Earlier the better Alerts & red-flags; do not let yourself to be amongst pink
HEALTH educational activities are mainstay in enabling community to adopt healthy lifestyle. Emphasizing one of the life threatening conditions is breast cancer.
Although latest advances in diagnosis and treatment have much improved but facts that stays the same is the importance of early detection.
The most concerned and important part includes while enabling community is teaching breast cancer facts, to ensure people perform self-exams and earliest contact with specialist for early diagnosis and treatment.
Checking for lumps and other signs and symptoms of breast cancer is something every woman should do.
Pink ribbon is a symbol of support for breast cancer awareness and is also worn to honour those who have been diagnosed or who have died from breast cancer.
Health promotion regarding breast cancer increased throughout the 20th century and the dedicated efforts began to build more momentum in the 1980s and 1990s.
One out of eight females suffer from breast cancer” “An estimated 90,000 cases of breast cancer are being annually reported in Pakistan and more than 40,000 of those women die every year, which makes it a leading cause of cancer death among women in the country,” These statistics show that over 10 million women in Pakistan are at risk of breast cancer.
The screening of the entire community to early detection of those who are suffering from breast cancer is very important to increase chances of survival. The exact cause is not known.
The risk factors include: Family history, Hormonal changes, Age at more risk after 40 years of age, Personal history of breast cancer: A cancer in one breast increases the chances of having cancer in the other breast, Lifestyle, including excess of alcohol consumption, Environmental factors, including exposure to radiations, Obesity and overweight, Menarche: having periods at younger age and menopause at an older age Pregnancy: Becoming pregnant at an older age or never being pregnant, Hormone use, including long-term contraceptive use or postmenopausal Hormone therapy
“Spare five minutes for yourself to stay healthy” Some of the signs of breast cancer to look for include a lump or thickening near the breast or armpit.
Nipple tenderness and nipple discharge that are clear or bloody can also be symptoms of breast cancer.
Sometimes the skin of the breast will change and will appear rough and porous like the skin of an orange. Though the colour may not change in this instance, skin discoloration is another sign of breast cancer.
Changes to the shape and size of the breast are also signs of breast cancer. The nipples may become inverted, and the breast may swell, or the breast may shrink. People should take particular notice when changes to the size or shape of the breast occur in only one breast.
Self-examination continues to be the most important means of detecting breast cancer early. More than 80% of breast cancer cases are first detected by women who feel a lump in their breast.
Mammography is most effective in older women. Mammograms use X-rays to examine the breast and detect any cancer present.
Healthy lifestyle can reduce the risk of getting breast cancer. An increased risk of breast cancer has also been associated with eating poor diet.
Eating a diet high in fats and consuming excessive alcohol will increase the risk of breast cancer.
People who smoke are more likely to get breast cancer, along with those who are not physically active. When breast cancer is left untreated it can mutate in various body parts.
Metastasis is when a disease spreads from one part of the body to another part. When breast cancer spreads it is called metastatic breast cancer and typically spreads to the bones, liver, lungs and brain.
Sometimes breast cancer is only detected after the symptoms of lung, brain, or liver cancer become apparent.
Early diagnosis through self-examination is important to treat breast cancer before it spreads to other parts of the body.
After screening, diagnostic procedures, a female who is diagnosed with breast cancer may undergo various treatment options according to stage and type of cancer cells” non-invasive, invasive, and metastatic breast cancers, as well as the intrinsic or molecular subtypes of breast cancer.
The General Surgeons have different options from Medication, surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
However, in many cases, a mastectomy remains the recommended surgery. Psychosocial support is very important to face stigma and the challenges encounter in society.
Reconstructive surgeons have started working with breast cancer survivors to help them lead more normal lives.
Breast implants after surgery can help women regain their confidence and overcome the social stigma that surrounds breast cancer.
Pink ribbons are a positive thing, the good things that various efforts are being made to encourage female to look for the signs of breast cancer and to seek treatment early.
Self-examination continues to be the best way to detect breast cancer early. Perhaps the best of all breast cancer facts is that the social stigma of breast cancer is much less than it was.
—The writer is Public Health Specialist & Gold Medal Innovation, based in Rawalpindi.
