Breast cancer awareness is the key to the early detection of breast cancer. Awareness about breast cancer helps in recognizing the alarming and warning signs and making a brief move against the disease.
Is it possible to win over cancer? Yes, it’s possible to defeat Breast cancer through early detection and screening. Screening breast regularly in both healthy and high-risk women helps to detect cancer early and increases the chance for treatment at a low cost. Here’s what you need to know about breast cancer, including risk factors, symptoms and preventive measures that need to be taken by individuals. We should understand and keep in mind that “Prevention is better than cure”.
What is Breast Cancer?
Breast cancer originates in breast tissue. Breast cancer is the abnormal multiplication of cells in the breast, creating a lump or a tumor that often spreads to other healthy breast tissues. It’s a global disease seen largely among women compared to men. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women after lung cancer.
How does Breast cancer impact women?
- It is the biggest reason responsible for the death of women.
- Every 3 minutes, one woman in the world is becoming a victim of breast cancer.
- In India, the number of cases of breast cancer patients is increasing exponentially.
Causes for Breast Cancer
There is no certain method to prevent breast cancer. Yet, there are things you can do that may bring down your risk.
1) Causes- We Can’t change
- If an individual has a family history of breast cancer, it increases the chances of developing cancer for an individual.
- The risk of breast cancer increases with increasing age.
- If your body produces more Estrogen Hormone then you are at higher risk of developing breast cancer.
- Starting menstruation before the age of 12 years may also cause breast cancer.
- Getting pregnant after the age of 30 years.
We can’t change the above causes which increase the risk of developing breast cancer.
2) Causes- We Can change
- Being overweight and obese can also cause breast cancer.
- Consumption of alcohol also increases the risk of breast cancer.
- Lack of exercise can also increase your chances of breast cancer.
- Consuming Hormone replacement medicine for a longer duration also increases the risk of breast cancer.
We can change the above causes by gradually changing our lifestyle and with regular check-ups, which helps prevent breast cancer.
Symptoms of breast cancer
The primary symptom of breast cancer typically shows up as a space of thickened tissue in the breast or a knot in the breast or an armpit.
Secondary symptoms include:
- Change in shape or size of the breast
- Discharge from either of the nipples, perhaps containing blood
- Dimpling, flaking, or pitting of the skin of the breast or nipples
- A rash on or around the nipple
- A change in the appearance of the nipple, such as sunken or inverted.
Don’t worry Breast cancer can be detected early with regular screening as below…….
- Self-breast examination at home in Infront of the mirror.
- Clinical breast examination
- Mammography
Benefits of regular screening
- Symptoms of cancer are detected early.
- Early detection and treatment of breast cancer can prevent life-threatening conditions.
- If detected early, the disease can be treated with very few complications.
- With an early screening of cancer, treatment can be started in the initial stage, reducing the cost of treatment.
Self-breast examination
Stand In front of the mirror in proper light then follow below two processes.
- In the first step put both your hands up and hold them behind the head and check all these symptoms over the breast area-
- Change in shape and size of the breast
- Discharge from either of the nipples, perhaps containing blood
- Dimpling, flaking, or pitting of the skin of the breast or nipples
- A rash on or around the nipple
- A change in the appearance of the nipple, such as sunken or inverted.
- In the second step check the above-mentioned symptoms by placing both your hands on the waist.
If women notice any type of the above-mentioned symptoms, please visit the nearby health Centre or doctor for further examination.
Breast Cancer Awareness is important to prevent Breast Cancer
Summary
- Breast cancer awareness is the key to the early detection of breast cancer.
- Breast cancer is the abnormal multiplication of cells in the breast.
- The number of Breast cancer cases increasing exponentially and Breast cancer is the biggest cause of death in women.
- There is no certain method to prevent breast cancer. Yet, there are things you can do that may bring down your risk.
- Early diagnosis of the symptoms of cancer generally increases the chances of successful treatment and helps to prevent life-threatening conditions.
- The self-breast examination is very easy to perform at home by the above-discussed steps.
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