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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1984-03-28, Page 34HOPE Page10 reast cancer is curable -detect ear Every year some 9,000"Canadian women develop breast cancer. It rarely affects men, but approximately 1 in 12 women liv- ing iving in this country will develop breast cancer in the course of her lifetime. Although curable, particularly when detected early, breast cancer kills almost 3,500 Canadians a year and. is the major cruise of cancer deaths among women. It is the leading cause of death -in womenfriwn all causes between the ages of 35 and 54. I Also, because it tends to occur earlier in life than other cancers and than other major causes -of death, such as cardiovascular • disease, it has been shown to be the greatest cause of years of life lost by Canadian women. Clearly it is a major health pro- blem. WHAT IS CANCER OF THE BREAST? Cancer of the breast can have all the features which are characteristic of cancers in general. The tumor usually arises from the cellsofmilk sacs or milk ducts, although malignant tumors occasionally arise from the supporting structure. Even a cancer arising from the sacs or ducts may show variation. It may grow into the duct canal and signal its presence early with bleeding , from the nipple. -Alternatively, --it -may .grew- - into the breast tissue as a mass which is usually very hard, but may, with some kinds of tumors, be soft. Cancer of the breast oe- I curs almost exclusively in women - in fact, it is one hundred times more common in • women than men. It is also rare in women under 30 years old, and becomes more com- mon after age 40. RISK FACTORS IN BREAST CANCER We do not yet know the causes of breast cancer but research is adding to our knowledge every year. Studies of large numbers of women with thedisease have permitted * identification of a number -of • . • risk factors which increase their chances of developing breast cancer. They are: 1. Previous breast cancer. • 2. Strong family history of breast cancer. Cancer of the breast is common enough that , lo.not.unusual to have such a family history the disease by mere chance: However, if more than one first degree relative (mother, sister) has had breast cancer, then an in- dividual should consider herself at increas• - ed risk of developing the disease. 3. Age at first pregnancy. The younger' a woman at .the time of her first pregnancy,, especially before age 25, the greater her protection against getting breast cancer. However, women who became pregnant for. the first time at age 30 have about the same risk of getting breast cancer as women who never have children. First pregnancy after age 30 is associated with a slightly -increased risk of breast cancer compared to women who have never borne children. 4. Diet. Rats fed a high fat diet show an in- creased incidence of breast cancer and , some comparative studies suggest • that overweight women, particularly after the menopause, and women whose diet includes an excess of fats, particularly animal fats, may have a higher incidence of breast cancer. 5. Benign breast disease. There is some evidence that benign breast disease (chronic cystic mastitis) increases the risk of cancer. However, whether this is true or not, the woman with granular breasts from this disease should follow a careful breast surveillance regime since, if nothing else, it will make the early diagnosis of breast • cancer more difficult. 6. Menstruation. Early beginning of the menstrual periods (menarche) and late cessation of menstrual periods (menopause), _ probably because both are associated with the prolonged influence of stimulatory hormones, have been associated with a slightly increased risk of breast cancer. 7. Multiple pregnancies. Multiple pregnancies do appear to provide some pro- tection apart from the fact that they are often associated- with early age of first pregnancy. ---. In addition to the risk factors mentioned, the administration of female sex hormones (estrogen) is associated with the increased occurrence of breast cancer in laboratory animals. In women of childbearing age, however, extensive studies on the effect of the birth control pill (which contains female sex hormones) have failed to demonstrate any increased risk of breast cancer. Unfor- tunately, this is not true of studies in which estrogens have been administered to women following the Menopause for the control of menopausal symptoms. In the latter situa- Breast s•iirMin 2 0 Sit or stand in front of your mirror, with your arms relaxed'at your sides, and examine your breasts carefully for any changes in size and shape. Look for any puckering or dimpling of the skin, and for any discharge or change in the nipples. Raise both your arms over your head, and look for exactly the same things. See if there's been any change since you last examined your breasts. Lie on your bed, put a pillow or a bath towel under your left shoulder and your left hand under your head. (From this Step through Step 8, you should feel for a lump or thickening.) With the fingers of your right hand held. together flat, press gently but firmly with small circular motionsto-feelthe.inner, .. Tiro quarter ofvcitir ieft-breast,-f-- starting at your breast -bone and going outward toward the nipple. line. Also feel the area around the nipple. With the same gentle pressure, feel the lower inner part of your breast. Incidentally, in this area you will feel a ridge of firm tissue or flesh. Don't be alarmed. This is perfectly. normal. Now'bringyour.left arm down to yoursa ie, ndsttlhusingth_e}iiai part of your fingers, feel under your armpit. Use the same