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suffered breast cancer, then submit<br />
yourself for screening mammography<br />
every year once you achieve the age<br />
of 35. If not, then every year after the<br />
age of 40.<br />
3) Do monthly ‘Breast Self-<br />
Examination’:<br />
a) For pre-menopausal – one week after<br />
the menses is over.<br />
b) For menopausal – 1st day of every<br />
month.<br />
The technique can be learnt on www.bse.<br />
com<br />
4) If you find a lump, then show it to<br />
your oncologist (cancer specialist)<br />
immediately and he/she will do an<br />
FNAC test (only a fine needle prick,<br />
that’s all). Please, don’t delay or deny<br />
the test.<br />
5) a) If FNAC is negative, continue the<br />
regular BSE and mammography<br />
as advised earlier.<br />
b) If FNAC is positive, i.e. shows<br />
cancer cells, then don’t panic.<br />
Ask your doctor these 10<br />
questions, 5 before, and 5 after<br />
the surgery:<br />
Q1) Is my other breast absolutely<br />
normal?<br />
Q2) Would you do a ‘Sentinel Node<br />
Biopsy’ instead of cleaning the<br />
whole axilla?<br />
Q3) Can my affected breast be saved?<br />
If not, why?<br />
Q4) What is my cancer’s stage?<br />
Q5) Is PET Scan or Bone Scan required<br />
to further specify my cancer’s<br />
stage?<br />
Ask these 5 questions<br />
after the surgery:<br />
Q1)<br />
What is my pathological stage?<br />
Q2) Do I need chemotherapy? If<br />
yes, which protocol do I need to<br />
follow? What is my HER-2-nu?<br />
Q3) Do I need Radiotherapy? If yes, do<br />
I need electron boost also along<br />
with IMRT (Intensity Modulated<br />
Radiotherapy Treatment)?<br />
Q4) What is my ER/PR reports? Do I<br />
need Hormonal Treatment? If yes,<br />
which drug and for how long?<br />
Q5) What are the chances of my<br />
daughter (if you have one) being<br />
affected with this disease?<br />
Believe in yourself. You are going to<br />
come out of this shock because we have<br />
more survivors of cancer (like me) than<br />
ever before. According to WHO, 5 year<br />
survival rate is 98% when breast cancer<br />
is detected early (localized stage).<br />
You also need to have a plan. Create<br />
your Early Detections Schedule to<br />
receive reminders to do Breast Self<br />
Examinations and mammography. There<br />
are many applications downloadable on<br />
smartphones, like ‘Breast Cancer’ from<br />
App-store and ‘Early Detection Plan’<br />
from Google Play.<br />
Remember, staying happy and feeling<br />
positive is as important as taking these<br />
measures. There is an unproven healing<br />
effect of positive attitude in such types of<br />
ordeals.<br />
Between the moment in which you<br />
learn about your disease, and the one in<br />
which you start fighting, there is a space<br />
known as ‘shock.’ It is a space you’ll have<br />
to traverse alone, but just keep in mind:<br />
Beyond the shock,<br />
Lies the cure.”<br />
(The author is<br />
Director of Navodaya<br />
Cancer Hospital &<br />
Research Centre, Bhopal.<br />
He is MD (Medicine)<br />
& DM (Medical<br />
Oncology) and member<br />
of American Society of<br />
Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Email- drshyam.<br />
agrawal@gmail.com<br />
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