Breast cancer is a type of uncontrolled cell production which results in cancerous tumors . Not all tumors are cancerous; some can be removed through surgery before they turn in cancer.
Breast cancer in Pakistan: Almost 90,000 cases of breast cancer are reported annually in Pakistan and according to national health reports 40,000 women die annually from this cancer.
Pakistan is among those Asian countries who have the highest breast Cancer cases. If only breast cancer is detected early through screening there is a 90% chance women can recover from it.
Causes of breast cancer:
● No proper guidance and lack of screening
●A diet which includes high fat intake can lead to cancer.Don’t consume Chicken twice in week.
●In Pakistan breast cancer discussion is still considered as a Taboo.
In many cases if through self examination women find changes in breast they feel hesitation to talk with their families. Many women don’t concern with doctors and through this many cases are diagnosed late when there is possibility of less life span.
Symptoms of breast cancer
● Change in size, shape of breast
●If you feel pain , redness and swelling it can be symptoms of breast cancer
●Fluid discharge from breast or breast lump can be symptoms of breast cancer
In the west where women around 40-60 are having breast cancer, the situation in Pakistan is different. In Pakistan women and young girls in their 20s are getting breast cancer.
Every October breast cancer awareness day is celebrated around the world to guide women about it .
Stages and treatment:
There are four stages of breast cancer: Stage one is the early stage of cancer which is curable and if you detect changes earlier there is a 95% chance you will recover from stage one. Stage two and three are also curable; you can recover from it through surgery and chemotherapy .
If it’s not spread across lymph nodes you can easily recover from it but if cancer spreads around nearby lymph nodes the survival rate decreases a lil from 95 to 86% but still there is a high hope you can recover from it.
The final stage is stage four where the cancer is spread across other parts of the body and this makes the survival rate low . Metastasis is the term used to define stage four IV. This stage is considered incurable because cancer spreads around nearby organs including liver , bones and in the worst scenario it affects your lungs.
In stage 3 the breast is removed to remove or shrink the tumor . Sometimes breast removal is even used for early stages diagnosis where lumpectomy is not possible. Stage 1 to 3 cancer is treated with surgery. It can be chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
Early screening:
Early screening can reduce cancer development and it can save your life. Mammography is the tool doctors use to examine changes in the breast. If you feel any discomfort, pain , redness and swelling concern your doctor.
According to reports approx 1 in 40 women have a chance of developing breast cancer. Highest deaths of breast cancer were reported in 2022 where according to WHO 670 000 women died from breast cancer. …The end…
