In the year 2020, around 2.3 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer according to WHO. Deaths due to breast cancer totaled 685,000. Breast cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death among women, only after lung cancer.
Yet, we restrict awareness of breast cancer to just one month every year.
A Brief History on Breast Cancer Awareness Month
In 1985, in October, the American Cancer Society and the pharmaceutical division of Imperial Chemical Industries founded the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
This initiative was started to encourage women to have screening mammograms which help to detect breast cancer in its early stages. This helped to highlight how early detection of cancer can help lower death rates. The key at the time was awareness relating to breast cancer, a seemingly unknown condition.
Today, even though the potential of breast cancer is known across the globe, understanding the nuances of the condition is limited.
Understanding Your Breast Cancer Risk
A frequent myth associated with breast cancer is that it’s an old woman’s cancer. However, in reality, breast cancer can be observed among women of all ages. Men also have a risk of developing breast cancer in their lifetime.
The highest numbers of breast cancer cases are among women who are in their 40s.
Several factors contribute to the development of breast cancer. The most well-known ones are the genes BRCA1 and BRCA2. It is a common misconception that all cases of breast cancer are transmitted genetically. While the presence of these genes in the lineage can increase a person’s risk of developing breast cancer, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they will develop breast cancer within their lifetime. There is, however, a 70% increased chance of developing breast cancer by 80 years with the mutated gene, compared to the 13% among the general population without the gene.
In addition to the genetic risk, several other contributory factors can increase the lifetime risk of developing breast cancer. Some of these include:
- Family history of breast cancer
- Aging
- Having dense breasts
- Early menarche or late menopause
- Taking hormones, especially the following menopause
- Previous medical history of breast cancer or other reproductive cancers
A lot of these factors are often out of our hands. There are a few, termed as lifestyle factors, that can increase risk but are considered as modifiable factors. These include obesity, sedentary lifestyle, alcohol, smoking, and pollution.
Lowering Your Breast Cancer Risk
Breast cancer awareness at its outset is to ensure that women know how to identify their risk. It also helps to educate on the precautionary measures that can be taken to reduce serious outcomes if ever diagnosed with breast cancer.
First and foremost managing lifestyle factors that could heighten one’s risk of developing cancer should be considered. A healthy person, who consumes a nutritious diet, exercises, sleeps well, and has overall low stress, has a significantly low risk of developing breast cancer, and any other cancer for that matter.
The next step is to analyze genetics to see if there was a history of breast cancer or any other cancers. Mutations that lead to cancers have been observed to transmit from one generation to the next. If there are family members who have had cancer, considering genetic counseling to identify the risk can help to take subsequent steps to reduce the chances of developing breast cancer.
According to the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), screening for breast cancer, with a mammogram, should begin at 50 years of age. This screening should take place every two years. Medical professionals could recommend it yearly based on findings during the screening and a woman’s medical history. Women younger than 50 are generally not recommended to have breast cancer screening unless there is a significant risk documented in their medical history. After 75 years of age, screening for breast cancer can be stopped.
All women are recommended to conduct a self-breast examination at home, routinely every month.
In Need For More Awareness
“The advent of screening methods to detect breast cancer has only helped to lower the number of fatalities to breast cancer. Even medication and treatment strategies are improving and increasing with time”.
“However, breast cancer still remains widely underdiagnosed around the world. This is because conversations around a woman’s breasts don’t relate to their potential to have a disorder or disease. Many cases of breast cancer can present in its final stages where even attempts to treat it can be futile”.
Several studies document how women even after receiving a diagnosis may not completely understand what it entails. Treatment methods are not indicated sufficiently to patients where they can make informed decisions. And other studies document the divide between screening and management for cancers such as breast and cervix among the rural and urban populations. Among rural women, along with the limited access to healthcare facilities, they might not be able to identify the signs of cancer early. Therefore treatment is delayed, further increasing fatality related to breast cancer.
Breast Cancer and The Future
Today, women across the globe are more aware of how their bodies function. This means that if something is amiss they would ideally get it checked out. However, as a society, women are still left behind when it comes to taking the first step towards seeking healthcare assistance for themselves. Many wait for extended periods before a health concern receives the attention that it requires.
Breast cancer can be silent at its onset. However, there can be signs, such as pain, lumps, changes in the appearance of the breast, or discharge from the nipples. These should never be neglected. All women should know that seeking attention for changes within their breasts, reducing their risk for a fatal outcome if breast cancer is detected.
Initial screening through the mammogram is not an invasive test. Yet, it helps to detect the changes early. Most of the lumps or changes detected on mammograms are benign. But it is the small percentage that is cancerous that is costing us so many lives.
This is why we need awareness that is all year round. Breast cancer can affect a woman during any year of her life. And finding out that you have cancer is the most disheartening news. Today, many women have shared their experiences of both winning and losing their battles with breast cancer. This is just the first step towards understanding how the condition impacts life. As a society, we still have a long way to go towards understanding how much our community is truly aware of the repercussions of breast cancer.