Poorva Chavan
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Written By: Poorva Chavan | Updated : March 8, 2016 5:29 PM IST
October is breast cancer awareness month
The number of breast cancer cases in the country are on a rise with a number of young women falling prey to this deadly disease. Lack of awareness is one of the major reasons for a the rising number of cases as not many women are aware of the need to get themselves screened after the age of 30. It is important that every woman knows how to do a breast self-exam and knows about other screening tests too. Apart from these, the knowledge about different breast cancer stages is also important as the dangers associated with them might motivate some women to get themselves screened. Here are 10 tips to detect breast cancer early.
Breast cancer is classified into 4 stages out of which stage 0 is the non-invasive type. Stage 1 and stage 2 are also called as early stage breast cancer where the cancer cells are evident and may or may not have spread to the nearby lymph nodes.
Stage 3 breast cancer is also called locally advanced breast cancer. According to Dr Dhairyasheel Savant, Oncosurgeon at the Asian Institute of Oncology, SL Raheja Hospital, Mumbai, the tumour size in stage 3 is more than 5 cm and it may have reached the nearby lymph nodes and a few a muscles, but has not spread to distant organs.
The stage is further divided into stage 3 A, 3B and 3C. It is stage 3A when cancer has spread up to nine lymph nodes or a small cluster of cancerous cells is found in the lymph nodes or sometimes a large tumour is found in the breast or there is no tumour. In stage 3B, the tumour has grown into the chest wall or the skin around the breast even if it hasn't spread to the lymph nodes. In stage 3C, the tumour is found in 10 or more lymph nodes and may or may not have spread above or below your collar bone. You may like to read--Breast Cancer Awareness Month Tip #17 Don t be afraid of underwire bras
The treatment options involve chemotherapy to reduce the size of the tumour. Chemotherapy shrinks the tumour and makes it convenient to remove it surgically. Surgery is the followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy follows surgery with further chemo if needed. The survival chances of a patient in stage 3 are 40% to 50%.
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