Beating breast cancer

Thousands of South Africans will show their support for breast cancer victims, survivors, and those doing research in this field during October.

While October was celebrated as the most beautiful month by the Afrikaans poet C. Louis Leipoldt, it is also globally acknowledged as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer organizations and other individuals and concerned groups lobby around issues pertaining to this disease to create awareness and support of sufferers of the illness, and also for research.

Breast cancer in men

For the most part the focus is on women, and very little attention is given to breast cancer in men. Yet thousands of men are diagnosed with this disease annually. Men have less dense breast tissue than woman, and it is easier to detect an abnormality in a male breast. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that most men believe breast cancer to be a women’s disease, and are therefore more prone to ignore symptoms. As with most cancers, early detection increases the chances of survival.

Breast cancer statistics

According to the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA), breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide. The lifetime risk for South African women is one in 29. Male breast cancer is less than one percent of all breast cancers, and occurs mostly in older men.

Symptoms

Symptoms to look out for include a change in the shape or size of the breast, dimpling or puckering of the skin, a lump or thickening in the breast or under the arm, nipple retraction, unexpected and abnormal nipple discharge, a change in the colour or feel of the skin of the breast or around the nipple, swelling, redness or a feeling of “heat” in the breast.

CANSA advises women to do a self-examination once a month, as more than 80% of lumps are found by people doing a self-examination. Feeling a lump can easily lead to panic, but fortunately most lumps are benign. One should nonetheless see a doctor as soon as a lump is detected. Women should also annually go for a mammogram if they are forty years and older.

Risk factors

Because of early detection and awareness surrounding breast cancer, the survival rate for sufferers has improved dramatically. People most at risk of getting breast cancer are those with a family history of the disease. Other risk factors include: Women over the age of fifty, tobacco use, obesity, lack of physical activity, the consumption of two or more alcoholic drinks a day, long-term use of combined oestrogen and progesterone hormone replacement therapy (HRT), not having children, or giving birth for the first time after the age of thirty, and not breast feeding.

Treatment

According to the Breast Health Foundation, the treatment of breast cancer usually involves surgery, oncology (chemotherapy and hormone therapy) and radiation therapy, working as a multi-disciplinary team. Advances in treatment have made it possible to conserve the whole or part of the breast by performing a lumpectomy (where the cancerous growth is removed) or a partial mastectomy (where a part of the breast is removed).

Yes, breast cancer is a potentially fatal disease. But early detection and intervention can save your life. Make an appointment for a mammogram today. And start leading a healthy lifestyle. A good diet and exercise play an important role in minimising the risk.

As well as being physically debilitating, cancer could also be financially devastating. To find out how you can safeguard your family’s financial wellbeing through critical illness cover, please consult your financial advisor.

The information contained in this article is of a general nature and intended for information purposes only. The information and other content provided in this article are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is the information a substitute for professional medical expertise or treatment. If you or any other person has a medical concern, you should consult with your health care provider or seek other professional medical treatment. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or emergency services immediately.