By Pankajbala R Patel

WHAT do you know about breast cancer? When was the last time you took a real close up look at your breasts or boobs in common lingo? Do you even look at your breasts? Perhaps the only time we look at breasts naked or clad it’s when some woman is flaunting them up and down the catwalk or at public entertainment shows to titillate a lot of curious interest and comments! Breasts are a thing of beauty and all that jazz and never mammary glands of women to feed their babies.
But funny, there is so much talk about breast cancer these days and especially come the month of October which is designated as breast cancer month. But in my experience I know few women who even know how to do a breast examination of themselves! Nevertheless you may or may not know that a million cases of breast cancer come up in India annually.
Despite so much ignorance abroad according to recent statistics breast cancer accounts for 2.09 million cases and 6,27,000 take place globally because of it. It is the most common cancer in women in India. It can occur at any age but the incidence in India begins to rise in women in their early 30s and peak age group of 50-64 years.
The month of October is observed as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In a study conducted 90% of women detected with breast cancer were not aware of breast self-examination and did not practice it regularly. The quality of life in breast cancer patients undergoing treatment was found to be adversely affected across all domains. Needless to say the earlier the disease is detected the better would be the quality of life post-treatment.
Doctors, oncologists or cancer specialists and health care workers must all be conscious and unite to reach out to women to educate them about breast cancer and learn to recognize common breast cancer symptoms and not ignore them as many women do. Most women shy away from any talk of their breasts.
According to oncologist Dr Shekhar Salkar the rising cases of breast cancer must concern us all and it is essential that there is at least rudimentary awareness about this cancer and for this it should be generated right from school level. Breast cancer is cancer that forms in the cells of the breasts. After skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in the USA. It can occur in in both men and women but it is most common in women.
Never ignore such signs as a lump in the breast or under the arms armpit; thickening or swelling on any part of the breasts; irritation or display of broken skin ; redness or flaky skin in nipple area; any kind of discharge from nipples. Usually invasive breast cancer spreads from ducts to glands to other parts of the body, the four types of cancer are ductal carcinoma in situ, invasive ductal carcinoma, inflammatory breast cancer and metastatic breast cancer. Breast cancer is the most common invasive cancer in women and the second leading cause of death after lung cancer. It can strike at any age but 5% of breast cancer occurs in women under 40 years of age.
Generally speaking the advice of most doctors and oncologists is that women have their babies in their 20s and breast feed them by way of protection from breast cancer. Keep track of what’s happening to your breasts and take care of them as well as watch out for painful or painless symptoms and check them out to see whether it’s benign or malignant. The earlier the diagnosis and staging of cancer the more your chances of recovery and quality of life. Usually, one tries to catch breast cancer before it enters stage three when it becomes difficult to treat but today we have amazing stories of how patients have made sweeping lifestyle changes too to benefit majorly and recover from breast cancer or at least keep at bay.
So advanced is breast cancer treatment today than once the prognosis is made you have several options for an early recovery and surgery is seldom recommended nowadays for removal of the entire breast. Even cosmetic breast surgery is of top quality and may never even feel that one is victimized by breast cancer once recovery or remission is complete. Nobody even need know you were a breast cancer patient once upon a time.
But, it is important you take cognizance of the fact that you have breasts and they need to be looked at, examined and kept track of and professionally examined at least once a year if not daily as you go about your daily routine!

Goa has high incidence of breast cancer

According to last year’s statistics of the total number of cancer cases detected in the State nearly 30 percent are of breast cancer (July 29, 2019). In 2013 a study of risk factors for common cancers in Goa was done by Kartavi Mashelkar, AMA Ferriera, MS Kulkarni and Frederick Satiro Vaz and one of the objectives was to study some of the risk factors for breast cancer among women at a tertiary care hospital.
One hundred and seven breast cancer cases were compared and it was noted that significant risk factors included early age of menarche, irregularity of menstrual cycle, higher age at first pregnancy, breast feeding for lesser duration, nulliparous state, higher Body Mass Index (BMI) and the consumption of red meat. The study noted that breast cancer is the fifth common cause of cancer deaths worldwide accounting for 6.1% of cancer deaths (4,58,000 deaths) in 2008. Worldwide breast cancer is the second commonest cause of cancer deaths among women (the first being cervical cancer). However, breast malignancy is found to be the most common malignancy among women in Goa. Fortunately, Goa has excellent treatment available in its private tertiary care hospitals and there’re several oncologists or cancer surgeons with a reputation to live up to – as some of the best surgeons in the country.
The high incidence of breast cancer in women in Goa led to Health Minister Vishwajit Rane initiating a program to screen 20,000 women living in even remote areas of Goa will be screened or breast cancer. The program took off in January earlier this year before the Covid-19 pandemic. The Swasthya Sakhi Project for breast cancer screening initiative was launched by Union Minister for Women & Child Development Smriti Irani. Radiation-free machines were also acquired for use in Goa under corporate social responsibility courtesy Lupin.
A video screened at the event had consultant oncologist at Goa Medical College Anupama Borkar disclosing that 25% of all cancer cases in Goa are breast cancer. It is the most common cancer in Goa. If one pegs cases at 25% to 30% then it is clear that breast cancer cases are on the rise, all the more reason for women to become conscious of examining their breasts routinely and not waste time thinking that lump or growth or infection in the entire armpit and chest area is nothing to worry about. Check it out and live in peace rather than growing fear!