What we do for Breast Cancer?

Our focus on breast cancer works on three levels:

• Prevention and early detection
• Diagnosis & Treatment, and
• Rehabilitation & support.

Precention

This involves reducing the cause of cancer so that the risk of illness is reduced. This, generally, involves making healthy lifestyle choices. There are several risk factors associated with breast cancer. Through our outreach and awareness programs, we educate and inform members of the community about these risk factors. We also educate individuals on steps they can take to reduce their risk by focusing on making healthy lifestyle choices (i.e., good nutrition, exercise).

Our awareness programs include breast cancer awareness and a Lifestyle Management program.

Another aspect of prevention and early detection is regular screening. Screening means doing a test on people who have no symptoms. It may be that a test can or should be done on all individuals or only on those individuals who have an increased risk for developing a particular type of cancer. For example, a mammogram should be done routinely on all women above the age of 40.

Screening is important for decreasing the number cancer related deaths as it helps in early detection of cancer. As a rule, cancers detected early have high survival rates and may not require aggressive therapies.

Diagnostics and treatment

We have launched Alpha Breast Care Centre, A Specialty centre which offers state-of-the-art diagnostic care. We have an expert team of oncologists, oncosurgeons and qualified professionals who conduct mammography, pap smears and other screening methods.

Rehabilitation and Support

Cancer diagnosis and treatment necessitates a lot of emotional and informative support. We have psychologists on our team who provide this support to patients as well their families.

Along with individual counseling, we conduct a support group for our survivors.

Our team includes a nutritionist who gives dietary advice to patients during and after treatment. Over the past few decades, the scientific community has revealed that 35% of cancers are related to diet. This explains the importance of nutrition not only in preventing but also in managing the treatment of cancer.

On completion of active cancer treatment, additional rehabilitation may be required by some. This rehabilitation includes exercise, nutrition, and in some cases rehabilitation for lymphoedema. We have a lymphoedema clinic, where exercises are taught to alleviate the effects of lymphoedema.