BREAST CANCER

Introduction

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. The number of women diagnosed with breast cancer is increasing at an average of 3% annually. Women of all age groups are affected but are more common in women above 40 years old.

Symptoms

• Breast lump
• Skin changes
• Nipple discharge
• Diagnosis

Early and rapid diagnosis is vital because more than 90% of breast cancer can be cured when detected and treated early. Typically this will involve a number of tests which can be arranged together to ensure treatment can be started as soon as possible once the diagnosis is confirmed.

These will include baseline blood tests to check your body function and fitness for therapy, mammogram with ultrasound guided biopsy, full body imaging to exclude disease spread to other parts of the body.

Treatment Options

We offer all the up-to-date treatment options in keeping with the latest advances. We will discuss the best options available based on the staging of the cancer with every individual. No two cancers are the same and no two individuals are the same. Therefore the treatment should also be highly personalized.

Treatments option may include one or more of the following modalities: Surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy and hormonal therapy.

The choice and sequence of the therapies will be planned at the outset to ensure the best outcome for your breast cancer.

As more and more young women are diagnosed with breast cancer, some women might not have started a family yet, so fertility issues will also be discussed in this sub-group of patients.

Prevention and Screening

Breast cancer screening with mammogram is recommended for all women above the age of 40. Younger women may be invited for screening if they have a strong family history of breast cancer.

There are other preventive measures to reduce the risk of breast cancer, these include:

• Regular exercise
• Eating 5 portions of fruits and vegetables per day
• Avoid or moderate intake of alcohol
• Breast Feeding
• Avoid Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)