Breast Cancer Awareness

Dr. Shibangi Das, Ayurvedacharya, DSRC. OCT 01. 4 years ago

Breast Cancer Awareness

“October is marked as Breast Cancer Awareness month every year to increase our focus towards prevention, early detection & treatment of this dreaded disease”

Breast cancer is a malignant tumor (a collection of cancer cells) arising from the cells of the breast. Although breast cancer predominantly occurs in women it can also affect men. It is the second leading cause of death among women. 1 in 8 women may be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.

Though, death rates from breast cancer have been declining since about 1990, due to better rate of screening, self-examination, leading to early detection, increased awareness, and continually improving treatment options. Women in their 20s and 30s should have a clinical breast exam every 3 years. After age 40, women should have a breast exam every year. Mortality rates plummeted in the 1990s, when mammograms first became widely used; they’ve declined less than 3%/yr since then, but we should try harder to bring it down further. Evaluation of risk factor & watching out for alarming signs might help us in achieving our target.

Risk Factors Of Breast Cancer

Signs To Look For

Age
Personal health history
Family health history
Radiation therapy to the chest
Reproductive and menstrual history:-
- Late Pregnancy
- Women who never had children are at an increased risk of breast cancer.
- First menstrual period before age 12
- Menopause after age 55
- Long term post-menopausal hormone therapy
Breast density
Being overweight or obese
Lack of physical activity
Drinking alcohol
Stress