What is Breast Cancer?
Breast cancer is a form of cancer that forms in the cells of the breasts. Breast cancer is a malignant disease that affects both breasts in male and Female. After skin cancer and cervical cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women. Breast cancer can occur in both men and women, but it’s far more common in women. Breast cancer occurs when some breast cells begin to grow abnormally.
These cells divide more rapidly than healthy cells do and continue to accumulate, forming a lump or mass. Cells may spread (metastasize) through your breast to your lymph nodes or to other parts of your body. Breast cancer account for one of the most common source of death in females, especially in poor countries with little or no resources for the masses like Nigeria, Somalia, etc. where patients detects the disease at a very late stage.
Substantial support for breast cancer awareness and research funding has helped created advances in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Breast cancer survival rates have increased, and the number of deaths associated with this disease is steadily declining, largely due to factors such as earlier detection, a new personalized approach to treatment and a better understanding of the disease.
RISK FACTORS OF BREAST CANCER
A breast cancer risk factor is anything that makes it more likely or predisposes one to having breast cancer. But having one or even several breast cancer risk factors doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll develop breast cancer. Many women who develop breast cancer have no known risk factors other than simply being women. Factors that are associated with an increased risk of breast cancer include:
⦁ Being female: Women are much more likely than men are to develop breast cancer.
⦁ Increasing age: Your risk of breast cancer increases as you age.
⦁ A personal history of breast cancer: If you’ve had breast cancer in one breast, you have an increased risk of developing cancer in the other breast.
⦁ A family history of breast cancer: If your mother, sister or daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer, particularly at a young age, your risk of breast cancer is increased. Still, the majority of people diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history of the disease.
⦁ Inherited genes that increase cancer risk: Certain gene mutations that increase the risk of breast cancer can be passed from parents to children. The most well-known gene mutations are referred to as BRCA1 and BRCA2. These genes can greatly increase your risk of breast cancer and other cancers, but they don’t make cancer inevitable.
⦁ Nulliparity: A woman is said to be nulliparous if she hasn’t carried a pregnancy for up to 28 weeks. Now how does nulliparity increases the risk of breast cancer? Pregnancy as we know is a protective state and it protects the woman from the effect of estrogen. Estrogen is any steroid produced by the ovaries. It is the female sex hormones and it is produced by the ovaries. Estrogen has many functions, but I will talk about how it pertains to the breast. Estrogen is responsible for the increase in breast size among females. So, when one is pregnant, the effect of estrogen is reduced and hence, the breast is spared from the effect of estrogen. No further breast enlargement occurs.
⦁ Obesity: Being obese increases your risk of breast cancer. Obese women have lots of fat cells and these cells have the capacity of converting some steroids into estrogen.
⦁ Early menarche and late menopause: Ladies who start menstruating early and gets to menopause late have high risk of having breast cancer. This is because their ovaries keep producing estrogen which puts them at higher risk.
⦁ Drinking alcohol and smoking: Drinking alcohol and smoking increases the risk of breast cancer.
⦁ Little or no breastfeeding: Mothers who do not breast feed are also at high risk of having breast cancer. That’s why it’s recommended to always breastfeed for 4-6 months.
CLINICAL SYMPTOMS OF BREAST CANCER
Signs and symptoms of breast cancer may include:
⦁ A breast lump that feels different from the surrounding tissue
⦁ Change in the size, shape and appearance of the breast
⦁ Expression of blood from the nipple
⦁ Peeling, scaling, crusting or flaking of the pigmented area of skin surrounding the nipple (areola) or breast skin
⦁ Redness or pitting of the skin over your breast, like the skin of an orange.
There are other symptoms apart from those above.
SCREENING AND AWARENESS PROGRAM FOR BREAST CANCER
Screening is a means of prevention. It helps those who are affected by this disease seek proper treatment. It is very important to know that breast cancer is very destructive and deadly, and can also spread out to other areas. Breast cancer if detected late most times leads to death. But there is a huge chance of survival if detected early. Because huge chance of survival is solely dependent on early detection, doctors and other health practioners have tried to make known to the public the importance of self breast examination and breast cancer screening. Females are encouraged to always check for changes in their breast in the mirror and report quickly if there is an abnormal change to the hospital.
Substantial support for breast cancer awareness and research funding has helped created advances in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Breast cancer survival rates have increased, and the number of deaths associated with this disease is steadily declining, largely due to factors such as earlier detection, a new personalized approach to treatment and a better understanding of the disease. The awareness program is to educate the masses about their health and how important it is for them to be familiar with how their breast looks like.
All these are what brought about the Pink ribbon for breast cancer awareness. It’s for educating the masses and also to provide support to those with the disease. Breast cancer is deadly, but it’s definitely not the end of life.
Idahosa
AASA PRESS UI 