Management of Breast Cancer in Nepal

Breast cancer is the second most common malignancy among women in Nepal. It is more common in young premenopausal women. Breast cancer continues to increase in incidence due to lifestyle changes in Nepalese women despite constant remarkable development in the management of this disease over the past three decades. Breast cancer was diagnosed solely clinically and surgery was the only treatment option until fifty years ago. Multidisciplinary approach has been adopted for diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in Nepal. Imaging is required for the diagnosis, appropriate treatment decision and proper follow up. Treatment modality depends upon the extent of the disease and tumor biology. However, there is a strong need for standard guidelines for the proper management of breast cancer in Nepal so that surgeries, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and radiotherapy are standardized in the country. Palliative care has been initiated to provide to some patients with metastatic breast cancer recently. The breast cancer management in Nepal is a little different when compared with the centers in the developed countries. The reasons are socioeconomic status, lack of education and lack of facilities. Although cancer care is on the rise in Nepal, the optimal facility for centers managing breast cancer has to be improved significantly. Cancer education, screening and early detection are the key elements to influence the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of breast cancer in Nepal. Breast cancer awareness and clinical breast examination are important tools for early detection in our resource limited context. Breast cancer can be cured in majority of the cases if diagnosed in early stages. This review will focus on relevant patient data along with future recommendation regarding breast cancer treatment in Nepal.