Hope Renewed

One of the most highly increasing forms of cancer amongst women in the urban areas,breast cancer is continuing to find a rising number of targets.

One of the most highly increasing forms of cancer amongst women in the urban areas,breast cancer is continuing to find a rising number of targets. With one lakh new cases of breast cancer in the country every year,the rate is increasing in almost all the metros, says Dr C B Koppiker,onco-surgeon at the Jehangir hospital. A recent study with a sample size of over 2,000 patients,showed that the average age of women who are suffering from breast cancer is around 45-47 years.

However,with newer technology,women can get an early diagnosis and help prevent cancer, says Koppiker,who also heads the Prashanti Cancer Care Mission – a charitable trust that aims at creating awareness about cancer. A high quality ultrasound technique is more sensitive than the conventional mammogram and can help pick up the cancer. In fact,for the first time such an automated breast ultrasound machine worth over a crore will be installed at Orchids diagnostic centre.

He adds,Not only do we remove the tumour but also cosmetically design the breast. The combination of cancer surgery with cosmetic techniques is aimed mainly at women with early-stage cancer getting a lumpectomy,a procedure that removes cancerous tissue but leaves the rest of the breast. Oncoplastic surgery also can sometimes benefit patients who need a mastectomy,or total breast removal,by helping to prepare their bodies for subsequent reconstruction.

“We will hardly miss a tumour with this new technology, says Koppiker,as the system picks up more lesions than the mammogram. For the last few years,onco-plastic breast surgeons have been re-modelling breasts across the country. There are only four-five such onco-plastic breast units in the country and in Pune,Koppiker heads the unit at Orchids centre.

“Most of the time,after the mastectomy the woman has to suffer a frozen shoulder and feels a sense of incompleteness. The surgery can be a mutilating one. But not any more,as the surgical approach to breast cancer has also changed and it helps reduce the number of side effects,” says Koppiker,adding,”The number of surgeons using this technique is small but increasing slowly. We have already set up an association with 600 such oncoplastic surgeons.”

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