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Written By: Agencies | Updated : June 2, 2014 4:42 PM IST
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.
Fear of the dreaded disease coupled with fright of the after-effects of the treatment often prevents breast cancer patients particularly women from being benefited by new and advanced treatments available for it.
This was revealed by Dr Bhavin Shah, a senior oncologist, at a press conference held in the city on Thursday. Speaking at a conference organised to mark the World Breast Cancer Awareness Month, he said that early detection was the key and the cure was around 90% in such cases.
'Modern breast cancer treatment is highly effective and less invasive if detected early, but women have to complete the entire treatment programme,' he said, adding 'But at times fear of the disease and the treatment itself prevents women from informing the doctor about any lumps in the breast thus preventing the condition being detected at an early stage.' (Read: 'Breast cancer is not preventable' (Expert interview))
He said that early detection also meant less complicated treatment and most often did not involve removing the entire breast or even loss of hair due to chemotherapy.
Around 50% of the women with breast cancer are between the age of 40 and 54 with the highest incidence is in the age group of 45 to 49. Shah added that late marriages, late pregnancy and reluctance to breast-feed are some of the factors that contributed to the rise in such cases.
Other risk factors include a family history of the disease, exposure to large amounts of radiation in childhood, first period (menstruation) before the age of 12, menopause after 55, being overweight, use of hormone replacement therapy, use of birth control pills and alcohol.
Shah, however, warned that the high rate of prevalence of the disease in over 40 year olds does not mean that the young were immune to it. 'My youngest patient was diagnosed with the disease at the age of 24,' he said.
Though young women can develop breast cancer, the majority of cases are diagnosed in post-menopausal women in their 50s and 60s. It should be noted that men can also develop breast cancer, though it is 100 times more likely to develop in women. (Read: One sure-fire tip to beat breast cancer!)
On whether extreme stress could be termed as a cause, Shah said there was no evidence to support it although it did result in poor outcomes if it prevented a woman from making appropriate treatment.
Read more about causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.
What is breast cancer?
Breast cancer is a type of cancer originating from the breast tissues. Both men and women can be afflicted by it though it's rarer in men. Along with cervical cancer it's one of the most common types of cancer that afflicts women. One of the major issues with breast cancer is that it is often not detected soon enough. This is due to low awareness about the disease. Detecting it early can significantly reduce the death risk.
What is a breast self exam?
Self-examination of breast involves feeling the breast for lumps or other abnormalities and noting any changes in their appearance while standing, lying in different positions and while looking at your breasts in a mirror. Read on to find out more
With inputs from DNA
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