Early detection, experts say, is the first line of defence against breast cancer.
One would still remember former Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole, lost his wife to this scourge some years ago.
Sometimes breast cancer starts in as simple a way as to appear like an ‘ordinary’ boil. When not diagnosed early enough and it has the chance to spread and become ‘malignant’ or ‘destructive,’ surgical operation which is also known as ‘mastectomy’ may be the only option left.
Having breast cancer in family history, puts another woman in that family in a “high risk group.” Prior to ‘mastectomy,’ chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy are also other options in the doctors’ attempt to find a solution. All of these cost a whole lot of money. Sometimes, what looks like a ‘partial’ cure takes place, only for the condition to get worse later on, which may eventually lead to death.
The lump that indicates the possibility of a breast cancer case in development, may not even be in the breasts, but in the armpit!
Even after surgery, sometimes the wound on the woman’s chest may still refuse to heal, leading to possible death.
“Breast cancer mortality is usually affected by patterns and promptness of early detectionand by the quality of available medical care,” according to Tope Akinnola, a medical sociologist who has done extensive study in this area. And, while it is said that available evidence suggests that deaths from this scourge are on the decline in the developed countries of the world, the reverse seems to be the case in the third world. More than 50% of the world’s cancer burden, it is said, occurs in the developing countries.
However, medical experts say that the rising cases of breast cancer can actually be “slowed” down.
It is said that, as a global index, a woman dies of breast cancer every 68 seconds! It is also said that over 4.5 million women live with different stages of breast cancer worldwide, while over half a million die from the scourge annually. Some say, and although this is difficult to prove statistically, that at least 30,000 women die from breast cancer annually in Nigeria! In the Saturday Tribune edition of 11th September, 2010, Dr. Patience Osinubi, National Coordinator of the National Cancer Control Programme, ‘asserted’ that annually, Nigeria (as at that date) recorded about 350,000 new cases of breast cancer. Earlier, the University College Hospital, Ibadan had stated that 116 out of 100,000 Nigerian women have breast cancer; this is as reported in The Punch edition of 7th November, 2002 by the Breast Cancer Association of Nigeria. The growing rates of the disease in Nigeria are attributed to ‘ignorance, low breast awareness level, and other socio-cultural and religious barriers which include shame/stigma associated with breast cancer.’
A high percentage of Nigerian women, it is said, know almost next to nothing about breast cancer (apart from just knowing the name of the disease itself), neither how to prevent it. The chances of survival are drastically reduced if symptoms are not detected early. It is said that breast cancer, if detected early, is actually curable and without side effects, and even without chemotherapy or radiation.
In Breast Awareness Advocacy, it is said that‘breast awareness,’ as a terminology, is the ‘idea of the woman knowing her breast, touching her breast, feeling her breast and regularly looking at her breast in order to discover the consistency or otherwise of itsshape, colour and size. It is the idea of the woman being used to the appearance andtexture of her breasts, such that she can easily notice even the slightest changes in them.’
The breast is largely made up of fat and breast tissue. Breast tissue produces milk. The breast also contains nerves, blood and other tissue. There’s also a connection between the breasts and the armpit.
It is said by experts that ‘it’s important for a woman to become a lover of her breasts, afriend of her breasts, and a guardian of her breasts, always monitoring its shape and size and evaluating the changes she may observe at different times,’ all these with ‘a view to controlling its health and well-being.’
Breast cancer occurs when breast cells divide and grow without control, sometimes invading surrounding tissue.
The first noticeable sign is usually a lump in the breast. In a publication by Okobia et al (2006), it is said that “late presentation of patients at advanced stage when little or no benefit can be derived from any form of therapy, is the (bane) of breast cancer (cases) in Nigeria.”
The most common site of the disease is the upper, outer quadrant of the breast. It comes as a persistent lump or thickening in the breast or in the armpit area. It can also ‘manifest’ as a retracted (pulled in) nipple. Changes in the colour or skin of the breast, areola or nipple (e.g. dimpling, puckering or scaling) can also be indicative of breast cancer. The discharge of blood, or of a yellow or milky fluid from the nipple, can also indicate cancer. A change in the size or shape of the breast can also indicate cancer.
According to Tope, ‘a well trained health care professional/medical specialist will be in position to determine and discuss the treatment options available to you in the event that an early symptom of breast cancer is discovered in you breast.’ If the symptom is found early enough, he says, you ‘will not need major surgery.’ The treatment you will go through will be determined by the stage of the cancerous cell growth in the breast, he says. You also need medical advice/examination because, sometimes, some symptoms that look like breast cancer may arise, but which upon closer examination may not even be cancer. So, it’s not a bad idea to seek a ‘second opinion’ from another medical expert. However, this can be quite dicey! In the case of the late Dora Akunyili, for instance (which, though, was actually cervical cancer and not breast cancer), Nigerian doctors had correctly diagnosed it before she later travelled overseas for a ‘second opinion,’ and where she was told that it wasn’t cancer. It turned out that, in her own case, it was the diagnosis in Nigeria that proved to be correct!
