OCTOBER IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
Let’s face it, breast cancer can affect anyone irrespective of race, class, or gender. You may be a sufferer, or a support provider, sibling, or parent of one.
Do you know your breast?
https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/types/breast/anatomy-breast
Male breast
https://visualsonline.cancer.gov/details.cfm?imageid=9206
Breast cancer affects more women than men. Research studies from 2017 show that 1 out of every 1 000 men is affected. Male breast cancer is mostly diagnosed at an advanced stage.
Emotions evoked when one suspects or is diagnosed with cancer
Shock, anger, fear, dread, grief, or loss may come on suddenly like a whirlwind for some people, or they may sneak up quietly, one by one. These emotions are all normal.
Exercise
Recently, one student was stressed because his sister told him that she thinks she might have breast cancer. Their mother had lost her job due to lockdown, and the student is currently sharing his NFSAS allowance with his sister.
The sister has not been properly diagnosed. She has to be seen by a health practitioner so that an appropriate diagnosis can be made. As one who is supporting a relative or a friend, you need to be knowledgeable about breast cancer.
When prevention has failed, early detection is the best.
⦁ When last did you examine your breast?
⦁ Do you know how to do a breast self-examination?
NB: Examine your breast monthly
Normal breasts should:
⦁ be their usual size, shape, and colour;
⦁ be evenly shaped, with no visible swelling or distortion; and
⦁ have no palpable lumps.
Step 1: Stand in front of the mirror with your shoulders straight and your arms against your sides. Look at your breasts.
Step 2: Raise both your arms and look for any changes in terms of the attributes mentioned above.
Step 3: While you are still at the mirror, check that there is no fluid being emitted from one or both nipples.
Step 4: Lie down, examine the left breast with your right hand and the right breast with your left hand. Use a firm, smooth touch with the first few finger pads of your hand, keeping the fingers flat and together. Use a circular motion, about 2.5 cm in diameter. Cover the entire breast from top to bottom, side to side—from your collarbone to the top of your abdomen, and from your armpit to your cleavage.
If you see any of the following changes, bring them to your health practitioner's attention:
⦁ Dimpling, puckering or bulging of the skin
⦁ A nipple that has changed position or an inverted nipple (pushed inward instead of sticking out)
⦁ Redness, soreness, rash, or swelling
⦁ Palpable lump
Note: The lymph nodes under your arm, inside your breast, and near your collarbone are among the first places breast cancer spreads. It is ‘metastatic’ if it spreads beyond these small glands to other parts of your body.
For more information, contact the SHS Clinic at
[email protected], or visit https://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/testing/types/self_exam.
Most breast cancer-related tests fall into one or more of the following categories:
⦁ Screening tests: Screening tests (such as yearly mammograms, especially from the age of 40 years) are given routinely to people who appear to be healthy and are not suspected of having breast cancer. Their purpose is to find breast cancer early, before any symptoms can develop, at which time the cancer usually is easier to treat.
⦁ Diagnostic tests: Diagnostic tests (such as biopsy) are given to people who are suspected of having breast cancer, either because of symptoms they may be experiencing or a screening test result. These tests are used to determine whether or not breast cancer is present and, if so, whether or not it has spread beyond the breast. Diagnostic tests also are used to gather more information about the cancer to guide decisions about treatment.
⦁ Monitoring tests: Once breast cancer is diagnosed, many tests are used during and after treatment to monitor how well therapies are working. Monitoring tests may also be used to check for any signs of recurrence.
The Student Health Services Clinic acknowledges that there are students with breast cancer, though they are very few compared to students who have relatives or friends with breast cancer. We have referred a number of students with breast lump to our referral hospitals.
It is important to:
⦁ do a monthly breast self-examination,
⦁ go for regular check-ups,
⦁ have a mammogram yearly from the age of 40 years,
⦁ maintain a healthy lifestyle, and
⦁ know your family health history.
Author: Sr Kholeka Gantsho and
Sr Nonky Letsai
Virtual Campus
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