Piyali Sarkar Mondal had ignored a swelling in her breast till one morning she woke up with a swollen left armpit.
Piyali, 40, visited a doctor and after a number of tests, she was diagnosed with breast cancer in March last year. A year-and-a-half later, Piyali is leading a normal life.
Sraboni Roy, 51, noticed that one of her breasts was abnormally swollen. She felt like there was a lump inside.
Sraboni, too, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Like Piyali, today she, too, is leading a normal life.
A number of breast cancer survivors and patients came together at Narayana Superspeciality Hospital in Howrah on Saturday.
Neha Choudhary, a consultant breast surgeon at the hospital, said the idea behind bringing them together was to let them enjoy some moments of fun and draw lessons from each other.
Through interactions, they would know that it was perfectly possible to lead a normal life even after one has cancer.
“Breast cancer can be cured and people should know this. There are certain very clear symptoms of breast cancer and people should immediately visit a doctor if they have any of these symptoms,” said Choudhary.
Those symptoms include a lump in a breast, discharge from nipples, nipples contracting inside and a change in the skin of the breast, the surgeon said.
Women should actively look for a lump in their breasts once every month till they are in their mid-40s, she said. Self-examination is a good way of assessing any abnormality at this age.
“If they feel a lump, they should immediately see a doctor,” the doctor said.
Once in their mid-40s, all women should undergo a mammogram once a year, which is a test done to look for early signs of cancer, she said.
They should also undergo a clinical examination by a doctor once every year.
Sraboni, who had ignored the “swollen” portions in her breast, has now advised her daughter and all her female relatives to do a self-examinations for breast cancer. “I do not want others to repeat the mistake I made,” she said.
Early detection of cancer can reduce suffering and increase chances of cure.
“Early-stage cancer has 80 to 90 per cent chances of cure. Detection at a later stage reduces the chances,” said Choudhary. “Regular screening helps in early detection,” she said.
A 2021 report from the Indian Council of Medical Research said breast cancer was the most common cancer in women. The report said 24.8 per cent female cancer patients were breast cancer patients.
