Revised 28/01/2008
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The information contained in this column is intended for general guide and information only. It is not meant to replace professional consultancy and advice from your doctor(s). Radiology Malaysia regrets that we are not able to enter into personal correspondence concerning your specific medical problem or condition.
| | Talkback Q & A: My mother has breast cancer but we are in Fiji… | | Q My mother has breast cancer and she currently needs further evaluation and treatment. However, she is in Fiji and the facilities are not adequate here as we have been advised by her doctor to seek treatment overseas. Can you please advise us on where we can have this done in Malaysia? Her doctor has written the following in his report: “The patient has investigative findings of microcalcifications, pain and cystic changes in both breasts. She has undergone surgical biopsy with findings of a malignancy in situ in the form of a "lobular carcinoma in situ" in the left breast with a lobular lipoma in the right breast.” Chandra 7 Mar 2004A Lobular Carcinom In Situ (LCIS) is a risk factor for breast cancer and is not "premalignant" as in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). There is a 30-40% chance of progressing to breast cancer. The recommended treatment is to watch (observation with regular follow up) or bilateral mastectomy (surgical removal of the breasts) with or without reconstruction of the breasts. Prof Dr CH Yip, UMMC You can seek treatment in one of our private hospitals or the Breast Clinics in University Malaya Medical Centre, Hospital University Kebangsaan Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur or in Putrajaya Hospital. The information can be obtained from the Malaysian Medical Association website:
http://www.mma.org.my/centres/default.htm Editor
| | Talkback Q & A: I’m 35 years old and my mother had breast cancer. I am afraid… | | Q I'm a 35-year old single female. Recently my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and she had since undergone an operation to remove the cancer. What I was wondering is, she told me that she had never got any sign indicating she has breast cancer. My mother is 56, and she just discovered that her right breast was itchy one day and she didn’t think much of it, until the itchiness didn’t stop, and she went to see a doctor. She was told that she had breast cancer. I am currently worried, for fear that I have breast cancer too. I would like to go for a mammogram and was wondering where I could get it done and how much does it cost? I have done SBE, however, I am unable to detect anything. I'm really afraid of the possibility of getting breast cancer, since I read that it is hereditary. Silk N Lace, 12 Mar 2004A Since your mother was diagnosed with Breast Cancer at 56 years, you can start screening mammograms at 40 years of age. As for signs, yes, most times, in early breast cancer, there are no signs or symptoms but being aware of your breasts is very important. You can start being breast aware by either getting a copy of the book (go to www.radiologymalaysia.org/breasthealth) or read all about the breasts, investigations and SBE online in the articles section of www.radiologymalaysia.org/breasthealth or attend one of our Art of Being Breast Aware workshops (please check regularly for updates on the schedules). As for a checkup for your breasts by the doctor, you can go and see your regular family doctor as that is a good place to start, other than taking a proactive stance on being aware of changes in your breasts. As for facilities with mammography, you can check out our Directories section in our main website, www.radiologymalaysia.org and look for the various centres. In the private setting, the costs can vary from RM120 to RM200 depending on which centre you have it done at. In addition, if extra views and ultrasound are needed to evaluate any findings on your screening mammogram, these may incur extra costs. Editor
