All you need to know about Breast Cancer
Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC) offers free breast self-examination at its Spilhaus and Fife Avenue clinics. In commemorating the Breast Cancer Awareness month of October, ZNFPC encourages all women of reproductive age to undergo breast cancer examination at any nearest health facility in the country as early detection and treatment of cancer saves lives.
What is Breast Cancer? Breast cancer is a cancer which begins in the cells that make up tissues of the breast. It develops when human bodies fail to regulate the production of new cells in the breasts resulting in extra cells, which build up to form masses of tissues called lumps, growths or tumors. Some of these tumors or lumps cause cancer while others do not cause cancer.
What causes Breast Cancer? When you are told that you have breast cancer, it is natural to wonder what may have caused the disease. The exact causes of breast cancer are not known, but there are certain risk factors which makes an individual vulnerable to breast cancer.
Who is at risk of getting breast cancer? It is not known why one person develops breast cancer and another does not, but people with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop breast cancer. These risk factors include;
- Age, the chance of getting breast cancer increases as one get older but it can strike all age groups. Most women are over the age of 60 when they are diagnosed of breast cancer.
- Having breast cancer in one breast increases the risk of getting cancer in the other breast
- The risk of breast cancer is higher if one’s mother, father, sister or daughter had breast cancer.
- Starting menstrual periods early (below the age 12) and going through menopause later than usual (after the age of 55).
- Eating a diet high in animal fat, drinking alcohol and smoking.
- Being overweight.
Having a risk factor does not mean that one will get breast cancer as many people who have risk factors may never develop breast cancer. Bumping, bruising, or touching the breast does not cause cancer and breast cancer is not contagious – one can not get it from another person. Also, breast cancer is not a women’s disease, men can develop breast cancer.
Symptoms to worry of – Early breast cancer usually does not cause symptoms. But as the cancer cell grows, it can change how the breast looks or feels. The common changes include:
- A lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm area.
- A change in the size or shape of the breast.
- A nipple turned inward into the breast.
- Discharge (fluid) from the nipple, especially if it is bloody.
- Scaly or swollen skin on the breast, nipple, or the dark area of skin at the center of the breast.
Detection and prevention of breast cancer – As with most cancers, breast cancer can be prevented and treatment is more likely to work well when breast cancer is detected early. The following screening procedures are done at a health care facility to detect breast cancer:
- Clinical breast examination, in which breast cancer is screened physically.
- A special X-ray known as mammogram can also be taken on one’s breast to check for breast cancer. A mammogram sometimes detects breast cancer even before a lump is felt.
- A biopsy which is a specialist procedure in which part of the lamp is surgically removed for testing done by a surgeon.
One can also do monthly self breast examinations while at home. For women who are still having monthly periods, the examination is done within three to five days after the periods. For those women at menopause, self breast examination can be done on any day of the month. Before one shows any symptoms of breast cancer, it is recommended to get regular screening mammograms to detect breast cancer early at least once in two years for those in their forties or older. Visit the nearest health centre for more information on breast cancer.