Doctors advise women to come forward for early detection of breast cancer

Special Correspondent

SILCHAR, March 29: “Women are encouraged to come out of shyness and taboo and go for early detection if they suspect the symptom of cancer in their breast. And the best way to know it is the lump that grows in the breast. Early detection makes possible early treatment and the patients can be cured”, pointed out Dr. Toral Gathani, breast surgeon, Oxford University Hospitals, while interacting with the media-persons in the conference hall of Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre here today.

 For that, Dr. Gathani said, awareness among women is also necessary. This will not allow cancer in their breast to become critical. She added to say after examining a patient, their team also suggests treatment options whether to continue the treatment in the hospital she gets admitted or go to any other centre of advanced treatment. She was happy to say that the best possible treatment of breast cancer is available in this Cachar Cancer Hospital. Even the very difficult cases here are treated excellently, she pointed out.

 Dr. Philip Savage, consultant radiologist also from Oxford University Hospital, said most important, correct diagnosis is also necessary. He added to say best treatment is possible where there is well coordited combition of surgeon and radiologist along with other medical staff. He has found such team work here. Asked about the approach or methodology adopted for treatment, he made it clear that there is no difference in this respect here from UK. However, updated and modern instruments are equally important to make the task of treatment easy.

 Dr. Philip found similarity in the use of instruments here and in the UK. An important information shared by Dr. Ravi Kan, director, Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, was if the lump is 1 cm, longevity of life is not disturbed. But, if the lump is 10 cm, the life span is reduced by 40 years. The message that goes is that women have to be conscious and aware of lump developing. The finding here is that breast cancer has been found to be more in younger women, though women of any age can have cancer in their breast.

 Both Dr. Gathani and Dr. Savage said the causes of breast cancer are the same everywhere in the world. Changing life style has been attributed as one of the important causes for cancer. It has further been discovered that the valley of Barak has the highest incidence of breast cancer. Asked about the reason about it, Dr. Gathani said it was due to late marriages among women here. Affluency is also the cause. A survey has found that the cases of cancer in women are higher in urban areas compared to the rural belt.

 It was further pointed out that there is no treatment of any kind of cancer in homeopathy or allopathy or Ayurveda. Instead of wasting time and spending money in treatment through this traditiol method and allowing cancer to become critical, it is better to begin the treatment in any established and reputed treatment centre like Cachar Cancer Hospital. The treatment of cancer is less expensive. Moreover, continuity of treatment in one place is also important. There is no justification to go outside.

 Dr. Gathani advised women to come forward and go for investigation. It is also her advice for them to go for regular exercises and in the case of obesity loose weight. In UK, as she said, population based screening is done with better health delivery system. This has come as great relief to the people in need of better treatment and early detection of the disease.

 The team of 3 doctors and 1 nurse from Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust Oxford, United Kingdom, who are on a 3 day visit to this cancer hospital expressed their deep appreciation of the arrangements here for the treatment of cancer. Besides, Dr. Gathani and Dr. Philip Savage, Dr. Shaheel Bhuva, consultant, clinical radiology, and Ms. Anne Savage, nurse from UK, are in the team.