“Early diagnosis is the key to successful cure”
Several women suspect that they might have cancer, yet do not seek attention because of an exaggerated fear of cancer treatments.
When spoken to a newly wed, a one-year survivor of breast cancer, she said she had to visit stores abroad to avail of fancy mastectomy bras. cause when she was looking for a post-surgery bras in Mumbai India, she encountered confusion from store clerks. They didn’t know what to suggest and said they weren’t trained to fit women of her “situation.” The market for mastectomy bras hasn’t grown in India; most products are often basic, or matronly and not built to fit women of diverse shapes and sizes. With an increasing number of lingerie brands overall, there should be more variety for women who have experienced breast cancer, one of the most common cancers for women in the world. Bra fit is also dependent on what surgery women choose. Some never reconstruct, or reconstruct one or both breasts, making the need for a larger pool of bras even more important.
Although women in their young prime years also are capable of being diagnosed with breast cancer and Increasing numbers of patients are in the 25 to 40 years of age marking a disturbing trend. In two decades mostly women in their 50’s and above from urban cities have being diagnosed with breast cancer. Unlike in the west, cancer rates in India are relatively lower and Fewer than 1 million cases per year (India). An urbanized state like Punjab has higher incidence of breast cancer than, say, Uttar Pradesh. States like Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat are more urbanized and hence, have a higher incidence of breast cancer. All women know the struggle of finding a comfortable bra; adding on the fact that these women have had breast cancer surgeries means their needs are very specialized. While this is a starting point in the 1.5 billion$ lingerie industry in India, while basic colour bras such as nude, black, and white are available, most are unavailable in brick and mortar stores.
When asked several hospitals and patients as to where one could purchase a mastectomy bra, they were clueless and neither one could give out any information on such brands that cater to this segment. Most breast cancer patients purchase mastectomy bras abroad or purchase through hospitals that source them from unnamed manufacturers.
Most Senior citizens are not so finicky in terms of design and colors. But there are many women who do want to break the monotonous chain and want variety. So why don’t you find the latest and greatest in beautiful mastectomy bras at your local retailer? There are a few reasons, and most have to do with the way these products have historically been marketed and sold to women. Some 40 years ago, breast cancer wasn’t a topic you found wrapped up in pretty pink ribbons. Women who had a mastectomy, in those days, were sent to medical supply houses to order breast prostheses and a pocketed bra. There wasn’t much to choose from when it came to bra style, color, or fabric.
Lingerie retailers face more complex fit issues when selling post-mastectomy products. It’s not just the scar tissue or individual surgical sites involved, it’s also the size and type of prosthetic a woman buys and wears. Some are heavy or lighter, and they’re sold in numeric sizes, not like alphabet cups bras. Even as we move the mouse around and browse through the internet we do not come across a single Indian website that is catering bras to this segment.
Many people hear “breast cancer” and think of inspiring stories of the survivors who beat the disease. This is particularly true during Breast Cancer Awareness Month when pink ribbons, shirts and slogans can be seen everywhere and hence we spoke to a few women who shared their stories with us.
Bertha Rodriguez: 71 years of age from Mumbai, Homemaker. In 2011 at the age of 66 she visited Kohinoor hospital Kurla where she had gone for a medical insurance and that was when the lump in her breast was discovered and the scans detected her with breast cancer. She later on went to a close family doctor for a biopsy scan after which she was told that her lump had grown to at least 3 inches big and her reports stated it was the 2nd stage. She remained strong and accepted the truth and decided she had to go on with life. Since she was at 3rd stage now she underwent chemo therapy which was very strong therefore making her really weak. After her treatments it was time for her to undergo a mastectomy surgery that went on for around 7-8 hours which was success. “I used to read and listen to music to distract myself from the pain. After the surgery, my doctor advised me not to exert my hands by raising them. I can still feel the numbness on my left side, hence I exercise. Since I am on the heavy side I wore a lot of loose clothes post- surgery. I wasn’t interested in mastectomy bras, and a friend of mine brought a bunch from the states. I am unaware of brands. You do not get good bras here for women like us, but I am aware that TATA Memorial hospital has mastectomy bras but in very basic colors. Since the younger generation has so much life to live I believe yes there should be more manufacturers catering to this segment, more colors and more designs should be available in India. One should not wear a bra right after surgery as it creates friction on the stitches which leads to pain. I feel pain till today. I would like to tell anyone who has cancer (any type of cancer) to head to the D. S. Research Centre at Andheri East as they are extremely good.”