| | Talkback Q & A: Confused over which chemo regime to take? | | Q My sister was diagnosed with breast cancer 1 month back. She is at stage 2. She was referred to HUKM for the chemo treatment. The oncologist there recommended a different type of chemo medicine and my sister is confused. She needs a second opinion. I do not want to lose a sister. Can a person die from Chemo treatment? LCK 28 July 2003 A She wants a second opinion for chemotherapy, well, she can try the General Hospital Kuala Lumpur - unless she wants a private oncologist opinion or University Hospital Clinical Oncology Department. As for dying from chemo, normally all precautions are taken and the side effects are temporary. She is only stage 2 from your information. The chances are very good but again, I do not know the age of your sister. In fact, if young, then, without chemo, the chances of cancer relapsing or recurring are higher. There are only very few places to get the oncology treatment and it is best that she gets her 2nd or even 3rd opinion before settling down with 1 doctor for chemotherapy. However, for chemo to have best effect, it should not be too many weeks from the surgery. It is best that if possible one of you in the family need to go with your sister for the oncological consultation. Otherwise, the information may not be "processed' appropriately by her if she is alone. Chemo may be varied depending on many factors which will only be known after surgery is done - depending on what the surgery was, how many lymph nodes involved, stage of the cancer, subtype of the cancer, level of 'aggressiveness", hormone receptor status etc. Therefore, what a doctor may have stated earlier before the surgery may differ from when the oncologist has all the information and weighs the information. The cost issues also come into play. You may want to read further on the Q & A on Chemotherapy at: http://www.radiologymalaysia.org/breasthealth/Treatment/index.htm Editor
| | Talkback Q&A - Bolehkah wanita yang tengah menyusu menghidap kanser payudara? Selepas pembedahan untuk kanser payudara, bolehkah menghidapnya kembali? | Q Adakah seorang wanita yang sedang menyusu anak berkemungkinan menghidap
penyakit kanser payu dara? Adakah orang yang telah menjalani pembedahan kanser payudara akan menghidapnya kembali? Imran Y 3 Mei 2003 A Saudara boleh mendapati jawapan kepada soalan-soalan anda di laman web ini pada bahagian-bahagian tertentu. Untuk membantu anda, “link” untuk artikel tersebut diberikan di bawah. Kanser payudara boleh menimpa kaum wanita ataupun lelaki. Ia adalah lebih kerap menimpa wanita. Wanita yang muda ataupun tengah menyusu boleh juga menghidap kanser payudara. Mujurnya, kanser payudara sewaktu wanita menyusukan anak tidak begitu kerap. Satu daripada faktor risiko untuk menghidap kanser payudara adalah riwayat kesihatan positif untuk kanser payudara, walaupun rawatan sudah tamat, and sudah mencecah 5 tahun tanpa kesan kanser payudara kembali.
Oleh itu, adalah penting, setiap orang mula mengenali payudara diri sendiri supaya apabila terdapat kelainan, mereka boleh mengesannya pada peringkat yang awal. Sila baca artikel pemeriksaan sendiri payudara untuk belajar bagaimana dapat mengenali payudara diri sendiri.
http://www.radiologymalaysia.org/breasthealth/TalkBack/QnA_index.htm
http://www.radiologymalaysia.org/breasthealth/About/followup.htm
http://www.radiologymalaysia.org/breasthealth/SBE/sbe1.htm
http://www.radiologymalaysia.org/breasthealth/SBE/sbe2.htm
http://www.radiologymalaysia.org/breasthealth/About/bcriskfactors01.htm
http://www.radiologymalaysia.org/breasthealth/Testimonies/index.htm
Pengarang
| | Talkback Q&A - Adakah senaman boleh mempengaruhi kanser? | | Q Saya baru meneroka laman web Radiology Malaysia ini dan mendapati banyak info bermanfaat telah diberikan. Ini adalah satu langkah bijak supaya penyebaran maklumat berkaitan bahaya kanser dapat disebarkan kepada umum. Ada satu kemusykilan yang ingin saya ajukan di sini. Adakah senaman fizikal berupaya mempengaruhi kanser? adakah senaman boleh dianggap sebagai faktor penyebab kepada kanser atau sebaliknya? Saya amat mengharapkan penjelasan dalam hal ini dan bahan bacaan berkaitan jika ada. Terima kasih atasegala kerjasama....tahniah dan terima kasih atas segala usaha ke arah pembikinan laman web ini. Laman web ini adalah suatu lembaran baru buat kami semua. NM 11 Julai 2003 A Terima kasih kerana kata-kata yang hanya akan mendorong kami di pihak Radiology Malaysia untuk meningkatkan usaha kami untuk meninggikan mutu artikel yang terdapat di sini. Untuk menjawab soalan saudari, senaman secara umumnya adalah baik untuk kesihatan kita. Untuk kanser payudara, ini juga benar. Senaman sekurang-kurangnya 3 kali seminggu untuk setengah jam adalah habit yang bagus dan mungkin boleh menolong mengurangkan risiko kanser payudara. Senaman juga mungkin boleh menolong kita mengurangkan ataupun kontrol berat badan. Kegemukan (obesity) merupakan satu faktor risiko untuk mendapat kanser payudara. Untuk bacaan lanjut mengenai faktor-faktor risiko kanser payudara, sila ke: www.radiologymalaysia.org/breasthealth/About/bcriskfactors01.htm
Tetapi saudari patut juga ingat bahawa untuk kanser payudara, walaupun seseorang tidak mempunyai apa-apa faktor risiko, sebab sebenarnya kanser payudara belum lagi diketahui. Tabiat kehidupan yang sihat patut diamali.
