Breast cancer is women’s number one health worry. Early breast cancer usually does not cause pain. Other health problems may also cause the symptoms such as breast pain. Still, a woman must seek the advice of the general physician about her breast pain or any other symptom that does not go away, so that problems can be diagnosed and treated as early as possible. In order to remove this worry of women’s, India provides you the breast cancer surgery in India. The breast cancer surgery in India for you is undertaken with the guidance of our experts in the field. The surgery in India is provided to you at a very affordable cost, a cost which in nearly the half you pay there in abroad. Along with the assistance of our experienced surgeons we provide you all the international facilities all at a very low costing.
With advancement in technology, breast cancer is no longer an incurable disease. With the latest technology available at best cancer hospitals in India, breast cancer can now be detected at very early stages and can be completely treated. The approach used for cancer treatment in India is multidisciplinary, which involves Surgical Oncology, Radiation Oncology, Medical Oncology and rehabilitation after cancer surgery. The top cancer specialists in India use the latest international protocols for the treatment of cancer which includes the following depending upon the patient’s condition and requirements:
Novalis Tx Radiosurgery ,Cyberknife ,Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) ,Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) , Stereotactic Radio surgery and Radiation ,Therapy(SRS,SRT) , Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT)
There are a number of factors that determine the risk of cancer that are broadly classified into two categories – modifiable and non-modifiable factors. The non-modifiable factors, i.e. factors that are beyond your control to manipulate are: gender, age, menstrual pattern (including the age of menarche and menopause), etc. Whereas the modifiable risk factors are BMI (Body Mass Index), age at birth of first child, duration of breast feeding, number of children, diet, intake of alcohol and number of unsuccessful pregnancies/abortions. Breast cancer can be treated using a multi-faceted approach that combines surgery, chemotherapy radiotherapy and targeted therapy. The treatment options vary according to the stage of the tumour.
What is breast cancer?
The term “breast cancer” refers to a malignant tumor that has developed from cells in the breast. Usually breast cancer either begins in the cells of the lobules, which are the milk-producing glands, or the ducts, the passages that drain milk from the lobules to the nipple. Less commonly, breast cancer can begin in the stromal tissues, which include the fatty and fibrous connective tissues of the breast.
Types of Breast Cancer
There Are Two Main Types of Breast Cancer:-
- Ductal carcinoma starts in the tubes (ducts) that move milk from the breast to the nipple. Most breast cancers are of this type.
- Lobular carcinoma starts in parts of the breast, called lobules, that produce milk. In rare cases, breast cancer can start in other areas of the breast. Many breast cancers are sensitive to the hormone estrogen.
Categorically breast cancer can also be divided into following types:
- In-situ breast cancer- cancer cells remains confined within their place of origin and do not attack surrounding breast tissue.
- Invasive or metastatic breast cancer- cancer cells break free of their place of origin, and spread to different parts of the body.
Symptoms of Breast Cancer
Breast cancer symptoms may vary from lumps to swelling to skin changes and many breast cancers have no obvious symptoms at all. Symptoms that are similar to those of breast cancer may be the result of non-cancerous conditions like infection or a cyst, a lump or thickening in the breast or armpit, discharge from the nipple or a change in the color or texture of the skin of the breast.
Diagnosis of Breast Cancer
The first step in the diagnosis of breast disease is usually a physical exam by a doctor. Mammography, Ultrasound and a tissue biopsy, may be required to make a conclusive diagnosis.
Biopsy for Breast Cancer
The surgeon, a pathologist or a radiologist removes a portion or all of the suspicious tissue to examine under a microscope to check for cancer cells and makes the diagnosis. The different types of biopsies are:
- Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) Biopsy: FNA samples a woman’s lump using a thin small needle that leaves a mark no bigger than a needle stick from a blood test.
- Stereotactic Core Biopsy: It involves removing tissue with a biopsy needle while your breast is compressed in a way similar to a mammogram. This biopsy requires less recovery time.
Breast Cancer – Advanced Treatment in India
All breast cancer are not the same. More tests will be done to find out the specific pattern and the extent of the disease or stages. This important step is called staging. After an accurate diagnosis and proper staging a suitable Treatment Plan is made. There are several modalities of the treatment-these include Surgery, Chemotherapy, Radiation Therapy and Hormonal Therapy. These are usually used in a combination.
