10 Best Breast Cancer Treatment Hospitals in Chennai - Updated 2022

There are a number of organizations in India that provide financial assistance for individuals who are unable to afford the cost of breast cancer treatment. These organizations may offer grants, loans, or other forms of financial assistance to help cover the cost of treatment. Some hospitals and clinics may also have financial assistance programs available for patients who are in need.

In some cases, it may be possible to receive breast cancer treatment at a lower cost in India by seeking treatment at a government-run hospital or clinic, or by opting for a less expensive treatment option. However, it's important to keep in mind that the cost of treatment should not be the only factor to consider when deciding on a treatment plan. It's important to work with a medical team to determine the best course of treatment for your individual situation.

Many health insurance policies in India cover the cost of breast cancer treatment, although the specific coverage can vary depending on the policy. It's a good idea to check with your insurance provider to see what is covered and what is not.

The various treatments given by a breast cancer doctor are: 

1. Surgery

The type of breast cancer surgery totally depends on the cancer stage and the type of cancer: 

• Lumpectomy: Removal of the tumour along with a small, cancer-free margin of healthy tissue around the tumour.
• Mastectomy: Surgical removal of the entire breast.

A few surgeries are conducted to check if any of the lymph nodes near the breast contain cancer:

• Sentinel lymph node biopsy: This type of surgery removes 1-3 lymph nodes from under the arm to see if the nodes are free of cancer
• Axillary lymph node dissection: If cancer is detected in the lymph nodes, this type of surgery is done to remove many lymph nodes from under the arm. This is done to prevent the spread of cancer.
• Contralateral prophylactic mastectomy: This type of breast cancer surgery involves the removal of both the breast to minimise the risk of developing breast cancer in the future.

2. Radiation Therapy

Powerful radiation beams are used to destroy cancer cells. 

3. Hormonal Therapy 

If the cancer is hormone-receptor-positive, i.e., has both estrogen receptors and progesterone receptors, then hormonal therapy is used by a breast cancer doctor to block the production of these hormones. 

4. Chemotherapy

Use of medications to destroy cancerous cells or shrink their size before surgery.

1. If you're still on your period, the optimum time to perform BSE is:

• When your breasts aren't as painful or swollen.
• It is usually 5 to 10 days after your cycle starts.

2. If you don't have your period anymore, set a reminder for yourself. Check your breasts on the first of every month.

3. A breast self-exam is also recommended for all males at high risk for breast cancer. Every month, perform a breast self-examination.

Other symptoms that indicate you should see a doctor about breast cancer include:

• Thickening, a lump, or a tight knot
• Clotting, heat, dryness, as well as spots on the skin
• Size or shape of breast changes
• Itchiness, scaly sore or rash on the nipple, dimpling or puckering of the skin
• Pulling of your nipple or any other body parts
• Nipple discharge that appears from nowhere

The different procedures of getting a breast cancer screening are:

Clinical breast exam: Here, breasts are physically examined by a doctor who uses his hand to feel lumps or any other changes in the breasts.

Mammography: An X-ray of the breasts which is considered the best technique to detect cancer at an early stage. It can even show the lumps or other changes before a patient or doctor can feel them. There are three types of mammography:

• Film Mammography: The technique results in an X-ray picture of the breast
• Digital Mammography: The technique results in a computer based picture of the breast
• Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT): The technique results in pictures of breasts from many different angles to finally make 3-D pictures of the breasts.

Breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): This technique uses radio waves to take pictures of the breasts. It is mostly used for  women who are at high risk for breast cancer; either due to family history of the disease or other underlying conditions. 

Breast Ultrasound: This is used for pregnant women who cannot be exposed to X-rays used in mammography or who are unable to undergo an MRI examination. This technique is also for those with dense breast tissue (less fat and lots of ducts, glands and tissues), which makes it harder to detect cancers with traditional mammography.

Breast cancer is diagnosed using a variety of tests and procedures, which include the following:

• Breast exam: Your doctor will examine both of your breasts as well as the lymph nodes in your armpit to see whether everything is normal or if anything is wrong.
   
