Breast Cancer Treatment in India: A Comprehensive Guide

Breast cancer is a relatively common type of cancer that develops from the breast tissue. The breast contains mammary glands, and modified sweat glands consisting of lobules and ducts. It occurs when healthy breast cells become abnormal, grow out of control, and form tumors. It may sometimes spread to other parts of the body. Breast cancer that develops inside the milk ducts is called Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). When DCIS networks into surrounding tissue it is called invasive ductal carcinoma. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection,

fluid coming from the nipple, milk rejection, a newly inverted nipple, red or scaly patch of skin, or dimpling of the skin. In those with distant spread of the disease, there might be bone pain, shortness of breath, change in shape or size, and swollen lymph nodes. Breast cancer treatment includes surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. However, Breast Cancer Treatment in India varies on many factors based on the stage of cancer, surgeon, hospital, and specific treatments needed. Breast cancer surgery in India is cost-effective compared to other developed countries.

Types of breast cancer

There are several types of breast cancer, categorized as invasive or non-invasive:

Invasive breast cancer: is defined by the breast cells that grow abnormally fast and have developed the ability to spread beyond the breast to other parts of the body. It may take several years for breast cells to slowly develop the genetic changes (mutations) to change from a normal cell to an invasive cancer cell. But once day do, some spread more rapidly and others grow very slowly and may not spread at all beyond the breast. Invasive breast cancer may cure 90% of all women with breast cancer.

Types of invasive breast cancer

• Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma: is the most common type of invasive breast cancer. It is called ductal because the cancer cells line the milk products. There are many other factors beyond the type of cancer that are important.
• Infiltrating Lobular Carcinoma occurs in less than 20% of patients. It is called lobular because the cells originate from the lobules of the milk ducts. Lobular cancers are no worse or better than invasive ductal cancers from a survival perspective. Some unique features of lobular cancers can affect diagnosis and treatment.
• Less Common Types of Breast Cancer

Some Less common types of breast cancer are sub-types of invasive carcinoma. These are often named after features of the cancer cells, some of these may have a better prognosis than the more common IDC. These include:

1. Inflammatory Cancer (5%) is a very aggressive cancer.
2. Colloid and Mucinous (3%) are considered less aggressive breast cancer.
3. Micropapillary carcinoma
4. Mixed carcinoma
5. Metaplastic carcinoma

Non-Invasive Breast Cancerare cells that also grow abnormally fast, but can not yet spread beyond the breast to threaten someone's life. It stays in the ducts or lobules of the breast and Ductal Carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is an example of non-invasive breast cancer and is generally categorized under breast cancer by most organizations. it may not propagate to the lymph nodes or beyond.

Types of Non-Invasive Breast Cancer

• Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS) is called pre-invasive breast cancer because it remains within the duct and has not broken free of the ductal system so it is confined to the duct and has not spread outside of the breast. This is typically diagnosed on mammography
• Lobular Carcinoma in Situ (LCIS) is a non-invasive breast cancer that does not spread outside the lobules and despite its name, is a benign (LCIS) breast cancer condition and is not complex.

What are the Signs and Symptoms of breast cancer?

In the early stage, breast cancer may have no signs or symptoms. As the cancer grows, you might notice one or more following breast cancer symptoms:

• A change in size, shape, or contour of the breast.
• Reddening of the skin on the breast or nipple
• A change in the shape or position of the nipple
• A hardened area under the skin
• A mass or lump, which might feel small in size as a pea

Treatment for breast cancer

The most common first treatment for early-stage invasive breast cancer is surgery, possibly followed by chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and then hormonal therapy. Breast cancer treatment is relatively complex and there can be many different approaches to the same type of breast cancer. Out of which few are mentioned below:

• Mammography
• MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
• Other screening tests

1. Breast Exam
2. Thermography
3. Tissue sampling

• Biopsy

Best Breast Cancer Treatment Hospitals in India

Choosing a hospital for breast cancer treatment in India is a wise and beneficial decision for many reasons. They adhere to strict international standards of care and use advanced medical equipment. Secondly, the cost of treatment is generally lower than in other developed countries, making it an affordable option without sacrificing quality. These are some of the best breast cancer hospitals and doctors in India that are recognized for their expertise, facilities, and success rates such as:

• Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi – Dr. Harit Chaturvedi
• Max Hospitals, Gurgaon – Dr. Sapna Nangia
• Fortis Hospitals, Mumbai – Dr. Anil Heroor
• Artemis Hospitals, New Delhi – Dr. Subodh Pandey

Stages of Breast cancer

Stage is a way of estimating how life-threatening a cancer is based on the size of the tumor if the cancer involves the lymph nodes, and if it has spread to other parts of the body. Many other important cancer factors beyond stage determine how breast cancer should be treated. The term “stage” is often confused with tumor grade. Tumor grade is a reference to how abnormal the cancer cells appear in the microscope. Stage of breast cancer is a reference to how extensive the breast cancer was at the time of diagnosis. These cancers are generally much larger tumors and, in some situations, have grown into the skin or the breast chest wall. Many have already spread to the axillary lymph nodes. Breast cancer can grow in such a way that involves other tissue around the tumor that makes it difficult to remove surgically.

Early-stage of Breast Cancer:

Stage 0 – the first stage of breast cancer.

Stage I- the cancer tumor is smaller than 2cm and there is no evidence that cancer has spread to axillary lymph nodes. Breast cancer surgery is usually the first treatment, but there is a rare need for chemotherapy before or after surgery is sometimes needed.

Stage II – most of the time, the tumor is larger than 2cm but smaller than 5cm without evidence of spread to the axillary lymph nodes. Another scenario of a tumor is that it is less than 5 cm in size and there is evidence of cancer in a few axillary lymph nodes. Surgery or chemotherapy are often the first treatment options.

Later-stage breast cancer

Stage III - cancer also includes inflammatory breast cancer. There is no sign of cancer spreading to other body sites yet in stage III breast cancer. Chemotherapy is usually the first treatment.

Stage IV – The breast cancer that is found to have a network to other parts of the body (distant metastasis) is stage IV. The lymph nodes' involvement and the tumor's size are important information for treatment decisions. The fact that cancer has spread elsewhere reflects the life-threatening nature of stage IV breast cancer. Chemotherapy or hormonal therapy is the first treatment.

Breast cancer treatment cost in India

The cost of breast cancer surgery in India is feasible in comparison to other developed countries as mentioned USA, UK, Canada, and Singapore which are not at all cost-effective for the affected treatment. Even breast cancer surgery depends upon the type of surgery which will be conducted on the patient. The breast cancer treatment cost in India includes hospital treatment surgery, procurement, recovery test, location, before tests, medication as well as surgeons fee.

Conclusion

Breast cancer is a type of disease where abnormal breast cells grow out of control and form tumors. An important point is to note that even the type of tumor whether it is invasive or non-invasive is crucial. Breast cancer is also described as how likely it is to spread to other parts of the breast or body. It is a significant health concern in India while challenges persist, India has made progress in breast cancer awareness, diagnosis, and treatment. The country offers affordable, comprehensive care options with experienced surgeons and advanced technology.

Medheal Global is a specialist in organizing travel, accommodation, and logistic support, which includes local transportation, visa arrangements, and language interpretation services. It assists in evaluating the prices across different hospitals and countries, potentially offering more affordable options for patients seeking treatment for Breast cancer, Bone cancer, and other complex medical conditions.