Cancer Awareness Month-Wear a Pink Ribbon (Women's Page 17)

As part of the Cancer Awareness month celebration in October a pink ribbon is worn to recognise the struggle that sufferers of breast cancer face. This is done by survivors of breast cancer, as well as family and friends of survivors and/or victims of the disease and people championing awareness of the disease.
“Pink for October” is an initiative started by Matthew Oliphant, an international Information and Communication Technology (ICT) specialist who asks that any websites willing to help make people aware of breast cancer, change their template or layout to include the colour pink, so that when visitors view the site, they see that the major colour of the site is pink. Then after reading a short amount of information about breast cancer, or after being redirected to another site, they become aware of the disease itself.
In Ghana, information posted on the websites of a health-related non-governmental organisation (NGO), Mammocare Ghana, indicates that breast cancer is a disease which affects women. It adds that almost 99 per cent of all cases are women.
According to health experts, womanhood and advancing age are major risk factors for the disease.
The average age for diagnosis has been established at 48 and, indeed, usually diagnosed at 39 in women who are still menstruating.
Incidence in Ghana of breast cancer has been estimated at 50-70 cases for every 100,000 women. Another issue is that the post-treatment survival rate is very low due to the low level of awareness, late detection, and high cost of treatment in the country.
Indeed, breast cancer has claimed the lives of some of Ghana's most illustrious women.
Wikipedia encyclopaedia defines breast cancer as a cancer that starts in the cells of the breast in women and sometimes men. Worldwide, breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer after lung cancer which is made up of about 10.4 per cent of all cancer incidence which affects both sexes. It is also considered the fifth most common cause of cancer death. In 2005, breast cancer caused 502,000 deaths worldwide.
Because the breast is composed of identical tissues in males and females, breast cancer also occurs in males. Incidence of breast cancer in men is approximately 100 times less common than in women, but men with breast cancer are considered to have the same statistical survival rates as women.
Breast cancer is typically a lump that feels different than the surrounding breast tissue.
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), the first medical sign, or objective indication of breast cancer as detected by a physician, is discovered by mammogram. Lumps found in lymph nodes located in the armpits and/or collar-bone can also indicate breast cancer.
Indications of breast cancer other than a lump may include changes in breast size or shape, skin dimpling, nipple inversion, or spontaneous single-nipple discharge.
Pain is an unreliable tool in determining the presence of breast cancer, but may be indicative of other breast-related health issues.
Unexplained weight loss can occasionally herald the presence of breast cancer as well as fevers or chills. Bone or joint pains can sometimes be manifestations of breast cancer, as can jaundice or neurological symptoms. These symptoms are "non-specific," meaning they can also be manifestations of many other illnesses.
Lower age of first childbirth (less than 24 years maternal age), having more children (about 7 per cent lowered risk per child), and breastfeeding (4 per cent) per breastfeeding year, with an average relative risk around 0.7 have all been correlated to lowered breast cancer risk in medical studies.
Studies have shown that plant oestrogen intake, such as from soy products, in early adolescence may offer protection against breast cancer later in life but plant oestrogen intake later in life is not likely to influence breast cancer incidence either positively or negatively.
A study conducted among over 17,000 women found that those who consume 40 grams of alcohol (about 3-4 glasses) per day have a higher risk of breast cancer. However, in women who take 200 micrograms of folate (folic acid or Vitamin B9) every day, the risk of breast cancer drops below that of alcohol abstainers.
To prevent breast cancer, health experts advise that one should take foods rich in folate which include citrus fruits, citrus juices, dark green leafy vegetables (such as ‘nkontomire’), dried beans, and peas.
Exposure to second-hand smoke from cigarette increases breast cancer risk by 70 per cent in younger, primarily pre-menopausal women.
There is some evidence that exposure to tobacco smoke is most problematic between puberty and first childbirth. The reason is that breast tissue appears most sensitive to chemical carcinogens (a substance which can cause cancer) within that age.
Prophylactic oophorectomy (removal of ovaries), in high-risk individuals, when child-bearing is complete, reduces the risk of developing breast cancer by 60 per cent, as well as reducing the risk of developing ovarian cancer by 96 per cent.
Breast cancer screening is an attempt to find unsuspected cancers. The most common screening methods are self and clinical breast examination, X-ray mammography, and breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Genetic testing may also be used.
A programme released by the Cancer Society of Ghana, AfrOx and the Ministry of Health to mark the Cancer Awareness month includes free screening exercises at the Odorna Clinic, Radiotherapy Centre at Korle-Bu, as well as at the Adabraka and Maamobi polyclinics, Ridge Hospital, La and Tema General hospitals and the Atomic Energy Clinic, Kwabenya.
The mainstay of breast cancer treatment is surgery when the tumour is localised. Treatment possibilities include radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and immune therapy.
Individuals, especially women who are at higher risk, are expected to adopt healthy lifestyles and make conscious efforts to check any abnormality in their breasts, to ensure early detection and treatment of the disease.