Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2019: Importance Of Early Detection And Awareness

October is observed as Brest Cancer Awareness Month worldwide. This month creates awareness about the importance of early detection and treatment of breast cancer. Breast cancer cases are on a rise every year. According to World Health Organisation (WHO) breast cancer is by far the most common cancer in women worldwide, both in developed and developing countries. Lack of information about the early signs and symptoms makes the condition life-threatening. In October a series of activities take place all over the world to inform people about the need of early detection and timely treatment of breast cancer.

Early detection and awareness is crucial to fighting breast cancer

Dr. Naresh Ramarajan explains, "We sometimes hear the word cancer and feel that nothing can be done to prevent it. But many cancers are preventable. Living a healthier life can have a major impact on reducing the chance of cancer in our lifetime. In fact, it also reduces the chance of other diseases such as diabetes, or heart attack."

Dr. Naresh further explained that cancer is a disease that is constantly on the rise in the modern world. The statistics are quite evident. Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women worldwide with more than 2 million new cases diagnosed in 2018, accounting for 25% of all new cancer cases in women and 627000 deaths from breast cancer worldwide last year. These figures highlight that much remains to be done to address the alarming rise in the breast cancer burden and that prevention has a key role to play to control this devastating disease across the world. Only due to lack of awareness, the death rate of breast cancer patients is high.

Also read: Is Mammography Test To Spot Breast Cancer Necessary At All?

While early detection is crucial to fight breast cancer but there is a large number of women who don't know the early signs of breast cancer while others are hesitant to seek medical advice out of embarrassment or fear. In addition, the majority of women aren't unaware that their lifestyle choices could put them at greater risk.

Like most cancers, older age is the strongest risk factor for breast cancer. If you find changes in your breast that aren't normal for you, such as a limp, it's best to see your doctor as soon as possible. The most common sign is a lump or mass in the breast. Other symptoms include persistent changes to the breast, such as thickening, swelling, distortion, tenderness, skin irritation, redness, scaliness, and nipple abnormalities or spontaneous nipple discharge. Early breast cancer usually has no symptoms and is most often diagnosed through mammography screening.

Also read: Lifestyle Changes To Prevent Breast Cancer In Young Women

Awareness and early detection are powerful tools for improving breast cancer outcomes. The main objective of early detection is to diagnose precancerous lesions or early-stage cancers when they can be treated most effectively. Early detection is only valuable if it leads to timely diagnostic follow-up and effective treatment.

While it is important to spread awareness about the disease, it is equally important to discuss ground-breaking technologies that have changed the process of diagnosis and treatment to save lives of so many individuals.

Also read: Breast Cancer: Everything You Need To Know

(Dr. Naresh Ramarajan is an expert in Clinical informatics and Emergency Medicine and also the Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Navya which provides online expert opinions to cancer patients)

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