What is cancer? Cancer refers to any abnormal, unregulated growth of cells that can ultimately spread to different parts of the body. It can happen in any part of our body. In the case of Eva Ekvall, her cancer originated from the breast.
Cancer of the breast is the second most cause of cancer among women, cervical cancer being the first. It has been found out that the lifetime risk (to age 85) of a woman developing breast cancer in 1940 was 5% or 1 in 20. The risk now is 13.4% or almost one in 8. In 2009, it was estimated that 192,370 new cases of breast cancer was diagnosed and 40,170 died of the disease. Women who undergo breast cancer screening programs have demonstrated significantly reduced deaths from the disease. However, the effectiveness of screening will depend on how often women are screened, compliance with screening recommendations and the quality of the screening.
There have been reports that the value in self-breast examination has been denigrated in the screening for breast cancer, however, it remains to be simplest method that would alert a woman that something is going wrong with her breast.
Here are simple guidelines for self-examination of the breast:
What should alert a woman upon doing self-examination of her breasts? The following should serve as the RED ALARM for breast cancer:
1. Lump that has not been evaluated
2. Change in the consistency and size of the breast lump
3. Red, swollen or flaky skin around the areola of the nipple
4. Nipple that is painful and becomes inverted
5. Any fluid that is leaking from the nipples if not breastfeeding
6. Skin dimpling
7. Lump or changes in skin under the armpit
The patient undergoing this self-examination should be more on RED ALERT if she had the any of the following risk factors such as genetic factors, having first degree relatives with breast cancer, early menarche, late pregnancy, nulliparity, delayed menopause, hormone replacement therapies and breast biopsies. Increasing age, race, obesity, radiation exposure and alcohol consumption have been found out to increase the risk of the disease.
Breast Self-examination affords the women a sense of control over their health and they become more comfortable with their breasts. It is a non-invasive procedure and it makes the women more aware of her breast changes.
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