Self-check key to preventing breast cancer

Self-examination should begin from the age of 20 and be done monthly.

Doctors in the UAE are stepping up campaigns for breast cancer awareness month, urging women to self-examine for early diagnosis.
Dr Thanda Lucy Ann Joshua, an oncologist at Burjeel Hospital, said that although breast cancer is more common among women above the age of 40, she has had a patient as young as 30 diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. And her oldest patient was a 70-year-old.
"Chemotherapy and radiation become totally futile during the fourth stage. We cannot cure the cancer, but we can try to prolong the patient's life. She is a young mother with two children."
Dr Joshua stressed self-examination is thus crucial and life-saving. She said self-examination should begin from the age of 20 and be done monthly.
"I advise women to examine themselves five to seven days after their menstrual period, at the same time of the month, every month."
"Instead of using the tip of your fingers, use your palm. Lumps can be felt in the breast or in the armpit. If you press the nipple and any discharge comes out, this is a red flag," she warned.
However, she added, not every lump found in the breast is cancerous and one should not "feel scared" but consult a doctor.
She said she had been receiving around 15 patients each month diagnosed with the deadly disease. For women age 40 and above, yearly screenings are recommended to prevent breast cancer.

100% chance for cure

Dr Nazura Siddiqi, an obstetrician-gynaecologist at Bareen International Hospital, said breast cancer awareness is crucial, as some people have "almost a 100 per cent chance of being cured" at an early stage.
She said there was a misconception that breast cancer only affects women above the age of 40. Doctors in the UAE are diagnosing 25-year-old patients with the disease, she added.
It is also imperative for high-risk women to understand the dangers of breast cancer. This includes women above the age of 50, women who had the cancer in one breast previously, women who had ovarian cancer, women with family history of breast cancer and women with abnormal gene mutation.

Free screening today

The hospital will hold a breast cancer event today, aiming to raise awareness and help those whose lives have been affected by the condition.
Doctors will also offer free consultations and clinical breast examinations for the general public.
Moreover, the hospital will host awareness lectures in schools, universities, as well as private and public institutions throughout the month.

Age, stage of disease are big factors in  identifying survival rate

Dr Ahmed Abdel Haq, an obstetrics and gynaecology department head and consultant, Universal Hospital, said their facility is holding breast cancer awareness campaigns, where patients are invited for free routine check-ups throughout the month.
He said the survival rate of breast cancer patients often depends on the stage of the disease.
"The survival rate is around 90 per cent if the cancer is diagnosed in stage one." However, if the disease is discovered at a later stage, the survival drops by a whopping 70 per cent.
"If the cancer is discovered at stage four, the survival rate is no more than 20 per cent."
Dr Haq said he receives around five patients each month who come in with suspicious lumps.
He stressed that he has seen patients as young as 25 diagnosed with the disease.
Dr Haq pointed out, however, that breast cancer awareness is increasing in the UAE, and this helps in saving the lives of thousands of women.
"The detection of stage one is much higher now than it was two years ago.
Twenty years ago, most breast cancer cases in the UAE came in the later stages compared with what we see now."

FACTS

>Not all lumps are related to breast cancer, but it is still important to see a doctor if a lump is found
>Family history is not always linked to breast cancer
>Breast cancer does not only occur in women; men are also affected

MYTHS

>Breast cancer happens among women above the age of 40
>Wearing tight bras triggers cancer
>Wearing deodorant will increase the risk of developing breast cancer
jasmine@khaleejtimes.com