One ignored a pain, the other a knot: breast cancer survivors on what not to ignore

And I was shocked by the diagnosis. By the time I reached the oncologist, I had lost valuable time. Although I survived, it’s important for women to see a doctor as soon as they notice an abnormality,” she says.

“In those years, cancer meant final death. As a working mom, I barely had time to take care of myself as the whole process took months. These included chemotherapy, which meant hair loss, surgery, which meant disfigurement, and radiation, which meant more side effects. My family was my greatest support and I realized that the only option for me was to fight the disease head-on. It took a painful six months and several rounds of chemotherapy before I was declared disease free. I was regularly with Dr. PK Julka, who was then with AIIMS (now Principal Director, Medical Oncology, Max Institute of Cancer Care) and was on medication for almost a decade.”

“Of course, medication was expensive and I received medical reimbursements from the school I taught at. The side effects of chemotherapy present their own unique challenges as it involves physical changes.

you don’t understand yourself But with a supportive family, a job, and an encouraging doctor, I could cope. I was even able to attend classes while undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy,” says Sachdev.

Another patient, Kanta More, shared her experience battling breast cancer. The 67-year-old, diagnosed in 2017, noticed a small lump in her right breast that turned out to be triple-negative cancer. She underwent surgery that same year, followed by chemotherapy. “I was diagnosed in the second phase. But I, too, had ignored a tiny lump in my breast. My GP suggested I take the FNAC test just to be sure. I remember there was a family event and I postponed my tests.

About two and a half months later, my limb movement became impaired. That’s when I was diagnosed.” She experienced severe side effects, including vomiting and insomnia, that lasted up to five days after each chemotherapy session. “My husband also stayed up when I stayed up at night and fed me juice and raisins just to keep me from getting dehydrated. Of course, the insurance covered most of my costs.” More says she now watches herself meticulously for the smallest deviation. “I never miss an assessment and my hemoglobin has never dropped below 9,” she adds.

dr PK Julka, Principal Director, Medical Oncology, Max Institute of Cancer Care, Lajpat Nagar, treated both survivors. He says: “There has been a paradigm shift in the treatment of breast cancer patients. In the late 1970’s, the entire infected breast was surgically removed. Now the disfigurement has been greatly reduced. With advances in cancer treatment, we’ve been able to save more lives.

There was a time when drugs had to be sourced from abroad. Today, most medicines are manufactured in India. This has significantly reduced the waiting time and treatment costs. Due to the availability of better diagnostics, driven by greater awareness, we have started seeing early-stage breast cancer patients. These advances have greatly improved the chances of survival and helped us doctors make them disease free.”

Since screening is an important part of cancer prevention, what options should women choose? “If you are younger than 30 or 40, an ultrasound scan is a must. An MRI should only be done if there is suspicious growth or tissue that cannot be clearly interpreted. Women over 40, especially those with a family history of cancer, should have mammograms every two or three years. This is the Indian recommendation.

In America they do this once a year. We don’t want to expose our body to unnecessary radiation because, unlike them, we also make a thorough clinical assessment. A test should ideally be done after the woman has had her period.”

Unknown to many, Dr. Julka received the tomosynthesis test while working at AIIMS. “This is 3D mammography, a new type of digital X-ray mammography that creates 2D and 3D-like images of the breasts. This tool improves mammography’s ability to detect early breast cancer and reduces the number of additional tests for non-cancerous findings.”

Although there are many technically supported tools, he still insists on manual discipline. “Regular check-ups are key to success and to controlling relapses,” he says.

dr Devavrat Arya, Director, Medical Oncology, MICC, Lajpat Nagar said: “Due to advances in cancer treatment, patients’ quality of life has improved significantly. Hair loss after chemotherapy has been one of the biggest pain points in a patient’s road to recovery. But with technologies like Cool Cap, we will be able to significantly reduce hair loss.”