Actor Hina Khan’s recent stage 3 breast cancer diagnosis highlights a disturbing trend among younger women. So here’s all about how breast cancer affects overall survival and future recurrence.
Breast cancer is a rising health concern for women in both rural and urban areas of India. This type of cancer is increasingly being diagnosed in younger women (between the age group of 40 to 49) in recent years.
In addition, women, even less than 40, have recently been in the news with newly diagnosed advanced breast cancers. This is concerning, as breast cancer screenings are generally suggested only after age 40.
Breast self-examination and awareness of breast cancer are important steps that can assist in mitigating this issue.
Hina Khan, an Indian television actor, recently revealed that she had stage 3 breast cancer. In a post, she addressed her illness and reassured her admirers by detailing her ongoing treatment experience. The actress has received enormous love from her followers since she made her statement.
So, here’s what you should know about the factors that can influence overall survival and future recurrences.
Breast cancer is caused when abnormal breast cells grow out of control, resulting in the formation of tumours. If left unchecked, the tumours can spread all through the body and become deadly. The lobules of the breast that produce milk or the milk ducts are where breast cancer cells begin to grow.
The earliest form (in situ) isn’t life-threatening and can be detected in early phases. Cancer cells can spread into nearby breast tissue (invasion). Tumours that cause lumps or thickening result from this.
Invasive cancers can spread to nearby lymph nodes or different organs (metastasize). Metastasis can be life-threatening and fatal. Treatment depends on the individual, the cancer type and its spread. Treatment involves surgery, radiation therapy and medications.
Why aren’t younger women originally checked for breast cancer?
Breast cancer usually affects women over the age of 50. Screening women under the age of 40 has generally been discouraged due to its low cost-effectiveness and limited potential benefits. It can also result in the psychological toll of false positives and increased lifetime exposure to small quantities of radiation.
In any event, given recent changes, it is now recommended that risk assessment for breast cancer be explored so that those at higher risk can be examined sooner. Furthermore, easy access to mammography and other diagnostic technologies for the breasts, such as ultrasound and MRI, can help such women acquire a more expedient diagnosis and treatment.
Which types of women are most likely to develop breast cancer?
Although several risk factors for breast cancer exist, the current trend of higher diagnosis in young women has perplexed doctors and cancer specialists. These factors include obesity, radiation exposure, smoking, alcohol intake, and lifestyle choices such as postponing childbirth.
With modernity and improved access to higher education, Indian women are delaying marriage and childbirth to focus on their professions and other responsibilities. This delay, particularly having your first kid after 35, can increase your risk of developing breast cancer. According to doctors, having children before the age of 35 and nursing can help reduce the risk. Another risk factor is thick breast tissue.
Furthermore, chronic estrogen exposure, which includes the early menstrual cycle and late menopause, plays a significant role. Beyond these characteristics, lifestyle decisions such as food, weight management, and alcohol usage, as well as environmental exposures, can have a significant impact on breast cancer risk.
What is the prescribed treatment for breast cancer?
Breast cancer treatment is determined by the subtype of cancer and how far it has gone outside of the breast to lymph nodes (stages II or III) or other regions of the body (stage IV). Doctors combine treatments to lessen the likelihood of cancer recurrence. This includes:
• Surgery to remove the tumor
• Radiation to reduce recurrence risk in the breast and surrounding tissues
• Medications to kill cancer cells and prevent spread, such as hormonal, chemotherapy, or targeted biological treatments.
Breast cancer therapies are more effective and well-tolerated when started early and completed. The efficacy of breast cancer therapy is dependent on the entire course of treatment. Partial treatment is less likely to produce a favorable result.
What is the worldwide impact of breast cancer?
Between the 1980s and 2020, age-standardised breast cancer mortality fell by 40% in high-income countries. Nations that have succeeded in lowering breast cancer mortality have been able to achieve a 2-4% reduction in mortality per year.
To supply therapies that are already shown to be successful, efforts for improving breast cancer outcomes rely on basic health-care system reforms. These are also important for the treatment of certain tumors and other non-malignant noncommunicable disorders (NCDs). For example, establishing consistent referral paths from primary care facilities to district clinics and specialist cancer centers.
The same approach is required for the management of cervical cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and prostate cancer: the establishment of dependable referral pathways from primary care facilities to secondary hospitals to dedicated cancer centres.
As a result, breast cancer is referred to as an “index disease,” which paves the way for the treatment of other cancers.
What does the World Health Organization have to say about the increased incidence of breast cancer?
The WHO Global Breast Cancer Initiative (GBCI) aims to reduce global breast cancer mortality by 2.5% a year. This will prevent 2.5 million breast cancer deaths worldwide between 2020 and 2040. If annual mortality rates were reduced by 2.5% worldwide, 25% and 40% of women under the age of 70 would be spared breast cancer by 2030 and 2040, respectively.
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Source: BS
