Breast cancer is possibly the most frightening of all "women's diseases".
Breast cancer, claims the lives of 20% of diagnosed patients, leaving a great many of the survivors visibly "deformed" after single or double mastectomies.
For women in higher risk groups, earlier or more frequent screenings may be recommended, so talk to your doctor if you have one or more of the following known risk factors:
Family history of breast cancer - There are two genes known to greatly increase breast cancer risk: BRCA1 and BRCA2. These genes are thought to be related to familial breast cancer development. Women with family history should start regular screening 10 years earlier than other women.
Having no children - Nobody recommends having children just to lower your breast cancer risk, but childless women may want to schedule earlier or more frequent early-detection check-ups.
Delaying first childbirth - Women who choose to wait until their 30s or later to have children may increase their risk of breast cancer.
Not breastfeeding - Breast feeding is not only healthier for your baby, but seems to decrease cancer risks in the mother as well!
Early menstruation - Girls who started their period at a young age (before their teen years) may have a higher risk. Consider teaching your teen daughters about self-exams before they leave home.
Late menopause - If you haven't begun menopause by your mid- to late-forties, you may want to begin your regular mammograms a few years early!
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) - While HRT for post-menopausal women reduces risk of osteoporosis, it increases risk of breast cancer. Discuss your relative risk for each of these diseases with your physician before deciding whether HRT is right for you.
Regular alcohol consumption - Some studies show women who drink two drinks or more daily may have 37% increased chance of developing breast cancer. You may wish to consider limiting your alcohol intake, especially if you already have one or more other risk factors working against you.
Estrogen-Progesterone combination medications - Whether you're taking estrogen-progesterone combined birth control, or a combined hormone menopausal therapy, these dual-hormone medications appear to increase breast cancer risk enough for an International Agency for Research on Cancer working group to label them "carcinogenic to humans."
Cancer risk increases with age, to the point where a woman who lives to the age of 90 has a 12.5% risk of breast cancer, compared to the 10% risk of the general female population. However, cancers found in younger patients are often correspondingly more aggressive, so young women who notice any of the following warning symptoms should be sure to schedule a screening with their doctor:
Inflammation, unusual tenderness or heat in one breast - Inflammatory breast cancer is one of the most aggressive forms of the disease, and often does not have a telltale 'lump' to find in a self-exam.
Redness, itching, bruising or 'orange peel' texture to an area of skin on one breast - If any of these signs appears for no known reason, and lasts more than a few days, a doctor's appointment should definitely be scheduled.
Sudden or unusual 'retraction' of a nipple, or unusual discharge - It is often convenient to examine your nipples while taking a shower or getting ready for bed.
Any noticeable change in the shape or size of one breast - While it is normal for women's breasts to be somewhat 'lopsided' or uneven in size and shape, a sudden change in size or shape in only one breast is cause for concern.
If a lump or other suspicious symptoms are found through a physical exam or mammogram, your doctor will schedule a biopsy, so your breast tissue can be screened for cancerous cells. If the biopsy is positive, a number of other screenings will be done to determine the stage of the cancer. In a Stage 1 cancer, the patient can often be treated with a simple lumpectomy and follow-up radiation therapy, but the survival rate drops quickly as the cancer progresses up to Stage 4. Early detection and treatment cannot be stressed enough.
Many women live long, healthy lives after lumpectomy or mastectomy surgeries, so don't lose hope even if a biopsy comes back positive. One of the best things any cancer patient or survivor can do for their own peace of mind is to seek counseling or join a breast cancer support group. Dealing with cancer and the probable surgeries that will come along with it is difficult for everyone, and having people to talk to who genuinely understands the issues involved is a great help.
Links to Breast cancer in Singapore
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