more important is that I want you
healthy”. Hearing the words uttered
from her husband enlightened
Julainatul even more in spite of the
fact that she was not able to keep
her left breast.
Her words of encourage-
ment to other women out there
are, “There is hope for cancer
patients. D’ua and prayers as well
as undergoing a schedule treatment
(of course) are the ways to fight
cancer”. “Cancer can only be killed
with cytotoxic. And please… no
alternative medicine”, she added.
Her cats are also one of
her pushing factors to drive her
motivations to keep seizing the
day. The myth on stating that pets
are good for therapy can be pre-
sumed as true. Now, as she has just
completed her one year treatment,
Julainatul looked back to those
days of chemotherapy and surgery,
long nights in hospitals were only
as a part of the patchy journey of
her significant life. Cancer did not
make her weak; it just made her
even stronger.
Facts on Breast Cancer
Most diseases are inherit-
ed by genetics, and could also be
spread by the means of environ-
mental influences. Thus, a person
may not be born with a disease but
will probably be at high risk of get-
ting it. Cancers that occur because
of an inherited mutation are called
hereditary cancers. Cancers that
are not due to an inherited gene
change are called “sporadic cancer.”
Sporadic cancer and heredi-
tary cancer differ in several ways.
Sporadic Cancer is the type of
cancer that occurs by chance.
Individuals with sporadic cancer
commonly do not have immediate
family members or relatives with
the same type of cancer.
According to Malaysian
Oncological Society, breast cancer
is the most common form of cancer
affecting women in Malaysia. About
one in 19 women in this country
are at risk, compared to one in
eight in Europe and the United
States. Breast cancer is the leading
cause of death among women in
the nation. Sporadic breast cancer,
which is non-hereditary, turns out
to be the most widespread. More
than four out of five breast cancers
are not related to hereditary factors.
These type of cancers are due to
causes which were until recently
considered complicated and awfully
understood. Meanwhile, hereditary
cancer have been the subjects of
researches for many years.
Breast cancer occurs when
cells in the milk producing glands
or also known as lobules sudden-
ly become irregular and divide
overwhelmingly. These abnormal
cells will later begin to occupy
the surrounding breast tissue and
may eventually spread through the
blood vessels and lymphatic chan-
nels to the lymph nodes, lungs,
bones, brain and liver. The exact
cause of breast cancer is unknown.
Women with a family background
history of the disease have higher
chances of getting breast cancer.
Based on Malaysian Oncologist,
Dr Mohd Ibrahim Wahid carriers
of the BRCA I and BRCA II genes,
especially, have at least a 40 to 85
per cent risk of getting cancer. Oth-
er risk factors include exposure to
radiation, a history of benign breast
lumps, obesity, diet (especially one
high in fat), early menarche and
late menopause.
The radiation therapist is now preparing for radiotherapy treatment which has to be
performed with the help from CT-Simulation.
66 . SASARAN JURNAL KRITIKAN MEDIA