So you think you know well enough about Breast cancer? Haven’t got the time to actually take a good look?
The most common cancer and the number one cause of cancer deaths amongst women in Malaysia is breast cancer. Breast cancer is the result of an uncontrolled growth of cells within the breast tissue. If not detected and treated promptly, breast cancer can metastasise, spreading to the lymph glands and other parts of the body including the lungs, bones and liver.
Who is at risk?
All women above 20 are at risk of developing breast cancer. There are a number of risk factors that have been identified.
Some of these factors include:
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♠ Age – the risk of developing breast cancer does increase with age. In fact, 70% of breast cancers occur in women aged 50 and above.
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♠ A family history of breast cancer – women who have a mother, sister or daughter who developed breast cancer before the age of 50 are at a higher risk. This risk is further heightened if a woman has more than one immediate family member who has breast cancer.
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♠ Previous history of breast cancer – women who have already been treated for cancer in one breast have an increased risk of developing cancer in the other breast.
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♠ Early menstruation (before age 12 ) or late menopause (after age 50).
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♠ Never having a full-term pregnancy or giving birth after age 30.
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♠ Not having breast-fed
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♠ High fat diet
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♠ Low fibre diet
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♠ Being obese in post-menopausal years
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♠ Excessive alcohol consumption
Symptoms of Cancer
These are often the first indicator that breast cancer may be present.
You should look out for:
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A lump in your breast that persists after your period.
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Bleeding or discharge from the nipple.
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A change in the shape of the breast.
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Puckering or dimpling of the skin of the breast.
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New retraction (pulling in) of the nipple.
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If you see or experience any of these changes, don’t hesitate. See your doctor immediately! 
Treatment
This may involve:
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Surgery – This removes the cancer and some surrounding normal tissue to ensure a margin of safety. There are two ways of doing this:
Lumpectomy - only a small or affected section of the breast is removed.
Mastectomy – here, all the breast tissue is removed. With this type of treatment, a woman can opt to have a breast reconstruction to surgically rebuild the berast.
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Radiotherapy – High-powered x-ray waves are directed at the cancer site and surrounding tissue to help destroy any remaining cancer cells.
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Chemotherapy – This requires the use of drugs or hormonal therapy to help destroy any remaining cancer cells.
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Left Breast Examination
Start again at Step 1 and repeat the procedure up to Step 5 for your left breast in the same manner with your right hand.
Diagnosis
This may involve a number of different investigations. Depending on the patient’s age and whether breast abnormality was picked by screening mammography or due to other symptoms, the investigations may include mammography, ultrasound of the breast and needle aspiration or biopsy of the abnormal area.
Are All Lumps in the Breast Cancerous?
Nine out of ten lumps found in breasts are not cancerous. Still, any lump you feel , even the smallest ones, must be treated with suspicion. A doctor must be consulted with at the earliest opportunity.
alright darlings. ♥ good night for now,i hope my ‘ladies’ would just take a good look at the information above as cancer is getting more and more common these days. Maybe not for yourself, you might be way too young for now. Just send a red-alert to all the woman around you, do a good deed aite? 
*clicketyclick*
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Posted on Wednesday, November 28th, 2007 in Past.
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Not expecting you to ‘feel’ it,but heck its 697 wtf. 
