Popular Bollywood actress, Mahima Chaudhry recently came out with her story of fighting breast cancer. The 48-year-old actress who shot to fame in 1997 with her debut film “Pardes” opposite Shah Rukh Khan, recently shared her story with the media about surviving breast cancer. Mahima learnt about her breast cancer development during an annual check-up last year. She was advised to undergo a few more tests to ascertain the condition, before moving on to the actual treatment.
According to Mahima Chaudhry, the four-month period of treatment was more of a psychological turmoil. She was very candid in expressing that her road to recovery was difficult. All this while, she was in Mumbai where she was given a proper medical care to fight back the disease. Throughout her recovery period, her family stood by her. In fact, her daughter, Aryana emphatically refused to go to school during the time that Mahima was recuperating as she did not want to risk bringing the COVID infection home.
Having fought breast cancer with sheer willpower, the actress says that the disease is curable. The actress has bounced back to health and even been approached by veteran Bollywood actor, Anupam Kher, to play a vital role in his upcoming film, “The Signature.”
Symptoms of Breast Cancer to look out for:
- Presence of a lump or swelling in the breast
- Nipple discharge or pain, with slight change in its shape
- Nipple or breast skin turning reddish, dry and flaky
- Swollen lymph nodes in the armpit region
Risk factors and Screening Methods:
- Age– Women above the age of 50 are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer.
- Family history– Females with a blood relative who had breast cancer are predisposed to getting breast cancer themselves.
- Reproductive health– Early menarche (before 12 years) or late menopause (after 55 years) in women can cause breast cancer.
- Exposure to radiation– Exposure to radiations before age 30 in women can lead to development of breast cancer later on in life.
Women above 40 should undergo regular breast examination. Mammography is the best screening method for detecting breast cancer. Other than this, one can opt for an ultrasound or an MRI scan of the breasts too. One should make it a habit to routinely have a self-examination of the breasts and immediately report to your health care practitioner in case of any deflection from the normal in terms of breast size, colour or any sort of liquid discharge from the nipples.
To increase your awareness about breast cancer or to book an appointment, follow the link below:
https://www.drpragnya.com/book-an-appointment/
References:
- Mahima Chaudhry on fighting cancer, bouncing back: ‘Don’t want to rattle people with details about treatment.’ The Indian Express. https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/mahima-chaudhry-on-fighting-cancer-bouncing-back-7963938/
- Pardes star Mahima Chaudhry is now cancer free; Here’s the story of her courage. Pinkvilla Desk. https://www.pinkvilla.com/entertainment/news/pardes-star-mahima-chaudhry-now-cancer-free-heres-story-her-courage-1140172
- Daniel Liu. What are the signs and symptoms of breast cancer? https://www.cancercenter.com/cancer-types/breast-cancer/symptoms.
- Breast cancer signs and symptoms. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer/screening-tests-and-early-detection/breast-cancer-signs-and-symptoms.html.
- What are the risk factors for breast cancer? https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/risk_factors.htm
- Breast Cancer: Screening. https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/breast-cancer/screening