Beating the Odds
This year, 1.5 million people worldwide will be told that they have breast cancer, but millions more are joining the fight to prevent and raise awareness about this dreaded disease.
It is a sobering fact that nearly 1 in 4 women with cancer will be told that it is in their breasts. Half of those women live in highly developed countries, proving that even the most sophisticated technology, affluence and good nutrition are no guarantee that you won’t be a statistic.
Currently, breast cancer is a leading cancer faced by South African women, with 1 in 29 women diagnosed yearly. However, the good news is that cancer can be beaten and early detection, prevention and treatment gives patients a very good chance of fully recovering.
According to the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA), breast cancer is a malignant tumour that starts from cells of the breast. Though found mostly in women, it can also affect men.
Prevention is better than cure
While mammograms (X-rays of the breast) have increased the number of breast cancers found before they manifest in symptoms, there are still some important red flags to watch out for. These are warning signs which we can pick up ourselves, at home.
The most common breast cancer sign is a new lump or mass, says CANSA. A painless, hard and unevenly edged lump is more likely to be an indicator of the disease, though some cancers are soft, tender and rounded.
It is crucial to have your doctor check anything out of the ordinary. Other breast cancer signs include:
• Skin irritation or dimpling
• Swelling of some or part of the breast
• Pain in the breast
• Nipple pain or an inwardly turning nipple
• Scaliness, redness or thickening of the nipple or breast skin
• Nipple discharge (apart from breast milk)
• A lump in the underarm area
Prevention is key in the fight against breast cancer. Becoming aware of your breasts – how they normally look and feel – and conducting regular breast self-examinations are the best ways to detect possible abnormalities.
Regularly examining your breasts for any of the symptoms – and then reporting these to your doctor – should form part of your health routine. Start in your twenties, so that you become well practised and really get to know your breasts.
Experts suggest that women in their twenties and thirties have a clinical breast exam (CBE), which is part of a normal exam by a health professional, at least every three years. If you are 40 or older, have your breast exam annually and speak to your doctor about how often you should have a mammogram.
Spreading the message
Apart from intense medical research and support in preventing and treating the condition, the global work on raising awareness of breast cancer is astounding. From beauty companies to non-governmental organisations, millions of people have joined hands to pledge their support and empower ordinary women to take healing into their own hands.
Perhaps one of the most beautiful and powerful of the campaigns involves the pink ribbon, which is worn particularly during Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. Celebrities have endorsed the concept, which sends a strong visual message to citizens around the world about the importance of understanding and acknowledging the disease.
Iconic beauty company Estée Lauder has also been applauded for its media-friendly Global Illumination Campaign. This is an initiative that literally puts the spotlight on breast cancer by emblazoning monuments, landmarks and buildings in a shower of pink light. This literal light-up serves as a brilliant kick-start to Pink Ribbon month in October, which in turn focuses on helping to raise funds for crucial research into prevention, detection and treatment studies.
In South Africa, CANSA fought the good fight this year with the launch of its “South Africa’s Biggest Tea Party for CANSA” initiative in Johannesburg earlier this year. Friends, family and colleagues simply get together over a cup of tea, juice, bubbly or soup and donate what they can towards the association’s fundraising efforts.
Fundraisers are continually feeding the new public and media-savvy awareness campaigns, with some whipping up a storm of support – and laughter! The annual CANSA Shavathon involves showing solidarity with cancer survivors by shaving, colouring or braiding your hair on the designated campaign day.
Shavathon 2010, says CANSA, “managed to top the fantastic support of Shavathon 2009, in which 150,000 people took part, raising R6-million!”
Worldwide, the “Avon Walk Around the World for Breast Cancer” effort, now in its fifth year, has mobilised hundreds of thousands of people to raise money. Around 800,000 people have participated in the walks, raising $8.2 million (about R58 million) for the breast cancer cause.
The message from survivors, researchers, medical professionals and supporters is clear: If you have breast cancer, you are not alone. And that is a comforting reality on the journey towards recovery.
Story by Beth Cooper
