BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

BY: IVY CHEPCHUMBA

Breast cancer is one of the most common illness or disease that mainly affects the women. Breast cancer in simple term is a cancer that forms in the cells of the breast. Most breast cancer cases are found in women who are 50 years or older in age. Breast cancer happens when cells in the breast grow and divide in an uncontrolled way, creating a mass of tissue called a tumor. Like other cancer, breast cancer can invade and grow into the tissue surrounding your breast. It can also travel to other parts of the body and form new tumors. When this happens, it’s called metastasis.

Treatment depends on the stage of the cancer. It may consist of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. One of the most common sign of breast cancer is nipple changes. A breast lump or thickening that feels different from the surrounding tissues also bloody discharge from the nipple and changes in the shape or texture of the nipple or breast. Breast cancer starts when cells in the breast begin to grow abnormally.  These cells have the potential to grow out of control and invade the surrounding tissue. On average, breast cancer doubles in size after every about 6 months. That’s why it is usually advised that women go for the free breast cancer screening that are always offered by the government.

Breast cancer can form and grow undetected for 10 years or more, hence making diagnosis and treatment much difficult.

Some of the common signs and symptoms of breast cancer include: swelling or thickening of the breast, redness of the breast skin, bumps, growing veins on the breast, new nipple discharge, irritation of the breast skin and some others will experience pain in the nipple area. A new mass or lump in the breast tissue is the most common sign of breast cancer.

There are four stages of breast cancer. Stage 1 of breast cancer means the cancer is small and only in the breast tissue. At this stage it may be treatable if diagnosed early.  Stage 2 breast cancers are also curable with current treatment like surgery, chemotherapy and radio therapy. The stage three of breast cancer is quite critical since scientists say that out of 100 people with stage 3 breast cancer,86 people will survive for 5 years. At this stage, the cancer has spread beyond the point of origin. It may have invaded nearby tissue and lymph nodes. This stage is usually referred to as locally advanced breast cancer.

There is no cure in the fourth stage called the metastatic breast cancer since the cancer cells have spread to other distant areas of the body like the bones, liver, lungs or even the brain, hence it is impossible to get rid of all of them. However right treatment plan can help extend life and improve quality.

Research shows that breast cancer occurs more frequently in the left breast than the right breast. If breast cancer is left untreated, it usually spreads to other parts of the body and hence become a fatal disease.

There is no credible research that shows that wearing a bra can cause breast cancer. It has however been claimed that underwire bras cause breast cancer by obstructing the lymph flow.

 There is no sure way to prevent breast cancer but limiting intake of alcohol, maintaining a healthy weight, being physically active and breast feeding can help reduce the risks of getting breast cancer.

The purpose of breast cancer awareness campaign to encourage women to go for check up and get screened as early as possible and also to educate the people about breast cancer. The breast cancer color is usually a pink ribbon. Pink in color is it is recognized as a symbol of hope. The ribbon represents millions of people around the world who have been affected by the disease.

It is advisable for women to always go for breast cancer screening at least twice a year since clinical breast exams can detect lumps. At least once every three years after the age of 20 years and every year after the age of 40 years, it is advisable to have your breasts examined by a healthcare provider.