Tag Archives: #BreastCancer

Medical Diagnostics: An Update

Updates, , , , , , ,

Diagnostics play a very important role in our everyday life, be it for a disease, condition or identification of a risk factor. Various diagnostic advancements viz. novel techniques, devices, pathology and laboratory services, etc. are introduced regularly in the market by companies across the globe to help improve the lives of people and ensure quality‑care for patients.

The first quarter of 2019 featured some important updates on medical diagnostic and innovations and some are shared below:

  • Paper-based LAMP Diagnostics for Detecting Malaria

According to the World Malaria Report 2018, 219 million people were affected by malaria in 2017. Diagnosing the same is difficult in rural areas and in developing countries. Keeping the disease burden and non-accessibility in mind, scientists have developed a low-cost portable device which accurately and efficiently detects malaria. The technique uses a paper infused with loop-mediated isothermal amplification, LAMP, which involves printing with hydrophobic wax using a commercial printer and then heating the paper on a hot plate to bind the wax with the paper [2]. The paper attached to a lateral flow device helps in containing the blood sample (DNA) for the detection of malaria. This device uses amplification and detection techniques which help in identifying Plasmodium falciparum, the malarial parasite. This device was used to detect malaria in 67 school children from 2 different schools in Uganda. The results were also compared to the gold standard test in malaria, PCR. The new device showed promising results by identifying 98% of the malaria cases and is now undergoing further research for proper implementation.

  • Objective Diagnosis for PTSD

Posttraumatic stress disorder is associated with functional impairment involving delayed-speech and substance abuse. Diagnosis of PTSD involves long-term counseling sessions which often tend to get biased owing to the subjective nature of the entire process. Also, patients are often reluctant and unwilling to visit the clinician in-order to avoid confrontation. Diagnostic biological markers, though available for PTSD related factors, are not cost-effective. Further, PTSD has a high disease burden which limits the success of these markers.

A software known as the random forest was developed by researchers which assesses speech patterns for variations in speech, lifeless, metallic tone of the speech along with animated speech using AI. It provided 89% accurate results in the tested participants. The software was fed with data on various speech patterns which it uses as training data to grasp better and provide suitable results. With the use of this preliminary information, clinicians can use naturally collected data for diagnosis of PTSD. This technique, however, is still under research and hopes to aid in the diagnosis of PTSD.

  • Blood Test for Detecting Breast Cancer Relapse

The second most common type of cancer-causing death in women is breast cancer. It can be detected using various methods such as mammography, ultrasound, etc. Although the survival rate has improved in comparison to earlier times, relapse is still a very important concern. Approximately 30% of the patients suffer through a relapse within 5 years. Natera, a genetic testing company has developed a blood test by the name of Signatera, which detects the mutant DNA released by the cancerous cells. The technique, known as Molecular Residual Disease (MRD) Assessment is used for early detection of breast cancer, enabling patients to take proper precautionary measures. This technique was found successful in 89% of relapse cases. The detection, however, has to be clinically confirmed for a confirmed diagnosis. The researchers aim to test this in a large number of the sample population in order to bring this into mainstream diagnostics.

  • New Diagnostic Manufacturing Facility Launches in India

Co-Diagnostics Inc. and Synbiotics Pvt Ltd, together in partnership have launched a diagnostic manufacturing facility in India. It is said to be a one-of-a-kind facility providing state of the art facilities in the world of diagnostics. The owners are known for developing facilities which have global approvals from the leading regulatory bodies (US Food and Drug Administration, World Health Organisation-Good Manufacturing Practices). This facility is not only ready to start operations in India but has plans underway for further expansion. Asence Inc, a US company which specializes in providing pharmaceutical products to various markets, would be managing the commercial operations for the facility.

