Surviving
Breast Cancer
While speedy diagnosis and better treatment have led to a fall in breast cancer mortality
rates, being breast aware is essential to enhance your chances for survival. Recently Thumbay
Hospital conducted a Pink Drive which highlighted the courageous stories of real life breast
cancer survivors from all walks of life. HEALTH takes a closer look at the disease.
BREAST CANCER
PREVENTION
Did you know that the incidence of
breast cancer is increasing world-wide?
Dr. Houriya Kazim, Specialist Breast
Surgeon explains that interestingly
enough, the more developed countries
become, the more breast cancer
is seen. “In fact, researchers have
reported that in the entire Middle East
region, breast cancer occurs 10 years
younger than we would expect and
the disease tends to be much more
aggressive,” she says. “We don’t know
the reason for this in spite of doing all
the right things to decrease our risk –
having babies young, breast-feeding,
not taking Hormone Replacement
Therapy and so on.” However, the good
news is that even though more breast
cancer cases are being diagnosed,
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more women are surviving. Dr. Kazim
points out that around five times more
women are diagnosed with breast
cancer than die from it. Why it is
on the rise, she explains, is probably
multi-factorial related to changes in
lifestyle, food, environmental toxins,
genetics and so forth.
BREAST SELFEXAMINATION
From age 20, women should check
their breasts monthly. Checking your
breasts for lumps or other changes
is called a breast self-exam. Women
should do it 5 to10 days after the first
day of their period, or those who have
passed menopause should do this
on the same day each month. Being
breast aware means familiarizing
yourself with your breasts and the
changes they go through during your life.
You should know how your breasts look
and feel normally so that you can pick up
any changes quickly. With a self-exam it is
important to feel all around your breasts,
including underneath, at the top, around
by the collar bone, and under your arms. If
you do notice a change in your breasts, try
not to worry but visit your GP as soon as
you can. Breast cancer can present in many
ways, but it is important to remember
that many changes can also be caused by
benign (non-cancerous) conditions or
normal changes within the breast.
RED FLAGS TO
LOOK OUT FOR
• Size – if one breast becomes larger or
lower than the other.
• Nipples – if a nipple becomes inverted
(pulled in) or changes position or shape.