Stages of Breast Cancer
Stage |
Definition |
Stage 0 |
Cancer cells remain inside the breast duct, without invasion into normal adjacent breast tissue. |
Stage I |
Cancer is 2 centimeters or less and is confined to the breast (lymph nodes are clear). |
Stage IIA |
No tumor can be found in the breast, but cancer cells are found in the axillary lymph nodes (the lymph nodes under the arm) |
Stage IIB |
The tumor is larger than 2 but no larger than 5 centimeters and has spread to the axillary lymph nodes |
Stage IIIA |
No tumor is found in the breast. Cancer is found in axillary lymph nodes that are sticking together or to other structures, or cancer may be found in lymph nodes near the breastbone |
Stage IIIB |
The tumor may be any size and has spread to the chest wall and/or skin of the breast |
Stage IIIC |
There may either be no sign of cancer in the breast or a tumor may be any size and may have spread to the chest wall and/or the skin of the breast |
Stage IV |
The cancer has spread — or metastasized — to other parts of the body. |
In recent years, there’s been an explosion of life-saving treatment advances against breast cancer, bringing new hope and excitement. Instead of only one or two options, today there’s an overwhelming menu of treatment choices that fight the complex mix of cells in each individual cancer. The decisions — surgery, then perhaps radiation, hormonal (anti-estrogen) therapy, and/or chemotherapy — can feel overwhelming.
The above can help you understand your cancer stage and appropriate options, by which you can arrive at the best treatment plan for you regarding the breast cancer surgery in India.
The following pages will help you explore your surgery options:
- In our What to Expect with Any Surgery section, you can learn the basic steps common to all breast cancer surgeries.
- If you need to choose between surgeries, Mastectomy vs. Lumpectomy explains the pros and cons of each.
- Lumpectomy, also known as breast-conserving surgery, is the removal of only the tumor and a small amount of surrounding tissue.
- Mastectomy is the removal of all of the breast tissue. Mastectomy is more refined and less intrusive than it used to be because in most cases, the muscles under the breast are no longer removed.
- Lymph node removal, or axillary lymph node dissection, can take place during lumpectomy and mastectomy if the biopsy shows that breast cancer has spread outside the milk duct. Some people qualify for the less-invasive sentinel lymph node dissection.
- Breast reconstruction is the rebuilding of the breast after mastectomy and sometimes lumpectomy. Reconstruction can take place at the same time as cancer-removing surgery, or months to years later. Some women decide not to have reconstruction and opt for prosthesis instead.
- Prophylactic mastectomy is preventive removal of the breast to lower the risk of breast cancer in high-risk people.
- Prophylactic ovary removal is a preventive surgery that lowers the amount of estrogen in the body, making it harder for estrogen to stimulate the development of breast cancer.
Breast Cancer Prevention
Women who have one breast cancer are at risk of developing a contra lateral breast cancer at a rate of approximately 0.5% per year. When adjuvant tamoxifen is administered to these patients, the rate of development of contralateral breast cancers is reduced. In other tissues of the body, tamoxifen has estrogen-like effects that are beneficial: preservation of bone mineral density and long-term lowering of cholesterol. However, tamoxifen has estrogen-like effects on the uterus, leading to an increased risk of uterine cancer (0.75% incidence after 5 years on tamoxifen). Tamoxifen also increases the risk of cataract formation. The Breast Cancer Prevention Trial (BCPT) revealed a >49% reduction in breast cancer among women with a risk of at least 1.66% taking the drug for 5 years. Raloxifene has shown similar breast cancer prevention potency but may have different effects on bone and heart. The two agents are being compared in a prospective randomized prevention trial (the STAR trial).
Stage I, Stage II, Stage IIIA, and Operable Stage IIIC Breast Cancer:-
Treatment of stage I, stage II, stage IIIA, and operable stage IIIC breast cancer may include the following:
- Breast – conserving surgery to remove only the cancer and some surrounding breast tissue, followed by lymph node dissection and radiation therapy.
- Modified radical mastectomy with or without breast reconstruction surgery.
- Sentinel lymph node biopsy followed by surgery.
Adjuvant therapy (treatment given after surgery to increase the chances of a cure) may include the following:
- Radiation therapy to the lymph nodes near the breast and to the chest wall after a modified radical mastectomy.
- Systemic chemotherapy with or without hormone therapy.
- Hormone therapy.
- A clinical trial of trastuzumab (Herceptin) combined with systemic chemotherapy.
Stage IIIB and inoperable stage IIIC Breast Cancer:-
Treatment of stage IIIB and inoperable stage IIIC breast cancer may include the following:
- Systemic chemotherapy.