  • VITROS® XT Chemistry Product Slides (FDA approved)

One factor that delays the diagnosis of various diseases is the delay in lab test results. These diagnostic tests are either time taking or are too many done at one time, which in turn delays the results. Ortho Clinical Diagnostics have come up with a new VITROS® XT MicroSlide which can run two tests simultaneously, thus reducing the time required to conduct these tests along with less usage of the products. Ortho’s VITROS XT MicroSlides, which are available for use on Ortho’s VITROS® XT 7600 Integrated System, provide high-quality results and are used for paired tests such as, triglycerides and cholesterol; urea and creatinine; and glucose and calcium. The miniature testing area in the slide is highly efficient and requires less amount of sample for providing results. With this FDA approved technique (approval received in October 2018), multiple tests can be done together, thus saving time and infrastructure.

Turacoz Healthcare Solutions aims to provide information on the latest trends, updates and advances in the field of clinical research, trials and regulatory affairs. Turacoz Healthcare provides an end-to-end support for scientific communications, clinical trial documents and disclosures, regulatory documents writing and submissions, and medico-marketing writing along with e-modules & e-books on healthcare and research.

Breast cancer does not define you nor does it end your life!

Awareness Day/Month, , ,

The month of October is dedicated to breast cancer to create awareness regarding this prevalent cancer in women, globally. Breast cancer accounts for up to 25% of all new cancers diagnosed in women worldwide. With this being such a serious health issue, it is important to raise awareness about the same.

Here are few of the stories from some of the brave breast cancer survivors:

1. This story is of Kajal:

“My world fell apart on learning that I had breast cancer. It was discovered that my tumor was 1.2 cm and my cancer turned out to be both estrogen and progesterone positive. I cried my eyes out. I was only 24, it wasn’t the time for me to be dealing with cancer. I had different dreams and aspirations but now everything was so different.

I had no family history of breast cancer, so I never ever imagined that I would be going through this. My family and the doctors were my greatest support at this very terrifying phase of my life. Post discussions it was decided that I would be going through double mastectomy. My doctors weren’t concerned about the preservation of fertility until they discovered that I would be needing chemotherapy.

I was clueless when asked that whether I wanted to freeze my eggs, considering that I was so young. But I went on for it. I didn’t wanted to give up on my long hair locks but seeing them fall out in chunks was heartbreaking and I ended up shaving my head.

I was scared to look at myself in the mirror. I was frustrated, sad and miserable complaining why it had to be me! Life was so unfair. But I came in touch with other women who were fighting the same ailment as me. Slowly I began to regain the lost spirit and strength and was determined to defeat cancer. I decided to be a fighter. Everyone around me was so supportive.

It has been 1 year, and I have survived various round of chemo and radiations and I am still going strong. To all the young girls out there struggling with cancer, I would say that don’t let cancer break you, your dreams and your soul. Pull up your socks and fight back and you would emerge victorious.”

2. Neeta’s story:

“Life was going smooth. I got married to the love of my life at the age of 32. We were thinking of a beautiful future ahead, but my world flipped upside down on learning that I had breast cancer. I was noticing a lump on my right breast and ignored it for several days think of it as a normal cyst. My husband insisted that I once get it checked. I had an ultrasound, escalated to mammogram and then biopsy to confirm that I my diagnosis would be for stage 2 triple negative breast cancer.

I was shattered. I knew being a cancer patient means taking all those painful chemo sessions and a lot more and going through various side-effects of the therapies. All I could think of was that it couldn’t have happened to me. I felt helpless but my husband, family and the doctors comforted me and made me believe that I could be cured.

As the chances for pregnancy would eventually decrease with chemo, I went through IVF and got my eggs freezed in hopes of becoming a mother someday. It all began then. I have completed 17 rounds of chemo and dealt with various extra drugs helping me to fight cancer.

I cried seeing my hair fall. I sometimes didn’t had strength to even speak loudly and I ended up crying silently blaming god for my condition. I was dealing with fatigue, nausea and some neuropathy issues.

Undergoing 30 rounds of radiations was not half as painful as the mental and emotional pain I was going through. At one point I even stopped thinking of any future fearing that there might be no future for me. But the support I received from my family, husband, doctors and friends dragged me out of the big black hole of depression I was plunged into.

I came in contact with other cancer patients and interacting with them I learned many things that helped me cope up with this frightening disease. I learnt to be thankful for each day I was breathing, realizing how precious life was. I felt blessed to have such a supporting husband and lovely family and friends besides me, who stood out for me in my toughest times.

