Early diagnosis is important here, as it is with other cancers too. Early diagnosis increases the chances of survival. So how is breast cancer diagnosed? Accurate history and clinical examination are very important for detecting breast cancer. Few investigations which help in making the final diagnosis are:

Mammography: its diagnostic accuracy is about 90-95%. The test yields better result in older women as the density of the breast tissue decreases with age.
Ultrasound: it is an important diagnostic test in young women. Mammograms are difficult to interpret in young females because of the dense breast tissue. Ultrasound can locate areas of breast pathology which are not palpable clinically.
Cytology and Needle biopsy: FNAC (Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology) is least invasive, easy and safe. Diagnostic accuracy is almost 95%. In this fluid or tissue is drawn out from the lump to be examined with the help of a needle. Biopsy can also be done by obtaining breast tissue under local anesthesia. In this either the whole or a part of the lump is removed and examined.
Other investigations: Blood picture may show decreased hemoglobin levels. Chest X-ray can be done to rule out lung metastasis.

Triple Assessment: Diagnosis of a breast lump is done by a combination of three things:
1. Clinical assessment- history and clinical examination
2. Imaging: which includes ultrasound and mammography
3. Pathology: biopsy and cytology

99.9% of the breast lump cases can be diagnosed accurately with this triple assessment!

Watch the video below to know more about breast cancer!

The exact cause of BPH is still unknown. However it has been suggested that androgens play quite an important role in its pathogenesis. Estrogen (the female hormone) and Androgen (the male hormone) are found in both the sexes though estrogen levels are more in females and androgen levels in males. With advancing age, androgen levels go down in males and there is a corresponding increase in the estrogen levels. The increased estrogen stimulates the prostate gland and leads to BPH.

Men having benign enlargement of prostate present with increased urinary frequency. They need to urinate several times in a day and the frequency increases in night too. Other problem is urgency, that it they have an urgent desire to pass urine. They cannot control their bladder functions fully. These patients often have trouble starting and stopping the urine stream. They are not able to empty their bladders completely and this leads to a large amount of residual urine which remains in the bladder even after the person has urinated. This eventually leads to bladder inflammation.

The complications associated with BPH are many. The prostate enlarges and compresses the urethra which becomes narrow. The bladder becomes more prone to infection and stone formation. This is because the bladder musculature thickens, and develops what are known as trabecualtions. BPH can also cause hydronephrosis, which is dilatation of the kidneys. This can eventually lead to renal failure

The diagnosis of BPH is usually done by per rectal examination. The enlarged lobes can be easily felt. In addition to this Uroflowmetry is also done in which the patient is asked to void urine from his full bladder into the flowmeter. The normal flow rate is 20ml/sec. If it’s less than 10ml/sec, then it’s almost confirmatory of bladder obstruction, which is usually secondary to BPH. Ultrasounds are quite often done in BPH patients to assess the weight and size of prostate. The effect on kidney can also be seen in an ultra sonogram.

The treatment of Benign Prostate Hyperplasia will be discussed in another article.