Breast cancer is not just deadly in itself. Even those brave women who survive go through a lot of mental and physical trauma because of the treatment. Breast cancer surgeries often involve the partial or complete removal of the tumour breast. This usually leaves the survivor with a lot of trauma caused by their altered anatomy. WHO data shows that 2.3 million women are diagnosed with breast cancer in a year, with a staggering 6,85,000 deaths across the globe. In India, breast cancer accounted for 13.5% of all cancer cases, resulting in 10.6% of cancer-related deaths. In most breast cancers, the cancer-affected breast needed extensive surgical removal. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy followed afterwards to destroy the remaining cancer cells.
Unfortunately, radiotherapy and surgery often destroy all heroic cancer survivors' blood supply to the remaining skin and soft tissues over the chest region. As a result, terrible ulcers form over these regions that do not heal even after repeated treatments. Sometimes, the brave cancer survivors have to run from pillar to post for relief, often without much success. But a new advanced treatment model is now gaining ground in biomedicine, known as tissue engineering. Being at the confluence of cutting-edge medical science, engineering, and advanced biology, tissue engineering has taken the world by storm and has roused the interest of many leading doctors and scientists.
Further, in the article below Dr Srinjoy Saha, Apollo 24/7, explains how 3D tissue engineering benefits various patients.
What Is 3D Tissue Engineering, And How Does It Help?
Tissue engineering is a sub-domain of reconstructive surgery and biomedical engineering. It refers to the unique and advanced method of developing new tissues in the body by combining body cells, tissue scaffolds, and activated growth factors.
Radiation therapy, the usual treatment after cancer surgery, destroys the normal cells and tissues surrounding cancerous tissue. After radiation, normal tissue breaks up, and the blood circulation to these tissues is cut off, forming gaping ulcers on large areas of the skin that do not heal well.
Traditionally, flap surgery used to be performed that involved several cuts and stitches over the typical areas of the body. It was associated with pain, lengthy hospitalisation, long-duration surgeries, and high overall costs. But now, an attractive advanced treatment changes all that.
Through a tissue scaffold, we can migrate cells from the usual areas of the body to the affected area, aided by growth factors. Thus, new tissues and cells get created to heal major body defects.
Benefits Of 3D Tissue Engineering
Tissue engineering or 3D bioengineering has several advantages over conventional flap surgeries and implant-based approaches. Some of them are:
No risk of rejection: Since tissue engineering uses cells from the patient's body, the organ thus created does not get rejected by the body since the organ is built from the patient's cell. Therefore, organs created using tissue engineering have no incidences of rejection.
No implants needed: Tissue engineering has successfully replaced implants as a viable option in many patients, especially breast cancer survivors. Reconstructive surgeries using tissue engineering principles result in normal tissues and last a lifetime.
Short hospitalisation: Because the developed tissue is from the patient's body, the tissue eventually merges with the rest of the body. It requires a shorter hospital stay and short surgeries, which are less painful, allowing patients to resume routine work quickly.
What Kind of Breast Cancer Patients Can Benefit From Tissue Engineering?
Apart from breast cancer survivors, many patients will benefit from tissue engineering once the technology matures and reaches the masses. Here are some of the patients that have already been helped from tissue engineering:
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Cosmetic treatment patients: People who want cosmetic procedures to develop the look they always wanted the stand to benefit tremendously. Applying tissue engineering principles that improve the original skin condition perfectly matches the skin's texture and tone.
Road accident victims: The life and quality of life for road accident victims are enhanced tremendously with tissue engineering. The patient regains original looks and body composition and a near-normal restoration in the affected body part(s) function.
Skin cancer patients: Patients with prolonged exposure to the sun often develop skin cancers. After thoroughly removing skin cancers and surrounding body areas, tissue engineering regenerates new normal tissues with short surgeries that allow the patient to heal well.
Organ transplant patients: The most needful perhaps, the patients needing an organ replacement will benefit the most from tissue engineering. As the technology reaches mass adoption, millions of lives can be saved by developing tissue-engineered organs.
Future Outlook
As more research is conducted in the fields of tissue engineering, new medical breakthroughs will change the lives of countless patients worldwide. In addition, tissue engineering offers to solve fundamental medical challenges that, if embraced effectively, could redefine medical practices.
Currently, we are performing advanced treatments that are considered the best in the world. As a result, hundreds of our patients have already gone home fit and well, one perfect regenerative surgery at a time. Staying well ahead of the curve, we work hard to deliver the best care and advanced treatments to all our patients.
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