It has already been 4 years now and I am all better. I do visit my doctors for health checkups and other essential. I have learned to live even better post cancer. May be not in the best possible way, but I feel cancer has made me a better human being.

Never give up and keep up the spirit. Nothing can bring you down, not even cancer. Just learn how lucky you are to be alive. Learn to give and spread happiness all around.”

Turacoz Healthcare Solutions stands in support of all the women and men dealing with breast cancer and wants to convey them a message that:

“Cancer is not the definition of you. Cancer is just a situation that happened to you. It does not need to define you personally. Gather all your strength and courage and fight against it. No ailment is stronger than your will to live. Be brave, be bold. Wear your pink gloves on and punch the cancer in its face!”

Are you at the risk of Breast Cancer? Read this & find out.

Health & Fitness, , , , ,

Breast cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer in women. Though it also affects men, the incidence rate is quite low. Early detection (be it any type of cancer) increases the chances of survival in case of this deadly ailment.

For better and timely diagnosis, it is very important to detect the early signs of breast cancer. In this blog we will be discussing the signs of breast cancer.

Have you ever paid attention to your breasts?

How often do you check your breasts?

Ever noticed anything unusual around that area?

These questions are very crucial when it comes to determining the signs and symptoms of breast cancer. Start with having a look carefully at your breasts.

How to check your breasts?

You don’t need any special training to check your breasts. Each woman has a different set of breasts and you should know how your breasts normally feel like or look like. When you know this, you will easily be able to spot anything unusual in your breast area.

Check the whole area around your breast including your armpits & upper chest and if you notice anything unusual, get yourself checked by a doctor.

What to check?

Check for any lumps around your breast area, upper chest or even around armpits. Lumps can be the primary symptom of breast cancer. Pain in breast can also be a sign of breast cancer but usually it is not in most cases. Pain in your breast can be due to other reasons as well but if an unexplained pain prevails over some time, it is advisable to get it checked by a doctor.

Checking your breasts for any signs of breast cancer follows a simple formula: TLC: Touch, Look, Check

  • Lumps are not visible, but they can be felt. Look for any lump or swelling in your breast, armpits and upper chest.
  • Check for any changes in shape or texture of your breasts. A change in size or shape of your breasts might be an indicator of something fishy, for instance one breast appearing larger than the other one.
  • Have a look closely at the texture of your breasts. Look for any puckering or dimpling of the breast skin.
  • Closely examine the color of the breasts. If you notice any redness or inflammation on your breasts, get it checked by a doctor.
  • Notice whether your nipples look different than usual. A change like inversion of one of the nipples if present (these are usually pointed outwards), then consult a doctor.
  • If there is any unusual discharge from your nipples, immediate action is required.
  • Check for any rashes or crusting on your nipples or the areas nearby.

If you notice any of the above symptoms (also presented in Figure 1), then go and see a doctor. It is not necessary that having any of these symptoms is the sign of breast cancer, but it is always safe to have a breast screening post consulting with a doctor. Doctor would examine and if further check-ups required, he will refer you to the specialists accordingly.

Are you at the risk of Breast Cancer? Read this & find out.

Figure 1: Symptoms of breast cancer in women

Do you need to check your breasts often?

Well, as a precautionary step or rather say to be on the safer side and to be aware of this disease you can check your breasts at regular intervals. You can check them monthly or bi-monthly or how often you feel like.

Once you start checking them regularly you will be able to identify even the slightest change taking place in them, be it due to age or at various times of a month. Your breasts can feel sore or heavy before or during your periods, heavier and bigger during pregnancy and you might notice this change if you know your breasts well.

In the similar way if anything is odd with them, it would be noticeable when you are aware of the normal/usual appearance of your breasts.

Breast cancer in men:

Men also have breast tissue, but they are very much less developed as compared to the ones of women. This is also the reason why breast cancer in men is a rare phenomenon.

But, still, we cannot feign ignorance to the fact that men too, are affected by breast cancer.

