Fight Breast Cancer's step continue ........

Step : 2 ----- Breast Screening :

clinical Breast Exam(CBE) – You know your body and if you have any inkling of a change in your breasts then get a second opinion from a doctor. The CBE entails the doctor’s feeling or palpating the breasts and underarms to detect any abnormalities.

Mammogram – A clinical procedure used to make an X-ray of the breast. This can be used to dither reveal lumps that are not yet visible and are possible malignant or it can be used to find cancer that has not spread from the duct to other tissues from the breast: non invasive cancer. NOTE-For women under the age of 50, mammograms are not 100% accurate (they are incorrect 10-15% of the time) and are unable to detect the cancer in younger woemn because they have denser breast tissue which appears white on a mammogram.

MRI- This test is more sensitive to breast cancer derection than mammography. MRI’s  are used in addendum to mammograms and CBEs and can be used to analyse the size of the tumour and plan the type of surgery to be conducted next. It is also used to examine breasts after surgery or radiation therapy.

Biopsy- This is the most critical and most accurate step. Small tissue samples are extracted and tested by a pathologist to determine if cancer is present.

Step 3- Cancer Treatment :

Surgery- Surgery can be of two types :  lumpectomy where only the affected cancer cells are surgically removed, and mastectomy, where the entire breast is removed. Bilateral mastectomy involves removal of both the breasts. Breast reconstruction can be considered if mastectomy is pursued.

Radiation therapy- This is standard procedure after lumpectomy, targeting any other cancerous cells that might have been missed.

Hormone therapy- This is standard procedure after lumpectomy, targeting any other cancerous cells that might have been missed.

Hormone therapy- This process entails treatment with tamoxifen to prevent cancer developing again in the same or opposite breast.

Step : 4-Follow-up :

Careful and routine follow-up is required for the rest of a person’s life if he/she had been diagnosed and treated. Follow-up every three to six months for the next two to three years is crucial and includes mammography, chest X-rays and even bone or CT scans.

Cause of Breast cancer :

Antiperspirants, bras, abortions or miscarriages, pollution, tobacco smoke or breast implants can cause breast cancer have not been found to directly cause breast cancer according to several studies.

Family factor : If any direct family member/parent has breast cancer, it increases your of inheriting it.

Hormonal factor : Women who start menstruating at an early age (11 or younger) or experience a late menopause (55 or older) have a slightly higher risk of developing breast cancer.

Age factor : Chances of contracting breast cancer increases with age.

Birth control pills, not having children or having them later in life, using bormone therapy after menopause, not breast feeding or lack of exercise can cause breast cancer. Various studies have concluded that any one of these factor can cause breast cancer.

Don’t Let Cervical Cancer Threaten Her

Cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of death of women worldwide. In Bangladesh, 14 women die of cervical cancer everyday and almost 13 thousand women are diagnosed every year.

Every woman may be at risk of cervical cancer. Immensely spread Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the main cause of cervical cancer. This cancer can be prevented by vaccination.

Know about cervical cancer, protect yourself and your dear ones.