Breast Cancer Specialist in Mumbai:

•   Breast cancer stands out to be most common cancer diagnosed in women, mainly among older women (Age>45). It accounts for more than 1 in 10 newly diagnosed cancer every year. It also accounts to be the second most common cause of death in women.
  
     Chances of recovery in breast cancer are quite high when timely diagnosed. Thus it becomes vital for women to regularly examine their breasts for any changes and consult the best specialist in the city.
  
     In rare cases men can also be diagnosed with breast cancer. Know more about the same over a brief discussion with the medical oncologist.

Causes of breast cancer:

• Age
• Gender
• Obesity
• Tall height
• Previous diagnosis
• Alcohol consumption
• Exogenous hormone use

What to expect at your breast clinic appointment:

• Breast examination
• Diagnostic tests being run: Mammogram (breast X-ray), Ultrasound
• Biopsy: small sample of the breast tissue to be examined under the microscope
• The visit might take several hours for all the tests to be carried out.

How to prevent breast cancer:

• Exercise regularly and maintain weight
• Controlled saturated fat diet
• Avoid use of alcohol
• Avoid exposure to tobacco smoke.
• Avoid prolonged use of hormones.

Types of breast cancer:

•   Breast cancers are carcinomas i.e. tumors that start in the epithelial lining of the cells that forms tissues and organs in the body

  Ductal or Lobular: Carcinomas that form in the milk ducts or lobules

• Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS):Cancer has not spread beyond the milk ducts or site of origin
• Invasive breast cancer (IBC):Cancer has spread into the surrounding tissues

  Special types of invasive breast cancers: Aggressive type of cancers that accounts for rare percentage of all cases of breast cancer

• Triple negative breast cancer (15%):Cancer cells that are negative for all 3 i.e. estrogen and progesterone receptor and also does not make HER2 protein.
• Inflammatory breast cancer (1 to 5%):Cancer cells block lymph vessels in the skin causing the breast to look “inflamed”.

  Less common types of breast cancer

• Paget Disease:Starts from the ducts, later spreads to the nipple skin and then to the areola
• Angiosarcoma:Starts in the cells that line blood or lymph vessels
• Phyllodes Tumor:Develop in the connective tissue of the breast

Treatment:

•   Depending upon the staging and severity of the cancer, the cancer specialist may choose appropriate treatment regimen comprising of;

• Adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapy
• Surgical intervention
• Medications
• Radiation.

Patient Education:

•   Breast cancer specialist will always have a patient centric approach towards managing the condition and shall always ensure that the patient is well educated about his/her condition by running through the treatment plan and approach towards therapy.
  
     Dr. Sanjay Sharma hold overs 40 years of experience in the field of oncology, now serving as one of the best cancer specialist in Mumbai and is determined to render patient cancer free.

How important is it to show up on every follow up?

•   Once being diagnosed and started with a treatment plan or after reaching a progression free phase, the importance of follow up remains as equivalent in the other.
  
     Every individual is designed a treatment and follow up plan as per their needs. It therefore becomes mandatory for a person to come up for every follow up for their oncologist to have a record of their progress and direct the further treatment plan accordingly.