Bacalah mengenai rutin kehidupan yang sihat di
www.radiologymalaysia.org/breasthealth/BM/PengesananAwal/mampukahanda.htm
Oleh itu, pencegahan yang paling efektif merupakan pengesanan awal.
Pengarang
| | Talkback Q&A - What stage is my aunty in if her breast has to be removed for the cancer? Where is it best to do the operation? | Q My aunty was diagnosed with breast cancer recently. The first visit was to GH and was advised to undergo an operation to remove the breast. To confirm the report, we went to Pantai Specialist for second opinion and will get the result today. Judging the the situation my aunt is facing (she has to remove the breast) what stage is she in. The GH doctor could not really confirm what stage.
What is your advice after the operation (things to care for like food, frequent check, medication)? For breast operation, is it advisable to do it at GH or specialist?
SP 30 April 2003A I am afraid I cannot advise you on any aspect of the treatment/surgery as I am not privy to all the information. The treatment for your aunt is normally individualised for her based on many factors. Complete staging is normally only available after histopathology findings as well as status of axillary (armpit) lymph nodes which have been removed and checked for cancer after the surgery. Prior to that, it is just clinical staging.
It is best that if you are still not sure who is right, to seek a 3rd Opinion. It would be best you get this this 3rd opinion from a surgeon experienced with dealing with breast cancer. There are several Breast Clinics such as Hospital Putrajaya, General Hospital Kuala Lumpur, University Malaya Medical Centre and also Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
http://www.radiologymalaysia.org/index/GenInfo_index.html#Directories
Usually after the immediate operative period, your aunt can go back to a balanced normal diet. You can always ask to see the dietician at the hospital where the surgery is being done. There may need to be modifications to help your aunt through the nausea that may be encountered if she needs chemotherapy after the surgery.
Editor
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| | | Website Links | “CancerStory.com is a self-funded, non-profit site set up in memory of its founder's beloved mother who was taken away from the joys of life by cancer. She battled with colon cancer for three years and eight months. Through this web site, the founder hopes to share her late mother's cancer experience and help cancer patients and their families face the overwhelming tasks of seeking the best treatment, gathering information and preparing for the battle against cancer.” Click Here to visit Many thanks Kamal for submitting this link - Editor “The National Cancer Centre Singapore – Inspired by Hope, Committed to Care: This website seeks to answer some of the common questions which you may have when you or your relative has been diagnosed to have cancer. It hopes to explain, in simple terms, what cancer is, what treatment is available for cancer, what are the causes of cancer, and information on the more common types of cancer, i.e. lung, colorectal and breast cancer.“ Click Here to visit Thanks Margaret Ho for submitting this link - Editor
| Perak Palliative Care Society | Our reader CYC of the PPCS, wrote about how Radiology Malaysia, in particular the Breast Health Info Centre might aid in the noble deed of caring for the terminally ill. In return, we asked for more information on the PPCS and this is what CYC shared with us. Thanks CYC for your contribution! Click Here for more information.
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