y o u g a t h e r e d .
3 - P r o v i d e y o u r d o c t o r w i t h t h e
s y m p t o m c h e c k l i s t .
4 - D e s c r i b e a n y b r e a s t s y m p t o m s
o r p r o b l e m s y o u a r e h a v i n g .
5 - T a k e t h i s j o u r n a l w i t h y o u t o
h e l p y o u a s k q u e s t i o n s a n d t a k e
n o t e s .

20. Do not panic
Abnormal Results
What if they tell me that my mammogram was abnormal?
A-If your mammogram is abnormal, do not panic. An abnormal
mammogram does not always mean that there is cancer.
B-If your screening mammogram shows an abnormality, you
will need to have additional tests to be able to tell whether or
not the abnormality is cancer.

21. Your doctor may order some of
these tests:
DIAGNOSTIC MAMMOGRAM
An additional mammogram that focuses on a
specific area of the breast.

22. Your doctor may order some of
these tests:
ULTRASOUND
An imaging test that uses sound waves to create a
picture of your breast. The pictures may show
whether a lump is solid or filled with fluid. A cyst will
be fluid-filled and is not cancer. A solid mass may
be cancer.

23. Your doctor may order some of
these tests:
MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (MRI)
A test that uses a powerful magnet linked to a
computer that creates detailed pictures of the
breast.
BIOPSY
A test in which fluid or tissue is removed from your
breast to help find out if there is cancer

25. What did my biopsy or
needle aspiration show
What stage of breast
cancer am I in?
What kind of breast cancer do I
have?
What size is the tumor?
9 Important Question to Ask
Your Doctor

26. What are my treatment
options?
How much time do I have to make
decisions about my treatment
choices
Has the cancer spread to my lymph nodes or other
parts of my body (metastasized)
What types of treatment
would you recommend?
What is my chance for
recovery (prognosis)?
9 Important Question to Ask
Your Doctor

27. Oncology India
Oncology India specializes in providing
day-care chemotherapy. Chemotherapy
is central to almost all cancer treatments
but does not always require
hospitalization. We perform the
procedure in a recreational atmosphere,
which minimizes discomfort, and keeps
the patient pleasantly occupied. We do
our collective not to disrupt the patient’s
routine more than is required

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