October: Brest Cancer Awareness Month
Barbara Mori ( Mexican Model), Angelina Jolie (Hollywood actress), Kylie Minogue (Australian Singer), Martina Navratilova (Tennis Player), Maggi Smith ( British Actress, famous for her role in Harry Potter), Mumtaz (Bollywood Actress), Tahira Kashyap (wife of Ayushyman Khurrana)… Do you know what the common thing between these celebrities is?!!
Well, all these are successful women of their field respectively…Yeah! But one more thing that is common between them is BREAST CANCER! Well, Breast cancer is the most common after skin cancer among women worldwide. Nowadays very often we are listening to this word. Breast cancer is a scary thought and all too many women assume that it won’t happen to them. The fact is though, every ten minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK. But all these listed women are now cancer-free. Reason? Only ONE: They diagnosed their breast cancer in an earlier stage.
OCTOBER month is celebrated as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This campaign helps to increase attention and support for awareness, early detection, and treatment as well as palliative care of this disease. Breast cancer is by far the most common cancer in women worldwide, both in developed and developing countries.
World Health Organization says, In low- and middle-income countries like India, the incidence of breast cancer has been rising up steadily in the last years due to an increase in life expectancy, increased urbanization, and adoption of western lifestyles.
Currently, there is not sufficient knowledge on the causes of breast cancer, therefore, early detection of the disease remains an important factor of breast cancer control.
When breast cancer is detected early, and if adequate diagnosis and treatment are available, there is a good chance that breast cancer can be cured. If detected late, however, curative treatment is often no longer an option. In such cases, palliative care to relieve the suffering of patients and their families is needed.
What is Breast Cancer?
Breast cancer is a disease in which cells in the breast grow out of control. There are different kinds of breast cancer. The kind of breast cancer depends on which cells in the breast turn into cancer.
A breast is made up of three main parts: lobules, ducts, and connective tissue. The lobules are the glands that produce milk. The ducts are tubes that carry milk to the nipple. The connective tissue (which consists of fibrous and fatty tissue) surrounds and holds everything together.
Most breast cancers begin in the ducts or lobules. Breast cancer can spread outside the breast through blood vessels and lymph. When breast cancer spreads to other parts of the body, it is said to have metastasized.
Symptoms of Breast Cancer:
Different people have different symptoms of breast cancer. Some people do not have any signs or symptoms at all. Simple breast pain can be a symptom of cancer too.
Some warning signs of breast cancer are:
New lump in the breast or underarm (armpit).
Thickening or swelling of part of the breast.
Irritation or dimpling of breast skin.
Redness or flaky skin in the nipple area or the breast.
Pulling in of the nipple or pain in the nipple area.
Nipple discharge other than breast milk, including blood.
Any change in the size or the shape of the breast.
Pain in any area of the breast.
Keep in mind that these symptoms can happen with other conditions that are not cancer too! If you have any signs or symptoms that worry you, be sure to see your doctor right away.
Is Lump in the breast means Cancer?
Many medical conditions can cause a lump in the breast, starting from hormonal imbalance-gynaec problems to stress and cancer. Sometimes it’s a simple fluid-filled sac called a cyst. Sometimes it can be a lump of cancer too. One can feel breast lump if she is taking hormonal pills as a treatment or as a contraceptive.
It is common to feel heaviness or tenderness in the breast during the time of menstruation.
Breasts get lumpy during pregnancy as glands get larger to produce milk. When milk gets blocked in ducts, the breast gets swollen and lumpy. This situation is called Mastitis and needs medical supervision.
If you find anything in your breast, it is important to follow up with your doctor to have the change checked and properly diagnosed.
Causative Risk Factors of Breast Cancer:
Intense researches are done to date on breast cancer. Researchers have identified some of the causative factors including hormonal, lifestyle-behavioral factors. Still, so many causes are not clear so far. Some people who have no risk factors develop cancer all of suddenly, and some with strong risk factors never developed cancer. But we can say that Breast cancer is caused by the complex interaction of your habits, behavior, genetic structure, and environmental factors.
Risk Factors associated with Breast cancer:
Obesity: One of the coon causes of Breast cancer is Obesity. Heavy fat in the body causes post-menopausal Breast cancer. In-Active Lifestyle: People with a sedentary lifestyle may increase the chances of breast cancer whereas active people are less likely to have the risk of cancer. Some evidence indicates that people who are physically active (both before and after diagnosis) have a greater chance of surviving breast cancer.
Breast Feeding: Research shows that breastfeeding lowers the risk of breast cancer. Women who never produce milk in her breast are more likely to develop breast cancer.
Alcohol and Smoking: Both increase the chances of Breast cancer in women.
