Yes I refer you as friends. I am new here so it’s best we start on the right foot. So friends it is.
We are going to be talking about breasts and breast cancer. As you know the entire month of October is dedicated to breast cancer awareness. So let’s say this post is my little contribution to trying to bring awareness to such a terrible disease that is taking the lives of more and more women day in day out. There is nothing more powerful than being knowledgeable on this topic. It has proven to go a long way in early detection of breast cancer and saving lives of women that would have been lost.
So let’s start with breast cancer. What exactly is breast cancer?
As a little girl growing up in a small little town of Ughelli, Delta State, Nigeria, I thought breast cancer was something that affected only older women (oops, what did I know) and worse I thought it was something that affected only rich white women (oops again, I think it was the fault of my teachers). But my point is at the time it was very uncommon to find women from my area who actually suffered and died of the disease, this is not to say it didn’t exist. Until recently I lost an aunt to what seemed to be breast cancer (She had told us she had a lump and was discovered too late) and also the mum of a friend also died of this deadly disease that it began to sink in that could affect just about any one.
Ok now that the personal stuffs are out of the way, let’s get back to business.
Breast cancer is a type of cancer that affects breast tissues. Simple!Right?Not so fast! Well it’s a whole complicated process that culminates in the formation of a lump (cancerous cells) in the breast most especially the inner lining of the milk duct and this is referred to as ductal carcinoma. It could also form in the lobules and this type of cancer is called lobular carcinoma. Studies have shown that the ductal cancer is the most common type of cancer.
What makes breast cancer so dangerous?
Cancer cells are fast growing cells. They start out as normal cells with normal proliferation. But when they get triggered off by some particular stimuli (genetic or environmental), they grow out of proportion and become cancerous, benign or malignant.
The breast is one organ that is highly vascularized and highly innervated, so cancerous cells thrive under such conditions. Also because of the way the breast tissue is drained (by blood from the veins and lymph nodes) it becomes very easy for the cancer to metastasize to the other breast and even to the brain in the later stages of the disease.
Am sure your next question would be what actually causes the disease?
Well experts haven’t been able to determine the exact causes of the disease but there are certain risk factors that predispose someone to developing it such as:
- Getting older - the older a woman gets, the higher is her risk of developing breast cancer.
- Genetics - women who have a close relative who has/had breast or ovarian cancer are more likely to develop breast cancer. Although the majority of breast cancers are not hereditary.Women who carry the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes have a considerably higher risk of developing breast and/or ovarian cancer. These genes can be inherited. TP53, another gene, is also linked to greater breast cancer risk.
We recently heard about Angelina Jolie having to do a double mastectomy (surgical removal of breasts) after testing positive for the BRCA1 gen. The truth is that testing positive to either or both genes shows a 50% chance that you might have breast cancer in the nearest future.
- A history of breast cancer - women who have had breast cancer, even non-invasive cancer, are more likely to develop the disease again, compared to women who have no history of the disease.
- Dense breast tissue - women with denser breast tissue have a greater chance of developing breast cancer.
- Estrogen exposure - women who started having periods earlier or entered menopause later than usual have a higher risk of developing breast cancer. This is because their bodies have been exposed to estrogen for longer. Estrogen exposure begins when periods start, and drops dramatically during the menopause.
- Obesity - post-menopausal obese and overweight women may have a higher risk of developing breast cancer.
- Height - taller-than-average women have a slightly greater likelihood of developing breast cancer than shorter-than-average women. Experts are not sure why.
- Alcohol consumption - the more alcohol a woman regularly drinks, the higher her risk of developing breast cancer is.
- Radiation exposure - undergoing X-rays and CT scans may raise a woman's risk of developing breast cancer slightly.
- Certain jobs - French researchers found that women who worked at night prior to a first pregnancy had a higher risk of eventually developing breast cancer.Canadian researchers found that certain jobs, especially those that bring the human body into contact with possible carcinogens and endocrine disruptors are linked to a higher risk of developing breast cancer.
Examples include bar/gambling, automotive plastics manufacturing, metal-working, food canning and agriculture.
- Cosmetic implants may undermine breast cancer survival - women who have cosmetic breast implants and develop breast cancer may have a higher risk of dying prematurely form the disease compared to other females.
What are certain signs to look out for?
It all starts with a lump. Any kind of abnormal growth with texture and consistency different from the normal breast tissue should be given a closer look.
Other signs include
A pain in the armpits or breast that does not seem to be related to the menstrual period
Pitting or redness of the skin of the breast; like the skin of an orange.
A rash around (or on) one of the nipples.
A swelling (lump) in one of the armpits.
An area of thickened tissue in a breast.
One of the nipples has a discharge; sometimes it may contain blood.
The nipple changes in appearance; it may become sunken or inverted.
The size or the shape of the breast changes.
The nipple-skin or breast-skin may have started to peel, scale or flake.
Once these are noticed, one should definitely seek medical help, remember early detection is key.
And now comes the most important part of this post.
As women we must be very familiar with our breast. We shouldn’t be scared of feeling it, knowing how the breast tissue feels, it could go a very long way in knowing immediately when something doesn’t feel right.
So am going to describe how to do a self-exam. In that way we do not have to go to the doctor every single time.
IN THE SHOWER
Using the pads of your fingers, move around your entire breast in a circular pattern moving from the outside to the center, checking the entire breast and armpit area. Check both breasts each month feeling for any lump, thickening, or hardened knot. If you notice anything out of the ordinary seek medical attention.
IN FRONT OF A MIRROR
Visually inspect your breasts with your arms at your sides. Next, raise your arms high overhead.Look for any changes in the contour, any swelling, or dimpling of the skin, or changes in the nipples. Next, rest your palms on your hips and press firmly to flex your chest muscles. Left and right breasts will not exactly match—few women's breasts do, so look for any dimpling, puckering, or changes, particularly on one side.
LYING DOWN
When lying down, the breast tissue spreads out evenly along the chest wall. Place a pillow under your right shoulder and your right arm behind your head. Using your left hand, move the pads of your fingers around your right breast gently in small circular motions covering the entire breast area and armpit.Use light, medium, and firm pressure. Squeeze the nipple; check for discharge and lumps. Repeat these steps for your left breast.
Now it must be emphasized that a self-exam is not a confirmation diagnosis for breast cancer as those include a mammography (a woman above 40 should have one of those at least once a year). Once a lump is discovered seek medical assistance at once and discuss treatment options with your doctor immediately.
Final thoughts
We owe ourselves a duty to look after ourselves and this doesn’t only include waking up in the morning, putting on makeup and walking along the streets like we have no other job to do.
We must eat healthy and cultivate the habit of exercisingregularly. Most importantly we must always be positive at all times.
We must learn to spread the word too. We might have been enlightened by this post or from other source, and so we should take it upon ourselves to teach others about this disease. There are lots of women out there that might not be as fortunate enough to be informed as we are. Start from your homes, then your friends and even at work, church, social gatherings etc. let’s get the word out. EACH ONE TELL ONE.
Glory Emasoga, is a graduate of Biochemistry from Delta state University, Nigeria. A MD in training at the Central University of the East, Dominican Republic.
Email: gloreyz24@gmail.com
Twitter:@geeloreyz
I THINK EVERY WOMAN SHOULD READ THIS. INFORMATION IS KEY TO HEALTH
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