‘I knew this was going to be malignant because of its shape’

In early May 2023, Archana Mukesh Tiwari noticed a small lump on her left breast which initially did not concern her. ‘In the past, I have had breast cysts which dissolve on their own and so its presence did not bother me much,’ informs the 42-year-old from Chembur.

However, the persistence of the lump prompted her to seek medical advice from doctors, who recommended further investigation. “I wasn’t even aware of what a biopsy is when the doctor mentioned it,” remarks Archana who found her confidence gradually slipping away.

“When Archana came to me for her check-up, I could see the fear and devastation in her eyes. She seemed misguided and was hesitant to undergo therapy. Upon convincing, I managed to reassure her and gain her trust in the treatment process.” remarks Archana’s doctor – Anupama Mane, a consultant breast surgeon at Ruby Hall Clinic, Pune.

Thus began Archana’s journey of tackling a cancer that affects 1,62,468 Indian women, as per the ‘Statistics of Breast Cancer in India’ report released in 2018. To unearth their journeys, Midday.com spoke to two breast cancer survivors who opened up about their ordeal of dealing with the fatal disease.

‘It’s extremely challenging to undergo chemotherapy’
Archana was not keen to undergo a biopsy due to lack of understanding about the process. “Initially, I was given the wrong diagnosis and was charged a huge sum at Kedarnath Hospital in Shastri Nagar for my tests. They asked me to get admitted the same day which left me in doubt about the procedure they had suggested,” she recounts.