The major change that has come about is the knowledge that having a cancer in the breast does not necessarily mean that the woman should end up losing her breast. Studies over the past twenty years have validated that in a selected group of patients, it is safe to remove just the cancerous lump and not do a mastectomy. This is the standard operation that is offered to patients who are diagnosed with early breast cancer. There is no significant difference in survival or the cancer coming back in the conserved breast when compared to a mastectomy.

Nowadays, the spectrum of BCS has widened to include even larger tumors which traditionally were not considered suitable for it.

One way of achieving this is to use neoadjuvant chemotherapy, which is chemotherapy given upfront, prior to surgery. In properly selected patients, the idea is to shrink the cancer to a size which is then suitable for a lumpectomy.

It is important that the breast conserving operation does not end up leaving the patient with a deformed breast. Herein lies the role of oncoplastic procedures. Specialist breast surgeons are trained in performing these to achieve normal cosmesis by mobilizing the remaining breast tissue without compromising on the safety of the procedure. It is much simpler and safer for the patient to have this rather than a complicated breast reconstruction following a mastectomy.

It cannot be stressed enough that in this day and age, it is not acceptable to perform an excision of a breast lump without a needle biopsy diagnosis. Excising a breast lump without diagnosis has serious consequences on planning of further treatment and compromises the standard of care that the patient should have received.

In the western world 70% of breast cancers are suitable for breast conservation whereas the reverse is observed in India. One way of improving upon this is to ensure that women attend regular breast screening. As breast cancer awareness increases and we detect breast cancers at an earlier stage, it becomes all the more important that such patients do not have to undergo extensive surgery which is disproportionate to the size of their tumor.

There is unfortunately no magic formula for preventing breast cancer. However, adopting healthy lifestyle practices does go a long way alongwith timely testing of the breast. Here are a few pointers to help you win the fight against cancer:

1. Eat healthy: Foods to avoid: Saturated fats, overcooked vegetables, processed foods, red meat, alcohol.

Foods to include as part of daily diet: Fresh fruits and vegetables (especially raw, steamed), soya products, whole grains, flax seeds, fish, green tea, turmeric.

2. Exercise: At least 30 mins of aerobic exercise daily helps maintain weight and is proven to cut the risk of cancer.

3. Regular screening: Get yourself tested by the doctor at frequent intervals as advised. Breast cancer in majority of cases does not produce any noticeable changes in the breast in the early stages. A simple X-ray (mammogram) of the breast can help pick it at a time when treatment is simple, less expensive and most likely to succeed.

ndia is seeing an epidemic rise in the number of cancer cases. Protect yourself by making a positive change in your approach to your health. The right time to do so is now!