Sunita Das: 44 years of age, Homemaker from Mumbai. “Cancer ruined my career. I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer when I was 39 years old. I was a manager. My treatment was chemo, radiation, a mastectomy, a failed reconstruction, and a successful reconstruction. Everyone around me was extremely supportive during my treatment. You need friends and family and not let your ego and sadness get the best of you no matter how mentally exhausted you’re. Since I quit my job I underwent a lot of financial hardship. But after the operation was a success I went on to find a new job. My stamina is still not the same. I had worked for 15- 20 years to achieve my goals and earned two master’s degrees. I’ve adjusted my expectations and try to pursue a balanced life. One of the greatest lessons I learned is just how HARD it is to have cancer. It gave me much more empathy for anyone going through this. You usually have a lot of support around the newly diagnosed patients, but the enthusiasm soon wears off. For those that have someone in their lives dealing with breast cancer be fearless in your love, be passionate and show it every day. ”
What is breast cancer?
Breast cancer is an uncontrolled growth of breast cells. Cancer occurs as a result of mutations, or abnormal changes, in the genes responsible for regulating the growth of cells and keeping them healthy. The genes are in each cell’s nucleus, which acts as the “control room” of each cell. Normally, the cells in our bodies replace themselves through an orderly process of cell growth: healthy new cells take over as old ones die out. But over time, mutations can “turn on” certain genes and “turn off” others in a cell. That changed cell gains the ability to keep dividing without control or order, producing more cells just like it and forming a tumor.
Its treatment depends on the stage of cancer. It may consist of chemotherapy, radiation, hormone therapy and surgery.
Types Of Breast Cancer Surgeries
Breast reconstruction
Breast reconstruction is to restore one or both breasts to near normal shape, appearance, symmetry, and size following mastectomy, lumpectomy or other trauma.
Breast reconstruction often involves several procedures performed in stages and can either begin at the time of mastectomy or be delayed until a later date.
Breast reconstruction generally falls into two categories: implant based reconstruction or flap reconstruction.
Implant reconstruction relies on breast implants to help form a new breast mound.
Flap reconstruction uses the patient’s own tissue from another part of the body to form a new breast.
Lumpectomy Surgery
Lumpectomy (also known as breast conserving surgery, partial mastectomy or wide excision) is a surgery to remove cancer from the breast. Unlike a mastectomy, a lumpectomy removes only the tumor and a small rim of normal tissue around it. It leaves most of the breast skin and tissue in place.
Mastectomy Surgery
Mastectomy is the removal of all of the breast tissue. Mastectomy is more refined and less intrusive than it used to be because in most cases, the muscles under the breast are no longer removed.
Prophylactic Mastectomy
Prophylactic mastectomy is surgery to remove one or both breasts to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer.
Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy, also called cryosurgery, uses extreme cold to freeze and kill cancer cells. It’s also used to control pain and control bleeding. All cells, including cancer cells, contain water. When cryotherapy freezes the cells, the water turns to ice crystals. These ice crystals, along with the cold itself, destroy the cancer cells. Cryotherapy is used to regularly treat certain cancers and other lesions.
Lymph Node Removal
If you have invasive breast cancer, your surgeon will probably remove some of the lymph nodes under your arm during your lumpectomy or mastectomy. Examining your lymph nodes helps your doctors figure out the extent of cancer involvement. Cancer in the lymph nodes is associated with an increased risk of having cancer cells in other parts of your body.
Your lymph nodes act as filters for your body’s lymphatic drainage system. That’s why the lymph nodes are likely to “catch” or filter out cancer cells that might be floating in the fluid that drains away from the cancerous area of the breast. Doctors look at the different kinds of nodes that are involved with your breast:
“Sometimes something as simple as having bra and panties that fit can be a mood booster and a slice of normalcy for breast cancer survivors.”
healthcare, people and medicine concept – close up of women in blank shirts with pink breast cancer awareness ribbon over white background
Breast Cancer Risk Factors
Eating Unhealthy Food- No food or diet can prevent you from getting breast cancer. But some foods can make your body the healthiest it can be, boost your immune system, and help keep your risk for breast cancer as low as possible. Research has shown that getting the nutrients you need from a variety of foods, especially fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, can make you feel your best and give your body the energy it needs. Eating food grown without pesticides may protect against unhealthy cell changes associated with pesticide use in animal studies. High-fat diets can lead to being overweight or obese, which is a breast cancer risk factor. Overweight women are thought to be at higher risk for breast cancer because the extra fat cells make estrogen, which can cause extra breast cell growth. This extra growth increases the risk of breast cancer.
