Breast cancer awareness

October is the breast cancer awareness month. A month solely dedicated to one of the worlds deadliest diseases. The main purpose behind this dedication is to make the negligent realize the importance of a daily checkup and for the victims to not loose hope.

Cancer can victimize men and women both but its occurrence is more common in women. However dangerous, Breast cancer is also known as the “best cancer” as with proper awareness it can be detected at its early stage unlike other cancer types which cannot be spotted prematurely. Hence, I cannot stress enough on the importance of breast cancer awareness,especially among women. Regular breast checkup is a must. You should know how to self examine your breast and also go for a clinical examination regularly, as early detection gives a lot more chance of survival.

When it comes to cancer probability, older women and women with family history of cancer have a greater chance/risk of getting it, than others. Apart from age or hereditary factors certain pills or hormones can also lead to breast cancer. For instance, sometimes use of oral contraceptive or hormone replacement therapy can trigger the formation of cancer cells. This deadly disease has also been seen in women who cannot have children.

Physical factors such as alcohol consumption or obesity can also put one at risk. Unfortunately, there are no preventive measures that can be taken for it since the core cause has still not been discovered by the medical science. The only way of getting out of this disease alive is through early detection.

Besides, to be able to detect breast cancer, you need to be aware of its symptoms, For instance, there are some physical warning signs such as a lump in the breast or arm pit, change in the size or shape of the breast or nipple, discharge from the nipples or unusual pain in the breast or in the armpit.

In case you find anything abnormal don’t get worked up immediately. Not every lump is cancerous. Moreover, Many times the change in your breast is due to menstrual cycle. Nevertheless, make sure you consult a doctor right away.

After the examination of the breasts the doctor can get some tests done which are known as triple assessment. In case required the doctor might also make you take some extra examinations. If the tests are positive there are many ways to treat it depending on the stage and type of cancer. The course of treatment is developed by the doctor.

In the end I would like to say, ignorance is not always bliss. Don’t bury your head in the sand. Get into the habit of breast self examination. It could save your life.