Every day, people wake up to all sorts of harsh realities ranging from losing loved ones in horrific road accidents or earth-quakes, to facing terrible diseases. For women specifically, breast cancer is one of those harsh realities and it is one which they will either survive or succumb to, depending on the genetic type and stage of the disease.
In sub-Saharan Africa and in many parts of the globe, breast cancer is the second most common life-threatening disease among women after cervical cancer, claiming millions of lives in some regions more than in others. Research shows that advanced age, a history of breast cancer in family and excessive alcohol intake are some of the risk factors that increase chances of breast cancer developing in a woman. However, regardless of your age, family history and the environment you live in, breast cancer remains one deadly malignancy every woman should be aware of.
The pressing need for action against this disease led health organizations first in America in 1985 to dedicate the whole month of October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This observance has since become global and the aim is to make every woman aware of the causes,symptoms and treatment options for breast cancer with a view to preventing the disease,thus reducing the number of deaths caused by this dreadful disease.
For decades, mammogram tests have been the most trusted way of detecting breast cancer and physicians encourage women from age 40 upwards to get into a yearly routine of having themselves screened for breast cancer.
But it is advised to every woman to learn how to perform monthly breast self-examination as this can help detect lumps or any unusual condition in the breast.
It’s really hard to tell why this cancer develops and, even though many studies have been and are still being conducted on the subject and preventative measures are in place, breast cancer – like many diseases of its nature – remains a situation not entirely in our control. When it comes to health, I’m of the opinion that the best approach to take is to follow this long-standing good advice: maintain a balanced diet & lifestyle, exercise regularly and learn as much as you can on health related issues. Many have reaped good results from this!
The video below, courtesy of www.howcast.com, gives insight into how to recognize breast cancer symptoms: