On the occasion of World Breast Cancer Day (October 19), the The Quirónsalud Hospital of Málaga organized a conference in the comprehensive oncology sector of the Quirónsalud Day Hospital of Málaga on Friday, October 18 to commemorate this anniversary. Patients and other interested parties attended this meeting with health professionals related to this disease, where doctors Jorge Contreras, head of the Comprehensive Oncology Service; África Fernández, specialist in radiation oncology; Carmen Cañabate, specialist in medical oncology; Laura López, specialist in gynecology and head of the breast unit; and Carmen Barceló, psycho-oncologist from Quirónsalud Málaga, answered the frequent doubts that arise before, during and after this illness.
After the conference, a oncobeauty workshopon the skin care and makeup of patients during an oncological process, with a professional team of La Roche-Posay.
Breast cancer continues to occupy the place first position in global cancer incidencefollowed by lung, colorectal and prostate. In Spain, breast cancer is the second cause of cancer in general and the first in women, with 36,395 cases estimated for this year according to registers. This increase is due to many factors, including population growth, aging of the population, exposure to risk factors and the increased availability of early detection techniques.
Concerning cancer in men, despite its low frequency (1%). On the other hand, an encouraging fact: according to REDECAN (Spanish Network of Cancer Registries), Five-year survival in breast cancer continues to increase, reaching 86% according to the latest registry and with favorable estimates for the future.
The importance of detection by physical examination (nipple retraction, bleeding, self-palpable mass, etc.) must be emphasized, particularly in patients with a family history (20% have a family history (source AECC)) . Delayed detection leads to their diagnosis at more advanced stages of the disease.
Concerning radiotherapy treatment of breast cancer, we are experiencing a paradigm shift. Until recently, treatments were carried out in 25 sessions with older techniques that resulted in limited acute and chronic toxicity to patients and today, thanks to technological advances and research in radiotherapy We can perform most treatments in just five sessions with more advanced application techniques that reduce complications.
Additionally, thanks to advances incorporated in centers such as the Quirónsalud Hospital of Malaga“we can carry out the treatment with the technique called Deep respiratory apnea (DIBH)This technique aims to protect the heart during treatment. The patient takes a deep breath and holds the air in her lungs for a few seconds.
During this process, sensors placed on the surface of the body detect the exact moment when the patient has reached a deep inspiration. Only then does the radiotherapy machine deliver the dose of radiation, looking for when the heart has moved away from the area to be treated. This ensures that the radiation is concentrated in the area we wish to irradiate and does not affect nearby healthy organs.. In medicine, the humane treatment of patients is increasingly essential and, in addition to all these technological advances, we have a dedicated nursing team and technicians.
Patients themselves tell us that the human warmth they receive when they come for radiotherapy makes the treatment much more bearable,” shared the Dr Africa Fernández Forne, radiation oncologist at the Quirónsalud Hospital in Málaga.
