Dr. Uday Pawar

Noticed an unusual lump in the breast while in the shower? Then, the first thought you get might be cancer. But no need to hit the panic button though, as not all such lumps are cancerous. However, opting for immediate medical evaluation is necessary whenever one notices the presence of swelling or lumps in the breasts is found.

What are breast lumps?
The term breast lumps refer to localized swelling or bumps or bulges in the breast, which doesn’t feel as same as the breast tissues around them or like that of the normal breasts. There are a number of reasons that can cause breast lumps.

Who can develop breast lumps?
It is often the hormonal changes such as menstruation that is responsible for causing breast lumps, which usually disappears naturally in most cases. Both the boys and the girls may develop breast lumps that feel tender during their puberty. Such breast lumps are temporary and go within a few months. Increased levels of estrogen can also cause breast lumps in a baby, but that too disappears once the estrogen returns to normalcy.
But when breast lumps don’t go away even after puberty or after menstruation and continue to grow bigger, making the breasts appear bruised, turning the skin of the breast area like an orange peel or causing bloody discharge from the nipple, it’s time to visit a doctor immediately. Upon evaluation, a mastectomy might be advised.

What is mastectomy?
The term mastectomy refers to the surgical procedure of breast removal. There are five different types of mastectomy which are, total mastectomy, preventive mastectomy, partial mastectomy, the radical mastectomy and modified radical mastectomy. Depending on a person's age, size of the tumor, general health, tumor stage and grade, involvement of the lymph nodes etc., which type of mastectomy will be ideal is determined.

When mastectomy becomes necessary?
In situations where large lumps formed in the breasts, or the lumps being present in the middle of the breast or cancer has spread in more than one single area in the breasts, mastectomy becomes necessary. Plus, those, who already have gone through radiotherapy for their breast cancer are usually suggested to opt for mastectomy.

Remember, though popular and most effective, mastectomy is not the only way of dealing with breast lumps. Depending on the size, location, spreading and the type of lump, whether it's a tumor or spreading as cancer, the treatment may vary from person to person. Hence, it's a doctor who can best guide you by performing necessary medical evaluation and tests and help opt for a treatment option that is ideal. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Cancer can occur in any part of the body. In this article, we will discuss head and neck cancer, which occurs when cells in these regions grow abnormally. Cancer cells that grow in the head and neck can spread to other parts of the body as well, and there are reported cases in which head and neck cancer has spread to the lungs.

Symptoms for Suspicion of cancer 

1. Non-healing sore or ulcer, 
2. Neck lymph nodes, 
3. Hoarseness of voice or difficulty in swallowing
4. Red or white patch in the mouth.
5. Lump, bump, or mass in the head or neck area, with or without pain.
6. Persistent sore throat.
7. Foul mouth odor not explained by hygiene. 

Common Types of Head and Neck Cancer-
The common type of head and neck cancer is called carcinoma, and it can start in the nose, mouth and throat. Lymphoma cancers affect the immune system of the neck and head and can spread to other body parts.

Tests that are done for diagnosing head and neck cancer
A patient may feel some pain in the head and neck region. At first, the patient might visit an ENT specialist in order to diagnose the reason for the pain. In case the ENT specialist is not able to relate the issue with common causes of such pain, he refers the patient to a head and neck specialist. Then the first thing that the doctor will check for is the growth of any lymph nodes. Special fiber optics, mirror and lights are used for the examination of the head and neck as some regions are not easily visible.

A panendoscopy is performed on patients to confirm the growth and spread of cancer cells. This test is done under anesthesia and may need to be performed in an operation theater. Thin tubes called scopes are used for viewing the tissues and the doctor may take a sample for a biopsy test.

A biopsy test confirms whether the growth of cells is cancerous or not, and if it has spread. The biopsy will tell us whether the growth is cancerous or not. For staging of cancer, we do scans which may be CT, MRI or PET CT. A scan helps the doctors to understand whether the cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body such as the lungs. The barium swallow method is used to check if there are cancer cells in the throat.

How serious can head and neck cancer be?
There are various stages of head and neck cancer, and they are classified based on the seriousness of the growth. Normally, cancer starts at stage 1 and could progress till stage 4 if left untreated and undiagnosed. Different stages require different types of treatment and medications. Stage 1 and 2 usually involve radiotherapy or surgery whereas stage 3 and 4 would require radiotherapy, surgery and chemotherapy. Also, avoid tobacco and alcohol for prevention.

One should always consult a doctor for diagnosis and treatment of head and neck cancer, and must follow the advice of the doctor for a speedy recovery. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!