Breast Cancer

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What is Breast Cancer?

Cancer is a disease in which cells in the body start growing out of control. The most common cancer found in Indian women is Breast cancer specially in urban areas.
It occurs when the breast cells grow and multiply abnormally forming a tumour. It can be felt as a lump under the skin or only upon an imaging test such as a mammogram or ultrasound. Lumps found in the breast cab be cancerous or non-cancerous.

Symptoms of Breast Cancer

To detect the breast cancer at a very early stage, it is important to perform self- breast examination and go for regular screenings. Symptoms of breast cancer vary from person to person. Some do not experience any signs or symptoms at all. However, some most common signs of breast cancer are:
Lump in the breast or underarm (armpit)
Thickening or swelling of part of the breast
Irritation or dimpling of breast skin
Redness or flaky skin in the nipple area or the breast
Pulling in of the nipple or pain in the nipple area
Nipple discharge
Any change in the size, shape or contour of the breast
Pain in any area of the breast that does not alter with periods

How is breast cancer diagnosed?

Breast lumps are usually suspected or felt during self-breast examination or clinical breast exam. If you have symptoms or lump, you may have to undergo one or more of these follow-up tests to rule out or confirm the presence of cancer:
Diagnostic Mammography: Mammograms uses low-dose x-rays to discover unusual signs or symptoms like lumps or abnormalities in one or both the breasts more closely. This is commonly used during an initial breast cancer screening.
Ultrasound: Breast ultrasound uses sound waves to show certain breast changes that are harder to identify on mammograms. This aids in differentiating between a solid mass and a fluid-filled cyst
MRI: This may be recommended as a screening tool for those at higher risk of breast cancer as a follow-up to a mammogram or ultrasound.
Biopsy: allows the doctor to extract a tissue sample and get it analyzed by an onco-pathologist to check if the cells are cancerous. It also reveals the type of breast cancer.

Stages of Breast Cancer

Stages I – IV are invasive breast cancers

Stage I

At this stage, tumours are very small (upto 2 cm) that either have not spread to the lymph nodes

Stage II

These are large tumours (2 cm across) that have just started to invade to few nearby lymph nodes

Stage IIII

These tumours are large (up to 5 cm across) and growing into surrounding tissues and lymph nodes

Stage IV

These tumors started in the breast but have now invaded to other parts of the body like bones, lungs, liver or brain.

Treatments for Breast cancer

Depending on the type and stage of breast cancer, treatment modalities or combinations are selected:

Surgery to remove the cancerous part:

Breast-conserving surgery
Oncoplasty
Sentinel lymph node biopsy
Axillary lymph node dissection
Reconstruction

Other therapies include:

Chemotherapy - Neo-adjuvant
Radiation therapy
Hormone therapy
Targeted therapy

Dr. Monika Pansari

Cervical Cancer Surgeon

Dr. Monika Pansari

Breast Cancer Surgeon in Bangalore
"Being diagnosed with Breast Cancer can be challenging. Lots of thoughts come to mind. Do Not Worry.
I , Your Sakhi - Your Friend, am available to guide you & support you in this fight against cancer and Together We Will Win"
I am on a mission to help Women Cancer Patients and thats why I founded Sakhi Oncology.
Do not hesitate to reach me or call me.

To know more, get in touch with a specialist immediately.

Why choose Sakhi Oncology?

Founded by highly experienced female cancer surgeon
Expertise in diagnosing and treating hereditary, rare, or complex cancer cases
Compassionate and experienced team of cancer experts
Latest treatment methods
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Dr. Monika Pansari conducts consultation at Richmond Road, Koramangla & Kengeri as listed below.
Note: Dr Monika Pansari will be joining Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore from 15 Jan 2024. She will no longer be available at Gleneagles Global Hospital.

Fortis Hospitals

154/9, Bannerghatta Rd, opposite IIM-B, Sahyadri Layout, Panduranga Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560076
Mon - Sat   : 1 pm to 4 pm
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No. 105, 5th Block, 17th C Main Road, KHB Colony , Koramangala, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560095
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Dr Monika is awesome!! Not only is she an excellent surgeon but most importantly to us as patient and caregiver, she has been warm, empathetic, and very supportive. She has always made time to answer our questions and been encouraging throughout my wife's cancer journey. We are very grateful to her.
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My mom was suffering with endometric carcinoma. Dr Monika guided us with a right treatment and operated my moms surgery successfully. She was available to answer our queries after the surgery as well. She was sweet and helped us curing the disease. Really happy with the service.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Any women can get breast cancer. However, here are some factors that may increase a woman's chances of getting the disease:

  • Getting older (50 years of age or older)
  • Having a first menstrual period at a young age (younger than 12 years)
  • Starting menopause at an older age (older than 55 years)
  • Not having children, or giving birth to a first child after age 30
  • Not breastfeeding
  • Having a close family member (parent, sibling, child) who has had breast cancer, especially at an early age
  • Having certain gene mutations (BRCA 1 or BRCA 2)
  • Being overweight or obese or not getting enough exercise
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Exposure to high levels of ionizing radiation to the chest area early in life
  • Long-term use of hormone replacement therapy

Having one or more of these risk factors does not mean you will surely get breast cancer. Many women do not have any risk factors. Therefore, screening is important for all women.

There is no assured way to completely prevent breast cancer, however, there are ways to lower your risk. These include:

  • Consuming less alcohol
  • Regular exercise
  • Maintaining healthy weight
  • Exclusive breast feeding during your baby's first 6 months, and continuing for 12 months or longer
  • Regular check-ups and screening tests to detect breast cancer at an earlier stage, when treatment works best

Every woman should conduct a self a breast self-exam once a month. It should be performed 7-10 days after menstrual cycle begins when breasts are least tender and lumpy. If you have attained menopause, then select a particular day of every month to perform this exam. You have to look for a change from last month’s exam to this month. If you discover any changes or a persistent lump in your breast, see a doctor immediately. Though most of the lumps are benign, all need assessment to rule out cancer.

Mammography can sometimes cause slight discomfort for a very brief period of time as it involves compression of the breast. However, there is no evidence that breast compression can spread the cancer. Ideally, mammograms are scheduled a week after woman’s menstrual cycle so that the breasts are less tender.

Disclaimer Statement

This website is built with intention of providing basic details about the various diseases. The contents of the website is not meant to replace an in-person consultation. Please follow the advise of your doctor via in-person consultation. This website will not assume any legal responsibility for the patient’s medical condition.
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