Mrs. Mala, 42yrs lady came to MIOT in November 2014 with a lump in her right breast region. She was working as a newsreader in a private channel in Chennai.

Diagnosis:

In Feb 2014, she had fever which lead her to examine her own body to check the temperature. On examining, she found a very small lump in her right breast region. Her elder sister was diagnosed with breast cancer and was in treatment during that time. So with no further delay, she went to a known pathologist, and took a biopsy that was suggestive of Breast cancer.

Mis- guidance:

Her colleagues told her that, cancer can be cured by Siddha medicines and asked her to take treatment. She was also aware that chemotherapy will make her lose her hair, which will spoil her career.  Taking everything to her mind, she made the decision of visiting a Siddha Doctor and was on treatment for 6 months. But during that period, the lump started growing in size and had pain on touch. This is when she knew that she had made a wrong choice.

Approach to MIOT:

Her relative referred her to MIOT.  Here, she met the Gynaecologist 1st who advised her to take Mammogram and PET scan. She confirmed a Stage III Breast cancer involving her left breast region. She was sent to the Oncology team who planned on starting with Neoadjuvant Chemo-radiotherapy followed by surgery.

NEOADJUVANT CHEMORADIOTHERAPY is the administration of therapeutic agents before a main treatment. Neoadjuvant therapy aims to reduce the size or extent of the cancer before using radical treatment intervention, thus making procedures easier and more likely to succeed.

Treatment done:

She started with 4 cycles of Chemotherapy by November. Her surgery was done in January 2015. She underwent modified radical mastectomy of her right breast. Post surgery, she was discharged home on the 2nd day. In March, she underwent 4 cycles of chemotherapy and 1 month of radiotherapy. Her recovery was uneventful.

MODIFIED RADICAL MASTECTOMY is a surgical procedure involving the removal of breast, underlying chest muscle and lymph nodes of the axilla as a treatment for breast cancer.

Recovery:

A PET scan taken 1 week post treatment, showed no evidence of tumour in the region. She joined back work in a famous TV channel as newsreader from August 2015. Her win over cancer made her confident than she can conquer anything. Something that she feared all her life was driving a car, which now she says that she has learnt it and drives by herself to work daily.

She comes for review visits every 3 months. PET scan taken recently shows no signs of cancer. Mrs. Mala said” Losing a breast has not affected me in anyway. It is just a part of a body. I am not handicapped because of it”.

Leave a reply