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Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in women in the age group of 15-54. It continues to remain as a common form of cancer in women. Let us examine various risk factors associated with Breast Cancer:
1. Women who have never had children.
2. Women whose mothers or sisters have had the disease.
3. Women who have had their first baby after age thirty.
4. Women with a history of prior breast cancer in one breast.
5. Females with fibrocystic breast disease are at a greater risk for breast cancer
6. Women with a history for early onset of menses.
7. Higher socioeconomic groups
8. Women born in North America or Northern Europe.
9. Urban women were noticed to be a more susceptible to breast cancer than rural women
It has been noticed that a fat diet and birth control pills increased the risk of breast cancer occurence.

Keep in mind the following symptoms of breast cancer. Early detection goes a long way in the successful treatment of breast cancer. Nearly 90% of localised breast cancer cases are curable but they need to be detected at a stage when the disease is still amenable to cure.
1. A lump that does not go away (including under the arm).
2. Dimpling of the skin over the breast.
3. Any nipple discharge.
4. Retraction of the nipple or changes in the nipple.
5. Any changes in breast shape or contour.

It is recommended that women over the age of 19 conduct self-examination of the breast every month. Regular check ups by a physician are preferable if done annually by women over 40 and once every 3 years by women in the age group 20 - 40.

Mammography is a vital tool used to detect abnormal lumps and tissues within the breast. This special x-ray can help in detecting over 90% of all breast cancers. Women who have suspicious lumps in their breasts must have a mammography done to rule out breast cancer. The Department of Health recommends mammography every 3 years in females 50 and older. There has been no evidence to suggest that the mammogram itself increases the risk of breast cancer

A biopsy (tissue specimen) is done on any suspicious lumps found during a mammography screening. The lump is surgically excised (totally removed using local anaesthesia) and studied under the microscope. Definitive diagnosis of breast cancer requires a positive tissue biopsy.

The course of treatment to be followed for breast cancer depends on the biopsy findings. Most breast biopsies are negative. The ones that show up as positive are treated based on the extent to which the tumour has spread, the type of tumour as well as the individual patient needs. Read up more on lymph node biopsy to understand how this procedure aids in diagnosis of cancer.

Breast cancer treatments target two main purposes - preventing local recurrence as well as prevention of spread of the cancer outside the breast. Surgical removal of the breast (mastectomy) is one way of controlling the incidence of local recurrence. This is done in combination with radiation therapy. Hormone therapy in the form of tamoxifen or doses of chemotherapy are used to prevent the spread of the cancer to other parts of the body. After a mastectomy, it is possible to get a breast reconstruction surgery done with the help of a Plastic Surgeon.

An important part of therapy for any type of cancer is a nutritious diet. Look up the cancer diet to understand what kind of food would help in tackling this dreaded disease.

A study is currently underway to determine if the medication tamoxifen has any beneficial effect in the prevention (prophylaxis) of breast cancer in some women.

Tips to good health:
1. Do not smoke.
2. Lower fats in your diet. Read up on cardiac diet to understand its implications.
3. Perform routine self-examinations of the breast.
4. Go for routine check ups.
5. Get a Mammography done if suggested by the physician.

Bladder Cancer

Bladder cancer is generally noticed in people over the age of 50. Quite often it is curable especially when it is found superficially on the surface of the bladder. At its more invasive and deeper stage, Bladder Cancer can be fatal. More instances of bladder cancer have been found in smokers, in particular those who have worked with PCB plastics or commercial dye industry.

This cancer occurs almost uniformly within the transitional cells of the bladder (the type of cell which lines the bladder wall). Transitional cell cancer is also found in the kidney and the ureter (the tube which connects the kidney to the bladder) although with much less frequency.

A urinalysis that shows an increased number of white blood cells without evidence of bacterial infection can lead to suspicion of bladder cancer. Urinalysis may also be remarkable for microscopic haematuria (blood in minute quantities). A cystoscopy allows the Urologist to look inside the bladder. This procedure is done under I.V. sedation or general anaesthesia. Cancer is detected with a biopsy or tissue sample. This is where a Pathologist can help in determining the extent of invasion of the cancer.

Chemotherapy agents are injected into the bladder through a catheter. These agents could include Adriamycin, BCG and other types of chemotherapy. If the bladder cancer is in an invasive stage, radical cystectomy may be required. This means a total surgical removal of the bladder. Radiation therapy which involves high doses of x-rays to localised body parts along with chemotherapy can be succesfully used to treat patients suffering from bladder cancer. When the bladder cancer has reached an advanced stage, it is generally incurable. A nutritious cancer diet is used to supplement the treatment.