A 43-year-old woman from Lagos, Nigeria, was diagnosed by her oncologist with stage 3 breast cancer. At this stage the cancer has spread beyond the breast to nearby lymph nodes, so treatment is intensive: chemotherapy before surgery to shrink the tumour, surgery to remove the affected breast tissue and lymph nodes, and radiation therapy afterwards. She had already received chemotherapy before surgery in Lagos and wanted her surgery and follow-up care at a larger cancer centre.
She had researched treatment options for weeks. Her biopsy results, imaging reports and oncologist's notes were sent to four Indian hospitals, and within one to three working days each returned a treatment plan with a cost estimate for her case. She discussed the plans with her family and with her oncologist in Lagos and chose Apollo Hospital, Navi Mumbai, whose plan matched the protocol her oncologist had recommended. The hospital's breast cancer programme brings together surgical, medical and radiation oncologists and breast care nurses.
She had a modified radical mastectomy, which removes the breast tissue together with the affected lymph nodes, under general anaesthesia. The team explained the operation, the recovery and the warning signs to watch for. She stayed in hospital for seven days while her pain and recovery were monitored, and then moved to a hotel near the hospital for about a week of observation in India. She flew home with six months of medication, her full reports on paper and in digital form, and a recovery plan for her oncologist in Lagos, who had already received her discharge documents.
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This story is shared with the patient's consent.