Look beyond lumps for breast cancer symptoms, urge doctors

While the most common presentation in breast cancer is a lump in the breast it can occur even without any noticeable symptoms said doctors on Tuesday while urging for selfexamination and screeningOctober is celebrated as breast cancer awareness monthBreast cancer is the most common cancer among women in India With a high mortality rate it is a major public health concern in the countryAs per a recent ICMR study breast cancer cases and deaths are expected to rise in India by 2045However the key is to detect the cancer in its early stages to help boost treatment outcomes as well as survival rates said the expertsldquoAlthough most common presentation in breast cancer is lump in the breast it can also present as swelling or lumps under the arm or near the collarbone nipple discharge clear bloody or yellowish changes in skin over breast dimpled thickened or appear like an orange peelrdquo Dr Abhishek Shankar Assistant Professor Department of Radiation Oncology Dr BR Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital at AIIMS Delhi told IANSldquoRedness or rash over skin over breast or nipple inverted nipple changes in breast size and shape and pain in breastrdquo are also symptoms of the deadly cancer the doctor addedAs per ICMR breast cancer cases account for 282 per cent of all female cancers in India in 2022 The fiveyear survival rate for breast cancer in India is 664 per centBreast cancer can be early detected and early diagnosed It can be early detected with screening tests and mammography is the standard recommended screening test that gives mortality advantage As per the United States Preventive Services Task Force updated guidelines in 2024 it is recommended to start at 40 years of age after every 2 yearsldquoOne can have breast cancer even without any noticeable symptoms That is why the role of screening through mammograms or breast MRI is important as it has been shown to reduce mortality by over 30 per centrdquo Dr Divya Sehra Consultant Gynaecologic Oncology Manipal Hospital Dwarka New Delhi told IANSCommon signs and symptoms apart from breast lumps include changes in the shape or contour of the breasts making mirror examinations usefulldquoSkin changes such as redness and pain are common when the tumour grows towards the skin Generalised symptoms like unexplained weight loss back pain or pain in the upper right side of the abdomen may be present in metastatic cancersrdquo Sehra saidShankar noted that breast selfexamination and clinical breast examination can help to diagnose breast cancer at an early stage Clinical breast examination is being adopted for communitybased breast cancer screening under the National Programme on Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Disease NPNCDHow to prevent the riskBreast cancer is a disease of women in which risk prevention is possible by modifying the risk factors like late age of marriage late age of childbirth no children and use of oral contraceptive pillsldquoIn highrisk individuals chemoprophylaxis with hormonal tablets can help to reduce the risk but it is not advocated in general as itrsquos not costeffective and also has side effectsrdquo Shankar saidThe experts also recommended genetic testing in case of family historyOther ways to prevent the risk include maintaining a healthy lifestyle with a diet rich in fibre and antioxidants while avoiding alcohol and red meatAlso ReadBreast Cancer Awareness Month Fear of test results delays breast cancer diagnoses say Mumbai doctorsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever