Breast Disease: Treatment, Procedure, Cost and Side Effects

Breast disease can be of many types. The most common but benign one is fibrocystic breasts. It is a condition wherein, you may experience lumpiness and discomfort in one or both breasts. It mostly affects women over 30 years of age. You must get your condition checked as soon as you feel any kind of pain, lumpiness, redness around breasts, change in shape of breast, inverted nipple or nipple discharge as some problems may be a sign of breast cancer. The doctor will examine both your breasts to look for lumps, lymph nodes, cysts etc. and then ask you to go for a mammogram that is an x ray which will focus on a specific area or concern in your breasts.

Fibrocystic breast, although not harmful, can be very uncomfortable. It can be treated by a treatment called fine needle aspiration wherein, the doctor will use hair thin needles to drain out the fluid from the cyst. Removing the fluid will collapse the cyst relieving you of the discomfort. In extreme cases, surgery might be needed to remove a persistent cyst that does not dissolve after repeated needle aspirations. Breast cancer will be treated according to the stage it is diagnosed at. One can go for lumpectomy during which the doctor will remove the tumour and a small margin of surrounding health tissue. This treatment is recommended for removing small tumours. Mastectomy is another treatment for more serious cases in which the entire breast tissue, including lobules, ducts, fatty tissues, and nipple, is removed. Some women also choose to get both their breasts if there is a high risk of cancer in the other breast as well, due to family history.

If you feel lumpiness, pain and discomfort in your breasts, you must get it thoroughly checked by a doctor. Change in shape of breast, redness over and around the breasts, inverted nipple or nipple discharge are some other symptoms you must never ignore.

Slight lumpiness and discomfort in breasts may be due to the side effects of some other medical treatment. It may also be experienced during post partum period. You can get rid of it by taking some over the counter medications as prescribed by your doctor.

The medications taken while treating cancer may be very strong and may cause hair loss, nausea, headache, itchiness or irritation. It is normal to face these issues. Make sure that you keep discussing your situations with your doctor.

You must follow the instructions given by your doctor. Exercise regularly and eat a nutritious meal free from any kind of junk. Decrease the fat in your diet. Give up alcohol and tobacco. Wear a well fitted bra. Reduce or stop taking hormone therapy.

The time period of recovery depends on the severity of your condition. It may take a few days to a few years.

Fine needle aspiration may cost between ₹500 - ₹3500 per session. The cost of treatment for breast cancer may be between ₹1500000 to ₹2500000 depending on the severity of your condition.

Treatment for fibrocystic breasts may be permanent. Cancer can never be treated completely. There is always a chance that it may strike back.

There are no alternatives for this treatment but some things can be done to get relief from the pain. Applying primrose oil may change the balance of fatty acids in your cells that will help you reduce the breast pain. Applying oil with vitamin E or consuming vitamin E supplements will also help in relieving pain.