Famous TV personality Hina Khan had announced that she has Stage 3 breast cancer in a social media post a couple of days ago, and opened up about her diagnosis with her fans whom she calls ‘Hinaholics’.
Khan wrote, “Despite this challenging diagnosis, I want to reassure everyone that I am doing well… My treatment has already begun, and I am ready to do everything necessary to emerge from this even stronger.”
The 36-year-old actor is among many celebrities like Mahima Choudhary, Sonali Bendre, Kirron Kher who were diagnosed with cancer.
Khan’s story reveals why more younger women are being diagnosed with breast cancer, and should they go for screening early? Do they need to focus more on their lifestyle?
What is Stage 3 Diagnosis?
Stage 3 breast cancers comes under the category of “locally advanced” breast cancer, meaning the cancer has spread beyond the initial tumour but has not reached distant organs yet. Stage 3 means the cancer has spread from breast to lymph nodes close to the breast, to the skin of the breast or to the chest wall.
Stage 3 cancer can be divided into 3A, 3B and 3C.
Stage 3A: No cancer is seen in the breast or the cancer is of any size within the breast. And there is cancer in 4 to 9 lymph nodes under the arm or in lymph nodes near the breastbone. The cancer is larger than 5 cm and has spread to 1 to 3 lymph nodes under the arm or to the lymph nodes near the breastbone.
Stage 3B: The cancer has spread to the skin of the breast or the chest wall. The chest wall means the structures surrounding and protecting the lungs, such as the ribs, muscles, skin or connective tissues. The cancer has made the skin break down (an ulcer) or caused swelling. The cancer may have spread to up to 9 lymph nodes in the armpit or to the lymph nodes near the breastbone.
Stage 3C: Stage 3C means the cancer can be of any size, or there may be no cancer seen in the breast. The cancer may have grown into the chest wall or skin of the breast. The cancer has spread to one of the 10 or more lymph nodes in the armpit, lymph nodes above or below the collar bone, lymph nodes in the armpit and near the breastbone.
Why Stage 3 Can Go Undiagnosed?
Early-stage tumours might be very small and not cause noticeable symptoms. Regular self-examination and mammograms are crucial for detection as they can identify lumps, according to experts.
The treatment depends on the size of the tumour and how much the cancer has spread outside of the breast to lymph nodes (Stage II or III) or to other parts of the body (Stage IV).
Risk factors for breast cancer include age, family history, genetics, and lifestyle choices.
Are There Any Symptoms?
Most people do not experience any symptoms when the cancer is in the early stage. In the advanced stage, the symptoms include a breast lump or thickening, often without pain, change in size, shape or appearance of the breast, dimpling, redness, pitting or other changes in the skin, change in nipple appearance or the skin surrounding the nipple (areola), abnormal or bloody fluid from the nipple.
People with an abnormal breast lump should seek medical care, even if the lump does not hurt, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
What is the Treatment?
The treatment for Stage 3 locally advanced breast cancer is different. It requires surgery (mastectomy or lumpectomy with lymph node removal), radiation therapy to eradicate remaining cancer cells, and systemic treatments like chemotherapy to target cancer throughout the body.
Why are Young Women At Risk?
Factors could include inherited mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, which increase breast cancer risk. Lifestyle, improper diet, obesity, lack of exercise, smoking, overuse of birth control pills or hormone therapies could be major triggers.
Doctors are also studying how environmental exposures to chemicals and pollutants are increasingly contributing to the rising incidence of breast cancer in young women. Environmental factors such as exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals to radiation and air pollution may interact with genetic predispositions and hormonal factors, further increasing the risk of breast cancer.
Nearly 11% of Indian women between 35 and 45 develop breast cancer compared to 7% in the West. Also, patients may not show any symptoms in stages 1 and 2.
How Early Should You Go for Screening?
Regular screening, whether one has symptoms or not, is mandatory. Women over 40 years should get the mammogram done and then annually. If you have a family history of breast and ovarian cancer, where your kin have also had BRCA mutations, then get tested for genes.
Other than routine mammography and clinical breast exam, women can go for ultrasound, which uses high-frequency sound waves to produce images of the breast tissue.
MRI uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to produce detailed images of the breast tissue. This is often recommended to women with a high risk of breast cancer or those with dense breast tissue.
Number of Women with Breast Cancer
In 2022, there were 2.3 million women diagnosed with breast cancer and 670 000 deaths globally, according to WHO.
In countries with a very high Human Development Index (HDI), 1 in 12 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime and 1 in 71 women die of it.
In contrast, in countries with a low HDI; while only 1 in 27 women is diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, 1 in 48 women will die from it.
According to an AIIMS study, 30% of the breast cancer cases were found in women below the age of 40 years. According to the figures, an estimated 35 women had breast cancer while 17 men had lung cancer in among 1 lakh people in 2025.
This figure saw a jump of 35.9% among breast cancer patients in seven years from 2,657 to 3,611. There was a 44% increase of male lung cancer patients from 1,207 in 2015 to 1,734 in 2022.