Make self-exam a trend too.

This World Cancer Day,
take a pledge.

#SelfE

The SelfE Campaign

With changing lifestyle of the modern era, breast cancer is becoming a raising concern among the women. One out of 8 women is likely to have invasive breast cancer in the course of their life. It is the most common cancer found in women in India. However, early detection of breast cancer increase survival rates by 95%.

#Selfies have become an inseparable part of our life. It’s all about showing self-love. But there’s one more way. Breast cancer self-exam. It empowers women to analyze changes and save lives. At the Gleneagles Global Breast Centre at Gleneagles Global Health City, Chennai, we are driven by the purpose of encouraging every woman to do self-exam regularly. And help them with timely expert diagnosis, followed by specialized care. So, this World Cancer Day, let us all pledge to get self-exam trending. #SelfE

Support the cause

The aim of the campaign is to spread awareness and ensure every woman knows about self-examination. Join us to support the cause by participating in the SelfE campaign and help in spreading awareness. By participating, you will not only enlighten your friends and family, but also contribute to the community in taking a step closer to a breast cancer free world.

Here are simple steps in which you can participate to support the cause:

  • Follow our Instagram account @gleneaglesglobalhealthcity
  • Comment on the post and tag another female friends to participate in the cause
  • Click and post a selfie on your account and tag our instagram account to your post

Expert consultation & full field digital mammogram at Rs 1000*

*T&C apply

Steps of Self Breast Examination

How to do a breast self-exam: The five steps

One can self-examine their breasts in 5 easy and simple steps at home.

  • Step 1: Observe your breasts by looking at them in the mirror. Watch out for signs like dimpling, puckering, or bulging of skin, unusual redness, soreness, rash or swelling, change in position of nipples or inverted nipples.
  • Step 2: Similarly, in front of the mirror, raise your arms and watch out for the same signs.
  • Step 3: While in front of the mirror, watch out for any signs of fluid coming from one or both nipples. One must watch out for watery, milky, or yellow fluid or blood.
  • Step 4: Lie down on your back and raise one arm and use the other arms to feel your breasts, using light to medium pressure. One must watch out for unusual lumps and bulges.
  • Step 5: Stand or sit and raise one hand, use the other hand to make even circular motions on the breast. Watch out for the same signs as mentioned above.

If you suspect anything unusual, do not wait and book an appointment with an oncologist for further screening and diagnosis.

Our Doctors

Our expert Oncology team come with experience of 25+ years and are equipped to provide integrated comprehensive care for various types of cancers such as Breast, Head & Neck cancer, Liver, Lung, Pancreatic, Colorectal, Bladder, Prostate, Oesophageal, Blood, Ovarian, Cervical, Endometrial, Kidney, Stomach, Thyroid, Vaginal, Testicular, Penile cancers as well as brain tumors, salivary gland tumours, musculoskeletal and Peritoneal surface malignancies. The department is equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure and highly adept specialists across various sub-specialties including - Surgical oncology, Medical oncology, Radiation oncology, Breast oncology, Bone Marrow Transplant, Paediatric oncology, Preventive oncology, Interventional Radiology, Oncopathology and Nuclear medicine.

Dr S. Rajasundaram

Department: Director – Institute of Oncology

Designation: Cancer Care - Oncologist

Qualification: MS. (Gen. Sur), DNB, M.Ch. (Surgical Oncology), FAIS, FAMS

Know More

Dr Deepa Chegu

Department: Institute of Oncology

Designation: Senior Consultant- Breast Imaging & Interventions

Qualification: MBBS, DMRD

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Why Choose Us?

The patient is at the heart of everything we do at Gleneagles Global Breast centre at Gleneagles Global Health City, Chennai. We believe that our patients should experience nothing less than exceptional level of medical care. Our compassionate doctors, with special expertise in treating all types of Breast cancer (early to advanced cancer) provide the Best care for Breast cancer.

The UNWAIT philosophy aims to complete Triple assessment (clinical assessment, Imaging and Pathological examination) of Breast cancer within 24 hours of first visit.

