Breast Cancer is no longer an incurable disease. This is because treatment outcomes today are much better than in the past, as a result of
- our ability to detect the disease at an early stage
- improved quality of surgery
- the use of combined treatment methods
- better treatment follow-up systems
Breast cancer nowadays is like a chronic disease that requires ongoing treatment, medication, monitoring, and disease control, similar to patients with diabetes, heart disease, or kidney failure who need continuous care.
The mechanism of breast cancer development is a stepwise process, starting from just one abnormal cell. Then it gradually divides and multiplies into a cluster, growing larger until it can be felt or causes noticeable symptoms. Patients then visit the doctor, and when cancer is detected, it is often already at an advanced stage, sometimes stage three or four, resulting in poor treatment outcomes because the patient came to the doctor too late and the disease is already severe. Simply put, while the cancer is silently developing, we are unaware and by the time symptoms appear, the cancer is already extensive, making treatment less effective.
Currently, we know that breast cancer can be detected while it is silently developing without symptoms by performing mammograms. This can detect small abnormal spots where cancer has just started to form and can be removed by surgery to excise only the abnormal part. This leads to much better treatment outcomes because it treats the disease at an early stage, before symptoms appear, before the cancer spreads or reaches the lymph nodes. Some patients can be completely cured, especially those at stage zero or with very early abnormalities.
Therefore, all women, even without symptoms, should regularly undergo breast cancer screening because if any abnormalities are found in the breast, they can be treated promptly, which is better than waiting until a lump forms because treatment becomes more difficult and the outcomes differ.
Pol. Lt. Col. Dr. Hasan Muhammad
Specialist in Surgical Oncology
Breast Care Center, Phyathai 1 Hospital
