Breast Cancer Prevention: The Most Commonly Asked Questions

Breast cancer is the most common cancer and one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women in India. Regular breast cancer screening and check-ups therefore becomes very important for women above the age of 30. Expert doctors like Dr. Sidharth Sahni gives emphasis on creating awareness about the disease and treatment options available in India. Let us discuss some of the most common questions people have around breast cancer. 

A- Every woman has a risk of getting breast cancer. However, there are many factors that increase the risk of getting the disease. These factors include family history, age, menstruation starting at an early age, women who have previous breast biopsy with non-cancerous conditions, women who do not have children or in those cases where menstruation continues past 50 years of age. It is important to know that there are also cases where women who develop breast cancer have no risk factors.

A- If there is a change in the normal texture and appearance of the breast, it can be an indication of breast cancer and must be examined by a reputed doctor. The most common symptoms include abnormal thickening of the breast tissue, lump in one or both breasts, change in the shape of the nipple, redness around the breast or dimpling of the skin in that area. While these are the warning signs, there are cases when breast cancer does not show any noticeable signs. Reputed doctors like Sidharth Sahni therefore recommend all women over the age of 40 to go for annual mammograms to detect the cancer at an early stage. 

A- Studies have shown that the lifestyle choices do play a major role in breast cancer risk. Women must therefore ensure that they eat a healthy diet rich in vitamins and minerals. Saturated fats present in the meat is known to reduce the risk of breast cancer. Since other factors like socioeconomic status, genetics and environment are also related to the diet one eats, it becomes difficult to measure the accurate contribution of each factor. 

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