What every woman should know about breast cancer

Her name was Amina, a 43-year-old housewife from a rural community in the Northern part of our country. One day while taking a bath she discovered a lump in her right breast which was painless and the size of a peanut, she simply ignored it. I met her several months later and the lump had […]

Her name was Amina, a 43-year-old housewife from a rural community in the Northern part of our country. One day while taking a bath she discovered a lump in her right breast which was painless and the size of a peanut, she simply ignored it. I met her several months later and the lump had turned into a huge mass that had ruptured into a wound discharging pus and blood. She had lost significant weight, was coughing, and could no longer use her right arm.

Like most of the cases seen, she had taken all sorts of herbs given to her by a native doctor and the reason why she had finally sought hospital care was because the horrid smell from the wound was driving people away from her. She died two days later, she had been married for 20 years but had no children.

Amina’s story is like that of several Nigerian women who present late with advanced cases, where there will be little or no benefit from treatment. Breast cancer is the 2nd leading cause of death in women and also occurs in men rarely, yet our people are unaware of it. The key to a successful breast cancer story is early detection and treatment. Early detection simply means “catching” the disease in its early stages where effective treatment usually results in a better prognosis.

The various methods of detection include: self breast examination (SBE) which should be done monthly just about the week when you finish menstruating this is inexpensive and done by the individual at home, the clinical breast examination (CBE) done by your doctor at the clinic every 3 years for women 20-40yrs and yearly for those above 40 years and thirdly mammography which simply means an x-ray done to identify suspicious lesions, this is usually done every 1-2 years for women above 40 years and not usually done in women younger than 40 years unless indicated. Mammograms are very important because it can detect a cancer even before you feel it with your fingers.

Now are you at a risk to developing breast cancer? Well the answer is yes! That is why the above detection methods apply to every woman with no exception but some are at a higher risk than others. Some of the risk factors include: advancing age (greater than 40yrs), early start to menstruation (less than 12 yrs), late onset of menopause (greater than 55 yrs), late age at 1st pregnancy (greater than 30yrs), long term use of contraception, family history of breast cancer, the constant evils of cigarette smoking and alcohol intake (indicated in almost all cancers), high fat diet, exposure to radiation and women with no children therefore haven’t breastfed. Oh, yes, breast feeding reduces the risk of breast cancer.

A healthy diet and regular exercise can go a long way in reducing your risk! Please if you notice a lump, discharge from your nipples and change in the colour of your areola or in the appearance of you nipple, this is by no means an exhaustive list so in fact if you have any doubts  seek immediate medical attention.

The importance of creating awareness for breast cancer cannot be overemphasized. We need to reach out to the community dwellers educating them on the risks and signs of breast cancer, helping them realise the importance of early detection and treatment. Yes we can reduce deaths from breast cancer to the barest minimum. You can make a difference today by either volunteering, donating to an organisation or by simply spreading the message.

Dr. Modibbo, an Abuja-based medical practitioner, is of the Institute of Human Virology.