A MUST SHARE!!! THE MENACE CALLED BREAST CANCER AND ITS AFRICAN PECULIARITIES This October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to increase awareness of the disease. While most people are aware of breast cancer, many forget to take the steps to have a plan to detect the disease in its early stages and encourage others to do the same. Several organizations go on campaigns and even in Lagos State of Nigeria, Mrs Abimbola Fasola, the wife of the Executive Governor of the Sate flagged off one recently. In our own little way of enhancing the campaign, HZM brings to you all you need to know about Breast Cancer, its menace and the preventive measures as researched and written by Ogunmuko Tolulope. THE MENACE CALLED BREAST CANCER AND ITS AFRICAN PECULIARITIES. Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that starts from cells of the breast. A malignant tumor is a group of cancer cells that may invade surrounding tissues or spread (metastasize) to distant areas of the body. The disease occurs almost entirely in women, but men can get it, too. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide, comprising 16% of all female cancers. It is estimated that 519 000 women died in 2004 due to breast cancer, and although breast cancer is thought to be a disease of the developed world, a majority (69%) of all breast cancer deaths occurs in developing countries (WHO Global Burden of Disease, 2004). The lowest incidence rates are found in most African countries but here breast cancer incidence rates are also increasing. The low survival rates in less developed countries can be explained mainly by the lack of early detection programmes, resulting in a high proportion of women presenting with late-stage disease, as well as by the lack of adequate diagnosis and treatment facilities. A family history of breast cancer increases the risk by a factor of two or three. Some mutations, particularly in BRCA1, BRCA2 and p53 result in a very high risk for breast cancer. However, these mutations are rare and account for a small portion of the total breast cancer burden. Other risk factors include-early start of menstruation, late menopause, late age of 1st birth, use of oral contraceptives, hormone replacement therapy. Breastfeeding has a protective effect . The differences in breast cancer incidence between developed and developing countries can partly be explained by dietary effects combined with later first childbirth, lower parity, and shorter breastfeeding (Peto, 2001). The increasing adoption of western life-style in low- and middle-income countries is an important determinant in the increase of breast cancer incidence in these countries. THE FACTS ABOUT AFRICAN BREAST CANCER. Breast cancer in Africa Data obtained from the IARC (International Agency for research on Cancer) GLOBOCAN 2002 database, shows that compared to Developed countries African women do not have a higher rate of Breast Cancer Incidence but have an alarming higher mortality rate. . This means that the chances for breast cancer survival are much higher in developed nations. Further data, highlighting the cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates in Africa, is displayed below. In Africa, about 1 million cases are expected yearly in African countries by 2020 with 500,000 cases expected in Nigeria alone. * Breast cancer is 2nd leading cause of death among African Women. * Late presentation is the hallmark of breast cancer and other cancers among African men & women resulting in ineffective treatment. * 5-year cancer survival rate is 10% for Africa compared to 70% in developed countries. The possible signs of advanced breast cancer depend on what part of the body the cancer has spread to. They can include: *Bones: aches and weakness *Lungs: chest discomfort, shortness of breath, or coughing *Ovaries: bloating, pain, or vaginal bleeding *Liver and stomach: abdominal pain and digestion problems *Brain: seizures, or memory loss, balance, and vision problems. There are several tests to detect advanced breast cancer. Your doctor will check the area of your body where the cancer first occurred. Then he/she will most likely check your bones, lungs, and liver. These are the places where breast cancer is likely to spread. Below are some of the common tests for people with breast cancer: *Biopsy – a small sample of cells or tissue is viewed under a microscope. *Blood tests – a complete blood count test is done to see if your blood has the right number of cells. Sometimes, people with cancer have too few of these kinds of cells before they get treated. *Bone scan – a special camera is used to take a picture of your bones. *Chest x-ray – a common test used to spot tumors and looks at major organs. *CAT scan – an x-ray. It is taken from different angles to give a more detailed picture. *Hormone receptor test – helps to find out if the cancer uses hormones to grow and if hormone treatment is an option. *MRI scan – like a CAT scan. It takes detailed pictures of the body. MRIs can take better pictures of the organs than CAT scans. Today, there are many kinds of treatment options. The kind you receive will depend on: *Your age *If you have experienced menopause *If you have had any cancer treatments before *How far your cancer has spread *If your cancer will respond to hormone treatment *Surgery – an operation to remove the tumor and the area around it. In some cases with surgery, the breast can be saved. Other times, the whole breast is removed. It depends on the size of the tumor and distribution of the cancer. *Radiation – high-energy rays (such as x-rays) that kill or shrink cancer cells. *Chemotherapy (“chemo”) – anticancer medicines that destroy cancer cells. This treatment is often given as an infusion in the doctor’s practice. The patient then takes a break for a few days or weeks. This depends on the chemo regimen a person gets. This also allows the body to recover from any side effects. Most chemo treatments last from 4 to 6 months. Different treatments may be shorter or longer. *Hormone treatment – a type of medicine that prevents the body from making or using certain hormones. Most frequently, it is oestrogen. These medicines can slow or stop the growth of cancer. However, early detection is the rate-limiting factor in the treatment of breast cancer especially in Africa. Self-breast examination is been taught even at primary health care centres and even you can check the firmness and consistency of your breast yourself. All treatment options depend on how early the cancer is detected. SPREAD THE WORD, BREAST CANCER CAN BE TREATED………………KNOW YOUR BREAST STATUS TODAY. MORE SO, WE HAVE 100% NATURAL HERBAL MEDICINES THAT HAS PROVEN EFFECTIVE FOR THE TREATMENT OF CANCERS WHEN DETECTED EARLY, SO FOLKS, TRY AND GET TO KNOW THE SIGNS..MORE SO, READ OUR POSTS ON GRAVIOLA , LIME AND LEMON AS THESE FRUITS ARE VERY EFFECTIVE AGAINST CANCERS...More so, on 22nd of this month we sent an article on Grape Seed Extract Outperforms Chemo in Killing Advanced Cancer Cells so read up....knowledge is power... DO INBOX US IF YOU HAVE ANY HEALTH CHALLENGES SO OUR MEDICAL EXPERTS WILL FOLLOW UP, YOUR PRIVACY IS ASSURED... DO GOOD TO SOMEONE BY SHARING THIS VITAL TIPS... 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Posted on: Sat, 26 Oct 2013 17:08:45 +0000
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