- Systemic chemotherapy followed by surgery (breast-conserving surgery or total mastectomy), with lymph node dissection followed by radiation therapy. Additional systemic therapy (chemotherapy, hormone therapy, or both) may be given.
- Clinical trials testing new anticancer drugs, new drug combinations, and new ways of giving treatment.
Stage IV and metastatic Breast Cancer :-
Treatment of stage IV or metastatic breast cancer may include the following:
- Hormone therapy and/or systemic chemotherapy with or without trastuzumab (Herceptin).
- Tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy with lapatinib combined with capecitabine.
- Radiation therapy and/or surgery for relief of pain and other symptoms.
- Bisphosphonate drugs to reduce bone disease and pain when cancer has spread to the bone.
- Clinical trials testing new systemic chemotherapy and/or hormone therapy.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. When chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body (systemic chemotherapy). When chemotherapy is placed directly into the cerebrospinal fluid, an organ, or a body cavity such as the abdomen, the drugs mainly affect cancer cells in those areas (regional chemotherapy). The way the chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing. There are two types of radiation therapy. External radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to send radiation toward the cancer. Internal radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance sealed in needles, seeds, wires, or catheters that are placed directly into or near the cancer. The way the radiation therapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.
Hormonal Therapy
Hormonal therapy medicines are whole-body (systemic) treatment for hormone-receptor-positive breast cancers. Hormone receptors are like ears on breast cells that listen to signals from hormones. These signals “turn on” growth in cells that have receptors. Hormonal therapy medicines can be used to lower the risk of early-stage hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer coming back, lower the risk of hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer in women who are at high risk but haven’t been diagnosed with breast cancer.
Surgery:
Depending on the likely extent of your surgery, you may be offered the choice of an outpatient procedure (where you go home the same day) or you may be admitted to the hospital.
General anesthesia is usually given whenever the surgery involves a mastectomy or an axillary node dissection, and is most often used during breast-conserving surgery as well. You will have an IV (intravenous) line put in (usually into a vein in your arm), which the medical team will use to give medicines that may be needed during the surgery. Usually you will be hooked up to an electrocardiogram (EKG) machine and have a blood pressure cuff on your arm, so your heart rhythm and blood pressure can be checked during the surgery.
The length of the operation depends on the type of surgery being done. For example, a mastectomy with axillary lymph node dissection will usually take from 2 to 3 hours. After your surgery, you will be taken to the recovery room, where you will stay until you are awake and your condition and vital signs (blood pressure, pulse, and breathing) are stable.
All the well renowned surgeons assist you with the surgery, surgeons who have a vast experience in undergoing the breast cancer surgery.
Common Procedures of Breast Cancer Surgery
The types of breast cancer surgery differ in the amount of tissue that is removed with the tumor, depending on the tumor’s characteristics, whether it has spread (metastasized), and your personal feelings. Some of the procedures you may discuss with your doctor include:
- Lumpectomy
- Partial or Segmental Mastectomy or Quadrantectomy
- Simple or Total Mastectomy
- Modified Radical Mastectomy
- Radical Mastectomy
Recovery after Breast Cancer Surgery
The procedures for Breast Cancer Surgery are typically an outpatient procedure. You will be instructed to do the following:
- Keep the surgical area clean and dry.
- Keep a bandage over the surgical site and may have one or more tubes to drain blood and fluids that collect during the healing process.
- Avoid vigorous activity for about four weeks, or as directed by your doctor.
- Try not to lift anything heavier than five pounds for about a week, or longer if directed by your doctor.
- Wear a well-fitting, very supportive bra 24 hours a day for the first week.
Breast Cancer Surgery in India
India has been recognized as a new medical destination for Breast Cancer Surgery. Thousands of global patients from all across the world fly to India for various medical treatments and surgeries of high quality delivered as practiced in the developed nations like the US, UK and that too within their budget costs. The Indian Oncologists performing different procedures of Breast Cancer Surgery in India are highly qualified, skilled with many years of experience and are affiliated with many renowned medical organizations.
Medical Tourism India (a.k.a. Health Tourism India)
Medical tourism in India is a developing concept whereby people from world over visit India for their medical and relaxation needs. Most common treatments are heart surgery, knee transplant, cosmetic surgery and dental care. The reason India is a favorable destination is because of it’s infrastructure and technology in which is in par with those in USA, UK and Europe. India has some of the best hospitals and treatment centers in the world with the best facilities. Since it is also one of the most favorable tourist destinations in the world, Medication combines with tourism has come into effect, from which the concept of Medical Tourism is derived.
