New hope for breast cancer patients

"Most women who suffer with breast cancer are worried about unnatural breast appearance after surgery to remove cancerous tumours. The new oncological surgery technique will help them with the natural shape of their breasts," said Dr Yaowanuch Kongdan of Ramathibodi Hospital's Department of Surgery.

Speaking at a press conference held by the Thai Breast Disease Society, she said about twenty of every 100,000 women in Thailand are suffering from breast cancer in the second, third and fourth stages, respectively. Only 30 per cent of them are suffering with the first stage, which can be cured.

Generally, women with breast cancer require a mastectomy - the removal of the entire breast - to rid them of cancerous tumours. This procedure is not concerned with preserving breast size.

The new technique will remove cancerous tumours from the breast and then cosmetically restore the breast by moving muscle from other parts of the body - the lower abdomen muscle and back muscle - to replace the area lost to the tumour. This technique will improve the size of the damaged breast, making it appear naturally the same as the other.

However, after surgery, patients should receive hormonal therapy and take drugs to prevent the spread of the HER2 protein which can cause cells to become cancerous. This is to prevent the reoccurrence of the cancerous tumour.

The new technique is recommended for patients who have been advised to undergo a masectomy to remove cancerous tumours. It is available at Ramathibodi Hospital, Pramongkutklao Hospital, Udon Thani Hospital and the National Cancer Institute. The surgery costs Bt40,000 and the patient must stay in hospital for only 3-4 days.

Dr Yaowanuch suggests that woman aged over 35 should perform thorough self examination to detect the possible early stages of breast cancer. Women aged over 40 should undergo regular mammograms.