WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY ON BREAST CANCER

DR.MAHARRAHUSSAIN

Specialist, General and Breast Surgery, Mediclinic Welcare Hospital

According to Dr. Maharra Hussain some signs to watch out for are a sudden onset of painless masses around the breast, dimpling and/or wrinkling of the skin, nipple encrustations and itching. “A bloody nipple discharge is also possible,” she says. Dr. Hussain believes the rise in cases of breast cancer could be multifactorial– related to obesity, unhealthy eating habits, genetic mutations and intake of certain hormonal medications. “Increased breast-focussed screening programmes have also been considered as reasons for increased breast cancer detection rates, especially in younger patients,” asserts Dr. Hussain.

DR.TAGHREEDALMAHMEED

Consultant General Surgeon & Breast Cancer Specialist, Al Zahra Hospital Dubai ‘Breast cancer numbers are on the rise these days due to many factors, mainly lifestyle changes. A very sedentary lifestyle has a major role to play as has obesity. Patients with a high Body Mass Index (BMI) are more at risk. Smoking and alcohol consumption are also risk factors, she says. Other risk factors include dietary choices these days which upset the hormone balance. ‘Today, we are asking women at earlier ages to screen. From the age of 25, they should be aware of any lumps and do self-exams after their menstrual cycle just to be aware of any swelling, skin dimpling or such changes. I encourage a breast selfexam from the age of 25 and screening/ ultrasound by age 30.’

DR.RITUKHARE

Consultation Surgeon, Breast oncologist at Kings College Hospital and Saudi German Hospital Dubai Of late we are finding breast cancer in patients below 40 than we used to earlier, says Dr Khare. The cause is not clear, but some of them are genetically predisposed. [Some other] factors are diet, sleep, obesity, body profile, hormones, exposure to radiation and epidemiological factors.’ Dr. Khare strongly advises that women above the age of 20 years be taught to be ‘breast aware’. ‘We have to discuss these changes at a young age and educate them about what is considered an abnormal finding and also encourage them to shed their inhibitions and get examined by a doctor at the earliest if they find anyting abnormal. ‘The best way for breast cancer patients to gain confidence is for them to meet and speak to another person who has been through the ordeal and come out victorious. ‘The treatment also has changed drastically over the years. Chemotherapy is delivered in an ambience that is less intimidating and experts are on hand to help build morale and confidence to beat this beast.’

DR.HOURIYAKAZIM

Breast Surgeon / Founder and President of Brest Friends ‘For many earlyonset cancers, there is evidence to suggest an exposure in early life and young adulthood to risk factors such as changes in lifestyle, diet, increasing obesity, environment and the gut microbiome. These factors may then interact with our personal genetic susceptibilities. However, no study yet provides strong evidence for a gene-environment interaction in early breast cancer. Early onset breast cancer has other implications related to the effects of cancer treatment. Many become infertile and there is a risk of heart disease. So, in addition to counseling patients on their prognosis, we have to include a discussion on consideration of egg preservation and other long-term risks of disease, says Dr. Kazim.