How is Breast Cancer Diagnosed?

Cancer is one of the spurious diseases that lead to death. And breast cancer is one of the most common cancer. According to Dr. Amit Gandhi, a well-known breast cancer surgeon in Mumbai, breast cancer starts when normal cells mutate and turn cancerous in the breast. In advanced stages, cancer may spread to other body parts also, causing life-threatening scenarios. Breast cancer is normally found mostly in women, but men can get it. Almost 90% of deaths related to breast cancer are because of late diagnosis; the higher the stage, the harder it is to treat it.

According to the NCBI( National Center Of Biotechnology Information) report, low literacy and lack of breast cancer awareness increase the risk of breast cancers and delayed diagnosis.  The following are some of the ways to diagnose breast cancer.

Breast exam. A doctor will examine your breasts and underarms, feeling for lumps or other abnormalities.

A mammogram is an X-ray that can examine the breast. They are commonly used to screen for breast cancer.

Breast ultrasound. Ultrasound creates images of structures deep within the body by using sound waves. Ultrasound can proficiently determine a new lump that is either a solid or a fluid-filled cyst.

Removing breast cells for testing (biopsy). A biopsy collects suspicious breast cells or tissue samples for a detailed breast cancer diagnosis. Doctors either cut a small portion of the breast surgically or ooze out an extract of breast-core from the suspicious area through a specialized needle device guided by an X-ray. A small metal marker will then be left inside your breast so that it can easily be identified on future image tests. The biopsy is then sent to a laboratory for testing. Biopsy of various cancerous samples also helps in conducting further cancer research.

Breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI machine uses radio waves and a magnet to create images of the interior of your breast. Then, you are given an injection of dye to help visualize where the MRI occurs before receiving these images.

Breast Cancer Stages

Once your doctor has subjected you to a diagnosis (such as a diagnostic mammogram), the response is studied in terms of size and carcinoma In-situ Cancer Staging techniques.

• Stage 0: non-invasive and under-developed cancer cells
• Stage 1: divided into two sub-stages

1A: up to 2cm of a cancerous tumor and no spreading

1B: up to 2cm of the tumor with lumps spreading larger than 0.2 mm but not larger than 2 mm

• Stage 2: divided into two sub-stages

2A: tumor 2-5cms in size and cancer has not yet spread

2B: tumor 2-5 cm in size with limited spreading or tumor larger than 5cm with no spread

• Stage 3: divided into two sub-stages

3A: larger than 5cm tumor with minimal spread

3B: any size tumor and cancer spread to the chest wall

3C: any size tumor and many tumor formations beyond spread lump

• Stage: 4: spreading of cancer to other parts of the body like lungs, brain, and bones, etc.

Breast cancer range from stages 0 to IV, with stage 0 indicating noninvasive cancer. Stage IV cancer, also known as metastatic breast cancer, indicates cancer spreads to other areas of the body.

Not all women need the same diagnostic and breast cancer treatment. However, breast cancer awareness can contain cancer spread or advancement of stages. Dr. Amit Gandhi, one of the oncologists in Mumbai, tailors breast cancer treatment in Mumbai according to the Individual’s diagnosis and symptoms. So, if you notice any breast cancer symptoms such as lump formations, unusual size of breasts, pain, or any other breast anomalies, consult Dr. Gandhi for diagnosis.