All in all, breast cancer is a ‘survivable’ condition.
In a new “Bra and Breast Cancer Study,” it was found that women with breast cancer usually had a long history of using tighter bras with longer periods of wearing the bras than did women who had not yet developed the disease. However, this is not the only risk factor. Those who have their first child after age 30, or who have no children at all, are also said to be at risk. (Mind you, we are not talking here of superstitious beliefs but of medically-researched findings.) However, a ‘high risk’ situation does not necessarily mean that such a woman would ‘compulsorily’ have breast cancer. It’s only a ‘risk factor.’ Those who wear bras for more than twelve hours per day are said to have developed cancer, in the particular study mentioned above. Eating a diet high in fat and a lot of grilled, barbecued and smoked meats may also increase the risk; while a diet high in fruits and vegetables radically decreases the risk. If you started menstruation early in life (before age 12) or you entered into menopause rather late (above age 55), you need to be extra-vigilant about your breasts because these are also high risk factors!
Women with dense breasts (that is, breasts that have more breast tissue than fat) are four to five times more likely to develop breast cancer, so if you’re such a woman, be extra-vigilant. Taking oral contraceptives for prolonged periods also increases your risk of developing breast cancer. Too much of alcohol intake on a regular basis has also been linked with an increased risk of breast cancer. In fact, according to Cancer Research UK, drinking as little as one alcoholic drink every dayincreases breast cancer risk by around 12%. Women who don’t breast feed their children are also more likely to develop breast cancer than those who do. About 5% to 10% of breast cancers are also thought to be hereditary. So, pay attention to yourself and to your lifestyle. Some sources believe that persistent use of anti-perspirant over a long period of time may lead to a concentration of toxins (poisons from body metabolism) that are supposed to be purged from below your armpits through sweating (which you have prevented by the use of the antiperspirant), leading to cancer case. This, however, is still a controversial issue among the experts. I personally believe it, though; so be careful about how you use anti-perspirant, because perspiring is the body’s natural way of expelling those toxins. Also, reduce your exposure to plastic products (this may sound ‘off-key’ but it’s actually possible to inhale plastic particles through over-exposure to such products close to your nostrils.) Recent research strongly suggests that at certain exposure levels, some chemicals present in plastic products, such as bisphenol A (BPA) which can be found in disposable containers used for serving/packaging food and beverage as well as for toiletries, etc., may cause cancer. Lack of exercise can also increase the risk of breast cancer; while activity/exercise can help to kill or slow down the growth of cancer cells. Although the presence of more risk factors in one woman may not necessarily lead to the development of breast cancer, it is imperative that every woman, more so those with high risk factors should be paying more attention to regular breast examination. It is also possible that a woman may have no known risk factor and still develop cancer (this is true for about 80% of women with the disease). So, protect yourself and reduce your risk of falling victim.
Practise a healthy lifestyle. From the works of Dr. Ann Kulze and Professor Jane Plant, two of the experts in this field, maintaining a healthy body weight throughout your life can help in preventing the disease. Minimize the consumption of the so-called “white” foods (please note the word ‘minimize’ and not ‘abstain from’). Such foods include (too much of) white flour, white rice, white potatoes, sugar and products containing them. Instead, increase your intake of whole grains and beans/legumes. Soy milk and other soy products are also good for you, but let them be ‘organic’ (natural) and not the genetically-modified versions. Avoid exposure to environmental pollutants such as pesticides and industrial chemicals. Professor Plant also believes that too much of dairy consumption puts you at risk. Think positive thoughts. Engage in laughter. Develop good relationships (rich, warm and mutually beneficial) with family and friends. Don’t be a negative person. Get adequate sleep. Reduce exposure to carbon monoxide. Also, as much as possible, reduce exposure to electromagnetic rays from mechanical/electronic appliances. Drink more of water and less of carbonated drinks. Professor Per Hall and other researchers at the Karolinka Institute in Sweden also say that, although they don’t know why, but it appears that high coffee intake is associated withlowering the risk of breast cancer.
From age 20, breast self examination should be conducted every month. 10 minutes a month of breast self-examination can save your life. Also, a clinical breast examination by a qualified physician every 3 years up to age 40 and each year thereafter is very important. After the age of 50, what is known as a “mammogram” is recommended every 3 years.
The best time to do breast self-examination is within a week after the menses, when the breasts are least tender. If you no longer menstruate, do your breast self examination on a fixed date every month. The purpose of breast self-examination is to enable you to become familiar with the normal feel of your breast tissue so that you can recognize any abnormal changes as soon as possible.
Breast cancer is the only cancer that can be detected by patients themselves. Early detection, early clinical diagnosis and early treatment are the key to saving a woman’s life and preventing full-blown breast cancer.
(Watch out here for the Steps involved in Breast Self-Examination)
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