 

Signs & symptoms of breast cancer in men:

If someone in your family had breast cancer, you have some chances of getting it, but again it’s not definite that you will. Regularly checking your breast is a wise option especially if you have a genetic record of Klinefelter’s Syndrome (history of breast cancer in family).

The breast tissues in men are mostly behind the nipple area & the pigmented region known as areola. Breast cancer in men usually appears around the nipple area as a lump (Figure 2).

Are you at the risk of Breast Cancer? Read this & find out.

Fig. 2: (a) Shows changes in the look of the nipple or areola (direction change in nipple); (b) shows discharge from nipple or nipple ulcers; (c) Shows lump formation around nipple or armpit

If you find any of these symptoms, go and consult a doctor. In case cancer is detected, you can get an early diagnosis, ensuring better and faster recovery. If not, then, any other problem might also get solved in time.

Turacoz Healthcare Solutions requests every men & women to pay close attention to these specific parts of their body and help themselves in early detection of breast cancer, if present.

An early detection increases your chances for better treatment and recovery.

#BreastCancerAwarenessMonth

Awareness Day/Month, , , , ,

Protect yourself from Breast Cancer

  • Over last ten years or so, breast cancer is the most common cancer in most cities in India, and 2nd most common in the rural areas.
  • Although women are highly prone to breast cancer, men may rarely get it.

Know the risk factors

  • Age: More incidences in India occur in women over the age of 40-50. However, breast cancers in young pre-menopausal women tend to be more aggressive.
  • Family history: Women with close relatives or first-degree female relative (sister, mother, daughter) who’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer or an inherited mutation in the BRCA1 and BRCA2
  • Race and ethnicity: White women are slightly more likely to develop breast cancer than are African-American women, but African-American women are more likely to die of this cancer.
  • Dense breasts due to age, menopausal status, certain medications (including menopausal hormone therapy), pregnancy, and genetics.
  • Exposure to the hormone estrogen:
    • Longer Menstrual periods, i.e., early menarche or late menopause
    • Combined hormone therapy given to women after menopause
    • Parabens and phthalates in cosmetics, hair spray and many other cleaning product fragrances.
  • Previous exposure to radiation for treatment of some malignancy (e.g., lymphoma).
  • Diethylstilbestrol (DES) exposure
  • Environmental pollutants such as organochlorine pesticides.
  • Occupational exposures: Women employed in commercial sterilization facilities (exposure to high levels of ethylene oxide) and the night shift workers (disturbed sleep/wake cycles).
  • Contraceptives: Oral contraceptives (birth control pills) and Depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate, DMPA (injectable progesterone for birth-control).
  • Benign breast conditions: Women diagnosed with certain benign breast conditions might have an increased risk of breast cancer.
  • Lobular carcinoma in situ: Also known as lobular neoplasia, it is an abnormal cellular outgrowth which may become cancerous (invasive) if left untreated for long.
  • Other factors include alcohol-consumption, obesity and lower rates of breast-feeding.

Stay healthy, get screened

A screening plan is planned by the doctor depending upon the unique situation of the patient, if one has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

  • A monthly breast self-exam: Women should know how their breasts normally look and feel and report any breast changes to a health care provider right away.
  • A yearly medical breast exam by a doctor at age 40 and continuing for as long as a woman is in good health
  • Clinical breast exam (CBE) about every 3 years for women in their 20s and 30s and every year for women 40 and over
  • One might have one screening test, such as a mammogram, and then have a different test — an MRI — 6 months later.

In addition to the recommended screening guidelines for women at average risk, a screening plan for a woman with a history of breast cancer may include the above screening tests.

  • For women aged 20-30 years, breast self-exam (BSE) is an option for those starting in their 20s. A breast self-exam is when you check your own breasts for lumps, changes in size or shape of the breast, or any other changes in the breasts or underarm (armpit)
  • For women aged 40–49 years, mammography may save lives, but the benefit for younger women may be less than for older women.
  • For women aged 50–69 years, all women in this age group should have mammograms on a regular basis
  • For women above the age of 70 years, screening mammography is probably beneficial for women aged over 70 years who are in good health and have a life expectancy of about 10 years.

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