breast cancer awareness

As October is the breast cancer awareness month, I would like to blog about awareness of breast cancer. Pink for October started on august 2006, to create awareness to breast cancer.

Breast cancer is the fifth most common cause of cancer death after lung, stomach, liver and colon cancer. It caused 502, 000 deaths in 2005.

Signs

Early breast cancer can in some cases present as breast pain or a painful lump. Since the advent of breast mammography, breast cancer is most frequently discovered as an asymptomatic nodule on a mammogram, before any symptoms are present. A lump under the arm or above the collarbone that does not go away may be present. When breast cancer associates with skin inflammation, this is known as inflammatory breast cancer. In inflammatory breast cancer, the breast tumour itself is causing an inflammatory reaction of the skin, and this can cause pain, swelling, warmth, and redness throughout the breast.

Risk

The risk of getting breast cancer increases with age. A woman who lives to age 90 has a lifetime risk of about 14.3%, or one in seven. The probability of breast cancer rises with age, but breast cancer tends to be more aggressive when it occurs in younger people.

Men have a lower risk of developing breast cancer (approximately 1.08 per 100,000 men per year), but this risk appears to be rising.

Diet

In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, biomedical investigators found that Brassica vegetable intake (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale and Brussels sprouts) was inversely related to breast cancer development. Alcohol appears to increase the risk of breast cancer, with some studies finding a positive correlation between consumption levels and increased risk. One study concluded that breast cancer comprises 60 percent of alcohol-attributable cancers among women.

Gaining weight after menopause can increase a woman's risk. A recent study found that putting on 9.9kg (22lbs) after menopause increased the risk of developing breast cancer by 18%

What might cause breast cancer?

Abortion may increase the risk of breast cancer because of hormones initiating breast tissue growth in early pregnancy.

Much has been made of the possible contribution of aluminium-containing underarm antiperspirants-deodorant- to the incidence of breast cancer, since the most common location of a breast cancer is the upper outer quadrant of the breast.

Prevention

Consume more food that contains folic acid. Foods rich in folate include citrus fruits, citrus juices, dark green leafy vegetables (such as spinach), dried beans, and peas. Vitamin B9 can also be taken in a multivitamin pill.

October, wear pink. create awareness among ourself and donate to the needs.