Breast Cancer Awareness Month, marked in countries across the world every October, helps to increase attention and support for the awareness, early detection and treatment as well as palliative care of breast cancer.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there are about 1.38 million new cases and 458 000 deaths from breast cancer each year. WHO further states that breast cancer is by far the most common cancer in women worldwide both in developed and developing countries.
According to the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women in our region. More than 462,000 women are newly diagnosed and approximately 100,000 women die from breast cancer each year. This is expected to increase by 34% in the Americas by 2030, if current trends continue.
In Anguilla, breast cancer was the third leading cause of cancer deaths overall between 2010 and 2019 and the leading cause of cancer death among women during that same period.
Studies have shown that the risk for breast cancer is due to a combination of factors, some of which we can change and some of which we cannot change.
The risk factors that we cannot change include the following:
• Being female – women are much more likely than men to develop breast cancer.
• Increasing age – breast cancer risk increases with age.
• A personal history of breast conditions – history of a breast biopsy that found lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) or atypical hyperplasia of the breast, increases risk of breast cancer.
• A personal history of breast cancer – persons who had breast cancer in one breast, have an increased risk of developing cancer in the other breast.
• A family history of breast cancer – if your mother, sister or daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer, particularly at a young age, your risk of breast cancer is increased. Still, the majority of people diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history of the disease.
• Inherited genes that increase cancer risk – certain gene mutations that increase the risk of breast cancer can be passed from parents to children. The most well-known gene mutations are referred to as BRCA1 and BRCA2. These genes can greatly increase your risk of breast cancer and other cancers, but they don’t make cancer inevitable.
• Radiation exposure – history of radiation treatments to the chest as a child or young adult, increases risk of breast cancer.
• Precocious puberty – beginning your period before age 12 increases your risk of breast cancer.
• Beginning menopause at an older age – if you began menopause at an older age, you’re more likely to develop breast cancer.
On the other hand, the risk factors that we can change include the following:
• Not being physically active – women who are not physically active have a higher risk of getting breast cancer.
• Being overweight or obese after menopause – older women who are overweight or obese have a higher risk of getting breast cancer than those at a normal weight.
• Taking hormones – women who take hormone therapy medications that combine estrogen and progesterone to treat the signs and symptoms of menopause have an increased risk of breast cancer. The risk of breast cancer decreases when women stop taking these medications
• Reproductive history – having the first pregnancy after age 30, not breastfeeding, and never having a full-term pregnancy can raise breast cancer risk.
• Drinking alcohol – studies show that a woman’s risk for breast cancer increases with the more alcohol she drinks.
Early detection of the disease remains the cornerstone of breast cancer control. When breast cancer is detected early and if adequate diagnosis and treatment are available, there is a good chance that breast cancer can be cured. Organised screening programmes with breast examinations and mammograms have led to earlier diagnosis, and coupled with effective treatment, have led to reductions in breast cancer deaths. However, there are many challenges in implementing such effective organised screening programs in limited resource settings. Therefore, raising awareness and understanding about breast cancer risks, early signs and symptoms and overall breast health awareness is an important part of a public health approach for breast cancer.
Women should also know how their breasts normally look and feel (through self-examination) and report any breast changes to a health care provider immediately. Signs and symptoms of breast cancer may include:
• A breast lump or thickening that feels different from the surrounding tissue
• Change in the size, shape or appearance of a breast
• Changes to the skin over the breast, such as dimpling
• A newly inverted nipple
• Peeling, scaling, crusting or flaking of the pigmented area of skin surrounding the nipple (areola) or breast skin
• Redness or pitting of the skin over your breast, like the skin of an orange
Some women – because of their family history, a genetic tendency, or certain other factors – should be screened with MRIs along with mammograms. (The number of women who fall into this category is very small.)
Talk with a healthcare provider about your risk for breast cancer, ways to reduce your risk and the best screening plan for you, including breast examination, mammogram, breast ultrasound and/or Breast MRI. This may save your life.
Thank you.