Smoking- Smoking causes a number of diseases and is linked to a higher risk of breast cancer in younger, premenopausal women. Research also has shown that there may be link between very heavy second-hand smoke exposure and breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women.
Smoking also can increase complications from breast cancer treatment, including:
- damage to the lungs from radiation therapy
- difficulty healing after surgery and breast reconstruction
- higher risk of blood clots when taking hormonal therapy medicines
Drinking Alcohol- Research consistently shows that drinking alcoholic beverages — beer, wine, and liquor — increases a woman’s risk of hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer. Alcohol can increase levels of estrogen and other hormones associated with hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer. Alcohol also may increase breast cancer risk by damaging DNA in cells.
Dr. Rohan Khandelwal is a Breast Surgeon and consultant at W Pratiksha Hospital with an experience of more than 6 years in this field. He is a Fellowship trained Breast Cancer Surgeon from the University of Maryland, USA. He has published many scientific papers on Breast Cancer and he is frequently invited as a guest speaker in many gatherings to talk about his experiences regarding the best management of Breast Cancer.
He is actively engaged in promoting the early detection and management of Breast Cancer. His blog has been claimed as the best breast surgery blog and he has been helping out many patients with honest second opinions through his website.
According to Dr. Khandelwal, “Breast cancer is the most common caner in India and around the world. 1 in 25 ladies are diagnosed with breast cancer. The predications are by 2225 we will reach the international figure which is 1 in 8 women. We can divide the causes of breast cancer by its risk factor, non-modifiable and modifiable risk factors. Non- modifiable risk factors are age and sex. Being a female itself is a risk for breast cancer. As the age increases the risk increases, family history- both maternal family history and paternal family history increase the risk of breast cancer. Modifiable risk factors include alcohol consumption, hormone replacement therapy, and obesity. Modifiable risk factors can be changed and help reduce the risk factor of breast cancer. There are four moralities to managing breast cancer and treating it: surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and hormonal therapy. Not every patient requires these therapies, but a treatment has to be tailored to that particular patient and it depends on what page they’re are with the disease. A healthy diet, physical activities play an important role in maintaining weight and can help in preventing breast cancer. Every woman’s breast is different and hence they should be aware of what their breast feels like. You do not need a breast examination done religiously every month, but once in a while after her period is over she can do a self examination of her breasts for that is the best time to check or ideally when she is showering, with one hand behind the head and with the other hand she can feel the opposite breast side in circular movements with the pulp of her fingers and not the tips.”
He goes on to say, “Mammograms do cause discomfort but aren’t painful. Now days there are technicians who are specifically trained for mammograms and there are machines which has padding available as well compared to few years ago causing less discomfort. We always recommend a patient to wear a sports bra after breast conservation surgery because it reduces the compression as well as lowers the pain.
Myths and Facts
- Myth: Injuries to the breast cause breast cancer. Fact: Injuries to the breast can sometimes lead to the detection of a lump in the breast.
- Myth: Wearing a bra increases your cancer risk. Fact: There is no good scientific or clinical basis to support the claim that plain or underwire bras cause breast cancer.
- Myth : Mammograms prevent breast cancer. Fact: Mammograms don’t prevent breast cancer, but they can save lives by finding breast cancer as early as possible, when it’s most treatable
- Myth: Antiperspirants cause breast cancer. Fact: There is no scientific evidence to support the claim that antiperspirants cause breast cancer, either because of toxin build-up or aluminium exposure
- Myth: Young women don’t get breast cancer. Fact:While it’s true the disease is more common in postmenopausal women, breast cancer can affect people of any age.
- Myth: Drinking from a plastic water bottle left in a hot car can cause cancer. Fact:This rumor falsely claims that dioxins—a group of toxic chemicals associated with an array of health problems, including breast cancer—leach from the heated plastic into the water. Plastics do not contain dioxins, and the sun’s rays are not strong enough to create them
- Truth : You should question your doctor
Mastectomy wear is the need of the hour and conveniently, they have not yet set a steady foot into the market. Yet, its believed that, drowned within the lucrative Lingerie world, Mastectomy Bra would need a revolution and collective efforts in serving the Indian survivors.