• Mammography- An Xray of the breast is called a mammography. They are frequently used to detect breast cancer. If something abnormal is discovered during a screening mammography, your doctor will recommend additional treatment options.
   
• Ultrasound- It is a technique that uses sound waves to create pictures of structures deep within the body. A new breast lump can be diagnosed as a solid mass or a fluid-filled cyst using ultrasound.
   
• Taking a sample of breast cells for testing (biopsy)- A biopsy is the only means to confirm a breast cancer diagnosis. During a biopsy, your doctor extracts a core of tissue from the questionable location using a specialized needle instrument guided by an X-ray or another imaging test.  A tiny metal marker is frequently left at the spot within your breast so that subsequent imaging tests may easily identify the region.
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• Biopsy samples are submitted to a facility for testing, and specialists evaluate if the cells are malignant. It's also examined to see what kind of cells are involved in the breast cancer, how advanced it is, and whether the cancer cells contain hormone receptors or other receptors that might be harmful.
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• Breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): An MRI scanner that creates images of the inside of your breast using a strong magnetic fields and radio waves . A dye injection is given before to a breast MRI. An MRI does not employ radiation to produce pictures, unlike other forms of imaging procedures.

Various factors determine the recovery time of breast cancer.

The treatment depends on the early stage or advanced stage of breast cancer. Your doctor will only be able to tell you an assessment based on how far your cancer has gone through the breast tissue and its stage.

However, the process through it goes as follows:

Surgical - It will take a few days or a week to recover from a less complicated surgery. But if the individual had a major operation, it would take around a few weeks based on your operation.

Medical - Medical treatments include drugs and pills or medicines given in your veins, such as chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, and targeted therapy. After surgery, the doctor will recommend you the treatment based on your stage and condition. The recovery time after this procedure varies for every patient. Yet it takes three months at least to get recovered from one session.

Radiation - Depending on the patient's condition doctor may recommend radiation therapy. Skin reactions from radiation therapy are dominant for 1-2 weeks after your therapy. To recover it would take a few weeks to 2 months, depending patient's condition.

The various treatments given by a breast cancer doctor are: 

1. Surgery

The type of breast cancer surgery entirely depends on the stage of cancer and the type of cancer: 

• Lumpectomy: This procedure involves removal of the tumour along with a small, cancer-free margin of healthy tissue around the tumour.
• Mastectomy: This procedure involves surgical removal of the entire breast.

A few surgeries are conducted to check if any of the lymph nodes near the breast contain cancer:

• Sentinel lymph node biopsy: This type of surgery removes 1-3 lymph nodes from under the arm to see if the nodes are free of cancer
• Axillary lymph node dissection: If cancer is detected in the lymph nodes, this type of surgery is done to remove many lymph nodes from under the arm. This is done to prevent the spread of cancer.
• Contralateral prophylactic mastectomy: This type of breast cancer surgery involves removal of both the breast to minimise the risk of developing breast cancer in the future.

2. Radiation Therapy

Powerful radiation beams are used to destroy cancer cells. 

3. Hormonal Therapy 

If the cancer is hormone-receptor-positive, i.e., have both estrogen receptors and progesterone receptors, then hormonal therapy is used by a breast cancer doctor to block the production of these hormones. 

4. Chemotherapy

Use of medications to destroy cancerous cells or shrink their size before surgery.

It’s important that you have an open and frank conversation with your cancer care team. Seek answers to all doubts so you can make an informed decision about treatment and life decisions. Here is a list of questions you can ask your doctor when you visit him/her for the first consultation:

• What type of breast cancer do I have?
• What is the stage of my cancer?
• How big is the cancer and what is the exact location of the tumour?
• Has my cancer spread to other organs?
• What is the hormone receptor and what is the hormone receptor status of my cancer?
• What is HER2 and what is the HER2 status of my cancer?
• What are my treatment choices?
• How much experience do you have treating breast cancer?
• How soon do I need to start treatment and how long will it last?