Family History: Certain gene mutations that increase the risk of breast cancer can be passed from parents to children. These genes can greatly increase your risk of breast cancer and other cancers.
Past history of cancer: If you’ve had breast cancer in one breast or any other cancer, you have an increased risk of developing cancer in the other breast.
Early Menarche: Beginning your period before age 12 increases your risk of breast cancer.
Late Pregnancy: Women who give birth to their first child after age 30 may have an increased risk of breast cancer. Data suggests that women who have never been pregnant have a greater risk of breast cancer than do women who have had one or more pregnancies.
Hormonal pills: Women who take hormone therapy medications that combine estrogen and progesterone to treat the signs and symptoms of menopause have an increased risk of breast cancer.
Being female: Women are much more likely than men are to develop breast cancer. Though it’s rare in males they too can develop breast cancer.
How to Diagnosis Breast Cancer in Early Stage:
If you notice any changes in your breast, always seek medical advice. Be Familiar with your own body parts: Women must get familiar with their own breasts. So many women don’t touch her breasts or don’t get familiar with her own body due to shyness or any myths. Self-examination is the key tool to diagnose breast cancer at an early stage.
One can check her breast regularly and get aware of any changes. Surely Breast awareness can’t prevent breast cancer, but it may definitely help you to better understand how your breasts normally feel and make it easier to identify any unusual signs and symptoms.
How to do Self Examination of Breast?
You can ask your doctor to demonstrate the exact method.
The best time to perform a self-exam for breast awareness is usually the week after your period ends.
First Step: Sit or stand shirtless and braless in front of a mirror with your arms at your sides. To inspect your breasts visually, do the following:
1.Face forward and look for puckering, dimpling, or changes in size, shape, or symmetry.
2.Check to see if your nipples are turned in (inverted).
3.Inspect your breasts with your hands pressed down on your hips.
4.Inspect your breasts with your arms raised overhead and the palms of your hands pressed together.
5.Lift your breasts to see if ridges along the bottom are symmetrical.
6.If you have a vision impairment that makes it difficult for you to visually inspect your breasts, ask a trusted friend or a family member to help you.
1. Choose a bed or another flat surface to lie down on your back. When lying down, the breast tissue spreads out, making it thinner and easier to feel.
2.Try to feel different depths of the breast by using different levels of pressure to feel all the breast tissue.
3.Make pad by support using the first three fingers to give pressure on your breast. Use light pressure to feel the tissue closest to the skin, medium pressure to feel a little deeper, and firm pressure to feel the tissue closest to the chest and ribs. Be sure to use each pressure level before moving on to the next spot. If you’re not sure how hard to press, talk with your doctor or nurse.
4.Imagine the face of a clock over your breast. Divide it into four imaginary parts. Start examination near your collarbone and examine that section one by one, moving your fingers toward your nipple. Then move your fingers to the next section.
Consult your doctor if you find a hard lump, swelling, redness, pain, dimple or bulges, nipple discharge, inverted nipple, or uneven warmth in the breast during a self-examination.
Other Tests to Diagnose Breast Changes:
Galactography / Ductography
Biopsy: Core Needle / Fine needle / Surgical Biopsy
Pls Understand that: Not all women will need all of these tests and procedures. Your doctor selects the appropriate tests based on your specific circumstances and taking into account new symptoms you may be experiencing.
Treatment of Breast cancer:
Treatment can be broken down into local and systemic therapies.
All breast cancer treatments have two main goals:
To rid the body of as much of cancer as possible
To prevent the disease from coming back.
Stages of Treatment are :
Radiation therapy & Chemotherapy
Your doctor determines your breast cancer treatment options based on your type of breast cancer, its stage and grade, size, and whether the cancer cells are sensitive to hormones. Your doctor also considers your overall health and your own preferences
What if you diagnosed with Breast cancer?
Obviously, diagnosis is cancer is shocking for every individual and for whole family members too. It disturbs us on mental as well as emotional level.
The positive and right attitude
Keep in touch with your family and near ones
Read stories of Cancer survivors
Talk with your partner about emotional-sexual insecurities and fear.
Read good books and listen to good music.
Do counseling with doctors to understand your cancer well.
Diet Tips For Breast Cancer:
Watch your diet carefully.
Add Vegetables, Whole grain, and Fruits to your diet
Cutting off extra Sugar from the diet will be beneficial
Avoid Smoking and Alcohol consumption
Avoid Beef, butter, cheese, and deep-fried foods.
Cancer remains to be one of the most deadly diseases to affect people and sadly, there’s also a lot of taboo surrounding it. The reason why cancer tends to be more fatal is because of late diagnosis. Early detection, taking preventive measures can all cut down the risk of cancer spread and save lives.
Originally published at https://www.thelitthings.com.
