Consultant Oncologist Dr. Guruprasad Bhat

He completed his M.B.B.S from KMC Bangalore in 2007. And also pursued his post-graduation from Sri Siddhartha Medical College in 2011. He did his medical oncology at Girwa Institute of Oncology in 2014. He has experience as a consultant oncologist. 

What is Breast Cancer? How can someone manage the symptoms and side effects? 

It's the most common cancer worldwide. This happens to both males and females. Roughly 1 out of 8 females develop Breast Cancer. 

Mostly the symptoms are visible after menopause. The lump is visible in the Breast and armpit. This is the most common symptom. Other symptoms include blood coming out of the nipple or the breast becoming orange-like. These are the symptoms of early Breast Cancer. 

As it expands, it gets spread and can result in breathlessness and back pain.

Treatment options include surgery and radiotherapy. Radiation helps to prevent the size of the tumor from increasing. Whether it is hormonal positive or hormonal negative, the treatment process is the same.

How does regular Breast check-up result in prevention? 

Clinical breast examination- The female can examine herself. It can be clockwise and anticlockwise. Check the breast and armpits.

You can also examine by doing a regular scan or by doing the mammography once a year after the age of 30 or 40 if there is no family history because this is the most common age for breast cancer in India. If there is a family history, consult a better doctor who will suggest some tests like MRI. 

What are the barriers in our society that stop women from doing breast cancer checkups? 

1. Lack of awareness. 
2. Social barrier- Females don't take a step alone and wait for their husbands or other family members for the check-up. 
3. Lack of facility to do mammography- Mammography is not available in rural areas. Therefore, women prefer to do an ultrasound of the breast which will not be as transparent as mammography. 

How is bone marrow not related to Leukemia? 

Our body produces blood in a factory that is located in the bone marrow. Cancer in the blood is called leukemia. Bone marrow tests can be in two places, one is the external bone which is the breast bone, and the other is the hip bone. Bone marrow can also diagnose blood cancer.

What are the early signs of lung cancer? 

Lung cancer is a common cancer in India that is present in both males and females. For males, the main reason is smoking. For females, it could be kitchen smoke. Another reason is tuberculosis. The common signs and symptoms include coughing, weight loss, and blood in the cough. The symptoms of tuberculosis can be seen in lung cancer also. Cough and breathlessness are the symptoms. In India, whenever a person gets tested for tuberculosis, and if it comes back negative, it is also suggested to check for lung cancer. 

What is the ripple oral cavity? How should one handle the symptoms? 

These cancers are common in India because, in India, people chew tobacco, whereas, in other countries, people smoke tobacco. 

The typical symptom is an ulcer or small wound in the oral cavity that doesn't heal. An ulcer can be painful or painless and grows in size. 

Two effective forms of treatment include surgery and radiotherapy in the early stages.

In the advanced stage, we do a combination of radiation first then surgery or chemotherapy. For the treatment of the advanced stage, all three are combined, whereas, in the early stages, it is performed individually. 

Dr. Guruprasad Bhat's Research on Primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

This type of blood cancer starts in the armpit. It's sporadic cancer. It comprises only 1-2 % of all blood cancers. It can be present in multiple bones such as the spine, and backbone. 

symptoms depend on which bone it's evolving. The treatment is usually chemotherapy and a course of radiation depending on the stage of the cancer.

What are the misconceptions regarding Cancer? 

• Cancer does not mean death. 
• Hereditary cancers are just 5-10% of Cancer. It's sporadic. If someone in the family has cancer, you don't need to have cancer.
• Cancer treatments are too expensive. There are many government and insurance schemes to provide help to the public.
• "Take some juice, and your cancer will be cured". This is not true. 

How much is it essential for patients to stick to their follow-up plan after surgery? 

Follow-ups are essential after the surgery. It is essential as surgery can only cure 50%, and the remaining 50% is fixed by chemo, radiation, medicines, or some other types of treatment. Therefore, regular follow-up is essential. 

How can the family take care of the patient? 

It all depends on family to family. The usual way of taking care is by motivating them to fight cancer. If someone is in the medical field, they can go through the reports and know what is and is not required for the patient.

How do you access the patient and determine what type of treatment they require? 

It depends on the stage and condition of the patient. Treatment differs for each patient.

Dr. Guruprasad Bhat on ZenOnco.io 

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