Some of the highlights of our Gleneagles Global Breast Centre include –

  • Multi-specialty approach for Cancer with clinical outcomes on par with best International Cancer centres
  • Comprehensive Breast Cancer Centre with consultation, diagnostics, medical, surgical & radiation services, available in the same floor
  • State-of-the-art Full field digital mammogram and breast specific high resolution ultrasound (higher precision) complimented with dedicated renowned Breast imaging specialist
  • Sentinel lymph node biopsy for breast cancer (accurately assess the spread of cancer to lymph nodes)
  • Minimal number of visits to the hospital before treatment is initiated
  • Quick diagnosis & staging for cancer

OVER A DECADE OF CANCER CARE & EXCELLENCE

Frequently Asked Questions

What is breast cancer?

Breast cancer is cancer that forms in the breast. The breast is made up of lobes, milk ducts, fatty tissue, and lymph nodes. About 1 in 8 women in the world will develop breast cancer during their lifetime. It's also the most commonly found cancer among women in India.

Breast cancer usually starts with cells in your body growing out of control. As these abnormal cells grow, they form a mass or tumor. Breast tumors are classified according to their appearance under a microscope as well as by where they are located - lymph nodes or other organs such as the lungs or liver.

What can be done to reduce the risk of breast cancer?

There is no proven way to help prevent breast cancer, but certain alterations in lifestyle can lower the risk. Steps that might reduce your chance include maintaining a healthy weight and having an active lifestyle with plenty of physical activity as well as limiting alcohol consumption or waiting until after pregnancy before getting pregnant again.

What are the symptoms of breast cancer?

This is a question that many people ask. The symptoms of breast cancer may include a painless lump or mass, bulging of skin, dimpling, puckering, nipple retraction, or change in skin colour and discharge. Having one or more of these symptoms is not a sure shot sign of breast cancer. However, consulting a specialist is recommended.

When is the best time to perform a breast self-exam?

We recommend waiting several days after your monthly cycle has finished to do a breast self-exam. Hormonal changes that happen during menstruation can affect the size and feel of breasts, so it's best done when they are in their normal state rather than while on hormonal medications or birth control pills which will alter how you see yourself. For women who don't have their monthly cycles due to either menopause or hysterectomy - keeping track with one specific day each month is recommended for safety reasons!

What can be the causes of breast cancer?

Though the definite cause of breast cancer is still not clear, many factors increase the risk. These factors include increasing age, alcohol, late pregnancy, early menstruation, late menopause, and family history, use of oral contraceptives and history of radiation therapy.

Older women are more likely to develop cancer than younger ones; in fact, risk increases by 10% in every one-year period. Breast cancer risk can be higher when a person has inherited genes for this type of cancer; if someone in the family had the disease, risk is higher. If there are cases in more than one generation, risk becomes even greater.

How frequently should the breast self-examination be performed?

It's best to be familiar with your breasts and know what is normal for you. It is also important to be aware of how your breasts normally feel so that you can notice any changes in feeling, shape or appearance. The recommended time of performing self breast exams is at least once monthly. If any abnormalities are found the self breast exam should be performed more frequently. If a lump is found self breast exams should be done every day for a couple of weeks to a month. The self breast exam is not meant to take the place of regular visits with your doctor but rather serves as an additional way for you to become familiar with what is normal for you. If abnormalities are prominent, it is advised to consult a specialist without any further delay.

If both breasts appear to be of different sizes during the self-exam, is it an indication of breast cancer?

Not really. Many women experience breast asymmetry, which is when one or both of their breasts are different sizes. This condition has no known connection with cancer - it's just an issue that many people deal with on a day-to-day basis and shouldn't be anything to worry about. In fact, it might be result of more breast tissue one side than the other.

Can breast self-exams replace mammograms or breast cancer screenings?

No. Breast self exams are great for getting acquainted with your breasts and identifying any potential problems, but they can't take the place of mammograms. Mammogram examinations look under skin to find tumors before these health risks become visible in a regular examination; this would not be possible with self-examination.