gentle pressure to feel the upper, outer quarter. of your breast from the nipple line to where your arra is resting. ion And finally, feel the lower outer section of your breast, going from the outer part to the nipple. Repeat the entire procedure on the right breast. Your own doctor may want you to use a slightly different method of examination. Ask him to teach you that method.. Examine your breasts every month, just after your period. Be sure to continue these checkups after, your change of life. If you find a lump or thickening leave it.alone until you see your doctor. Don't be frightened. Most breast lumps or changes are not cancer, but only your doctor can tell. tion there appears to be a moderate in- crease in the risk of breast cancer develop- ment after an interval of many years. Although there is a common misconcep- tion that an injury to the breast is a common cause of the breast cancer, this is not true. There is no evidence that an injury can eause breast.- cancer, ._although -,.it may . be - what first.draws a woman's attention to a cancer which is already present. There is also no truth to the myth that breast feeding can protect against breast cancer. HOW CAN YOU PROTECT YOURSELF FROM BREAST CANCER? While prof is lacking that the following may decrease your risk of developing breast cancer, you are probably wise to: 1. eat a prudent diet, avoid an excess of fats, avoid becoming obese, and 2. take medication containing sex hor- mones only if required and in the smallest possible dose which will achieve the desired effect. Another important positive action is regular breast self-examination (BSE). BREAST SELF-EXAMINATION Every Canadian woman should practice breast self-examination (BSE) once a mon- , tin The basic priciples behind BSE are to ex- amine all of your breast tissue and under your arm, using the flat of your fingers: The Canadian Cancer Society will provide you with information on how to perform BSE and some Units of the Society conduct teaching clinics at which you can receive personal instruction in this important, easy and painless early diagnostic procedure. You can also ask your doctor to teach you BSE, as well as giving you breast examina- tions as part of a regular check-up. What Are You Looking For? The most common sign of breast cancer is a mass or lump in the breast which is discovered by the woman herself. The mass well as whether the use of mammography is rarely painful. adds a significant additional benefit to an - Bleeding from the nipple may occur with nual physical examinations. cancers that grow into the duct system. 2. Thermography - examination of the Changes in the contour of the breast, such breast by a machine designed to show areas as differences between the size or shape of ' of increased heat. Thermography is less • the two breasts not present previously, in- precise, and less accurate than mam- drawing of a ple which previously was mography and is no longer used in some everted, or p• ' g in Of- the skin So as to- "-medical centres. cause a dimple, are also important signs. You should remember, however, that some of these signs of cancer are four times more likely to be due to, a non -cancerous disease. Therefore, while you certainly should see your doctor immediately if you discover any of these signs, you should remember that the most likely diagnosis will be simple, easily treated disease rather than cancer. BREAST CANCER SURVEILLANCE If you are over 35 years of age and any of the risk factors apply to you, you would be wise, in addition to practicing monthly BSE, to discuss a program of breast cancer surveillance with your doctor. This might involve periodic physical examination by your physician. Some other programs are described below. 1. Mammography (or Xeromam- fnography) - a.special x-ray examination of the breast which uses very small amounts of radiation. Following the menopause this technique, in combination with physical ex- amination, leads to earlier diagnosis of breast cancer and significant improvement in survival. In premenopausal women, the same combination, using older x-ray techni- ques, has not proven of benefit. However, a very large Canadian study, the National Breast Screening Study, is now under way to answer the question as to whether newer techniques can obtain improved diagnosis and survival of premenopausal women, as 3. Ultrasonography (Ultrasound) - ex- amination by directing sound waves into the breast and detecting them as they bounce back off breast structures of different densi- ty. ensity. This procedure, in sofar as the breast is concerned, is experimental. 4. Biochemical and immunological tests of the blood. Much study is going on in this area at the present time, but no accurate tests of the blood currently exist for the diagnosis of breast cancer. DIAGNOSIS What happens if you find a lump in your breast? After obtaining a history from you regarding how the lump was discovered, and whether you have other related symp- toms, your doctor will examine the breast as well as perform a more general physical ex- amination. Depending on the findings; addi- tional laboratory studies may be suggested, perhaps mammography or ultrasonography. If a true mass does exist, one of two courses of action may be followed. 1. If it appears to be a cyst (a sac filled with fluid) your physician may insert a nee- dle into the cyst, after `freezing' the area with a local anaesthestic, and remove the fluid. If it proves to be non -cancerous, nothing further than this simple treatment usually need be done. 2. If the mass appears to be solid, a biopsy will probably be carried out. It may require Turn to page 11 •