Watch out for breast cancer symptoms early on, say experts

Though about 1.7 lakh breast cancer cases are annually diagnosed in India, only 2% of them are found during screening

Though about 1.7 lakh breast cancer cases are annually diagnosed in India, only 2 per cent of them are found during screening, which reveals the gap in early detection, especially among younger women.

An online panel discussion on Monday with doctors from Manipal Hospitals, curated by Deccan Herald Brandspot, helped the audience understand early symptoms, treatment modality, lifestyle changes and reducing fears around breast cancer.

Taking part in the discussion were Dr Somashekhar S P, chairman and HOD, Surgical Oncology, Manipal Comprehensive Cancer Centre; Dr Poonam Patil, consultant, Medical Oncology; Dr Ashok B C, consultant, Plastic, Reconstructive and Cosmetic Surgery; and Dr Rupa Ananthasivan, consultant, Radiology. All of them are from Manipal Hospitals, Bengaluru.

“Breast cancer is dependent on the presence of hormones in a woman’s body, and increasing age is an important factor for breast cancer.

“There's a price to pay for our lifestyle. Most of the time, it presents as a painless numb in the breast and the underarms. Other symptoms are spontaneous blood-stained discharge from the nipple, inversion of nipple, change in size of the breast and change in texture of breast skin,” Dr Poonam said.

Check out DH's latest videos