Combining medical excellence, courage to conquer and fight against cancer and faith to bring a new life to this world, Fortis Cancer Institute successfully treats a Nigerian lady of her breast cancer during pregnancy.  26 year old John Kalzi who was diagnosed of breast cancer on her 6^th month underwent complete cancer treatment and delivered a normal baby.

Ms John Kalzi found a lump in her breast and later a biopsy at Nigeria confirmed she was suffering from breast cancer. Knowing about a cancer screening camp organized by Fortis Hospitals Ms Kalzi decided to go to the camp to consult the specialist for a second opinion. Dr. Arun Bhel, Consultant Onco Surgeon who evaluated Kalzi confirmed her of breast cancer (right breast) and she advised her to undergo surgery.

Dr. Arun Bhel, Consultant Onco Surgeon Fortis Hospitals said “In view of the pregnancy being in the 6th month with associated Breast cancer there was a dilemma as to how to treat her and save the baby at the same time. We suggested her for a removal of cancerous tumor. We also informed that all attempts will be made not only to treat the cancer but also to try and protect the baby. After understanding her condition and need to get treated as early as possible, Kalzi decided to come to Fortis Cancer Institute for further treatment.”

Kalzi was screened by a team of specialists at Fortis Cancer Institute and a treatment strategy was further planned. Utmost care was taken to protect the baby during evaluation and protect the fetus from any sort of radiation. She underwent a mastectomy whereby her right breast which was affected of cancerous tumor was removed.

After the mastectomy Kalzi was put on chemotherapy for further treatment.  As Dr. Boman Dhabar, Medical Oncologist, Fortis Cancer Institute elaborates, “Since Ms Kalzi was pregnant it was decided to give inj cyclophosphamide & inj Adriamycin which was found be safe while chemotherapy during pregnancy (as they do not cross the placenta) and gave her 4 cycle of chemotherapy (spread over 21days).”

Dr. Atul Ganatra, Gynaecologist at Fortis Hospitals was actively involved in the process of treating Kalzi.  She delivered a normal Baby boy (weighing 3.5 Kg) on 29^th Sep 2010. Kalzi was not advised for breast feeding as chemotheraphy drugs could affect the baby.

Dr. Atul Ganatra, Gynaecologist, “Patient was given Epidural Anesthesia (painless delivery injection) to make the process painless as she had suffered a lot of mental and physical trauma for breast cancer and its treatment”
Ms John Kalzi narrates, “I was worried and reluctant initially as I thought chemotherapy could affect my child. But the doctors assured me that they will take extra care while treating me. I trusted the team of doctors and they helped me deliver a normal baby boy. I and my family were so overwhelmed that we decided to name the baby as “Miracle”. I heartily thank the whole team of Fortis doctors to give me the happiness of having Miracle in my life and conquering cancer with faith.”

Post delivery after 2 weeks Ms Kalzi was again given a 4 cycle of chemotherapy and is now undergoing radiation.

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Vijayratna, Regional General Manager, Fortis Hospitals said “Ms Kalzi’s and her baby’s life is today safe and secure only because of timely detection. If the cancer was left undetected her condition could have been critical. Hence timely detection and right expertise is very crucial. This case is a testimony to the quality and credibility of Indian Healthcare expertise. We at Fortis Cancer Institute ensure to provide a complete cure to our survivors and try to give them a better quality of life with care and curing.”

Last March, when Iraqi national Basma Ali Sultan, 47, was diagnosed with breast cancer, her biggest concern was that she would lose her left breast to the life-saving surgery, mastectomy. After Iraqi doctors said that her breast could not be saved, last month she landed up at Fortis Hospital in Mulund. On January 5, Basma, was discharged after undergoing a rare procedure, nipple sparing mastectomy, wherein doctors were able to save the nipple, areola and reconstruct the breast.

Basma had been struggling with the breast cancer and persistent pain in her left breast for the last one year. “When I consulted the doctors in Iraq, they told me that I had no option but to remove my breast. It was a depressing period,” said Basma.

Desperate to seek other options, she flew down to India in November on a friend’s advice and contacted Dr Anil Heroor, cancer surgeon at Fortis Hospital. Basma’s examination revealed that she had multi-centric tumours in her left breast and it would not be possible to save the entire breast by doing conventional breast conservation cancer surgery. However, she was a perfect candidate for nipple sparing mastectomy, which deals with tumours which are spread all over the breast, said Dr Heroor.

According to doctors, in some patients the complex procedure even helps retain sensation. “With this technique, the appearance of breasts is preserved. It has helped in giving the patients a better body image and confidence. This procedure can be done only in select patients,” said Dr Heroor.

Doctors are seeing more and more patients opting for breast conservation techniques, as the survival rates have increased over the years. “We are identifying increasing number of young patients with breast cancer who can benefit from breast conservation techniques,” said Dr Heroor.

source: Hindustantimes.com

Forty-year-old Dayanand Yadav is the only male patient at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences’ (AIIMS) breast cancer clinic.Yadav had never imagined he could suffer from what is usually seen to be a woman’s disease.

And, coming to terms with it, is proving to be more difficult, than the actual operation.

“I felt a swelling, which was increasing. I ignored it earlier, but four to five months later, I began convulsing in pain. When I showed it to the doctor, he told me that it was breast cancer and I must get it operated immediately,” says Yadav.

Breast cancer affects one man out of every one hundred cases in women. Lack of awareness means detection is usually late for men.And, the cancer can spread quickly because of their small breast size. Many men never seek treatment.

ccording to Dr MK Mishra, a surgeon at AIIMS, most of the patients suffering from breast cancer, come to hospital when the disease is at an advanced stage.

“Seventy percent of our patients come in an advanced stage of the disease where we have to use a lot of resources, the patient suffers much more because of the treatment, it is aggressive and side effects are there. And still we don’t get the outcome we wish,” Dr Mishra said.

If detected early, the survival rate for people with breast cancer is high. But it is the number two cause of death among Indian women, after cervical cancer.Nearly 1,00,000 women are diagnosed with cancer every year.The real figurecould be much higher, as many women are not comfortable approaching doctors for diagnosis.

Breast Cancer has been and continues to be the commonest cancer among urban Indian women, according to Indian Council for Medical Research statistics. In a paper “50 years of Cancer Control in India” in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare website, Chaudhry and Luthra say cervical cancer is the commonest cancer among women, followed by breast cancer.

Population-based survival studies showed the five-year relative survival for breast cancer was 46.8 per cent in Bangalore, 49.5 per cent in Chennai and 55.1 per cent in Mumbai. What oncologists stress repeatedly is that cancer, especially of the breast, if detected early is curable. However, late reportage continues to impact on the mortality and morbidity of several women with breast cancer.

FBCP is a non-governmental organisation focused on spreading breast cancer awareness. Medical professionals from institutes and hospitals like AIIMS, Gangaram Hospital, and Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute joined together to start FBCP in 2001.

source: Dnaindia.com