“Breast Cancer” A disease.. that just mentioning it makes every woman feel afraid. But did you know? Breast cancer is not as serious as you think! Just know how to take care and regularly check your breasts because the earlier breast cancer is (detected)… the higher the chance of complete cure.
Risk Factors for Breast Cancer
- Age: The cell division of milk ducts in older people may have more abnormalities than in younger people, increasing the chance of breast cancer.
- No children yet: Milk production in women who have children allows breast cells to grow to their maximum, reducing the chance of abnormal cell division. Therefore, the risk of breast cancer is lower than in women who have never had children.
- Contraceptive pills: Taking contraceptive pills continuously for more than 5 years increases the risk of breast cancer.
- Genetics: If a direct family member has a history of cancer, the risk increases by up to 10%.
Check your body carefully.. if you don’t want to get breast cancer
Almost every disease has symptoms or warning signs to alert the patient, but for breast cancer… there are no warning signs! Women should regularly check their bodies to detect it at an early stage by…
- Those over 20 years old should self-examine their breasts once a month, 7 days after their period ends, to check for lumps and have a medical examination every 3 years.
- Those under 35 years old can have an ultrasound check at least once.
- Those 35 years and older should have a digital mammogram and ultrasound at least once.
- Those over 40 years old should have a digital mammogram and ultrasound once a year.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Even if the patient has undergone mammogram and ultrasound, the doctor may not be able to conclude the results. A history must be taken to find risk factors, along with a biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. After confirming the patient has “breast cancer,” the doctor will treat according to the cancer stage found. There are 5 treatment methods: surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, and targeted therapy.
How to Take Care of Yourself.. to Stay Away from Breast Cancer
Because the exact cause cannot be clearly identified, prevention methods are still unknown. However, it is best to regularly self-examine your breasts, avoid risk factors that increase the chance of breast cancer, eat nutritious food, exercise, control fat levels, and consult a gynecologist about contraception. Breast cancer can be treated… if detected at an early stage.
