October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the first day of which is October 1, World Breast Cancer Day.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women, the exact cause of which is unknown, but the primary and most important thing we can do against it is prevention .
Breast malignancy usually first appears as a painless lump that can be felt with the bare hand (this is why regular self-examination is so important!). In rarer cases, there are other characteristics besides the tumor, such as redness, edema, or ulceration of the skin. These tumors are located in the glandular tissue of the breast, grow relatively slowly and metastasize usually occur in nearby lymph nodes. Distant metastases occur most often in the bones, lungs, pleura, liver and adrenal glands, and in rarer cases they can occur in the brain, skin and ovaries.
The following factors can greatly increase the development of the disease:
- genetic predisposition
- smoking
- excessive alcohol consumption
- sedentary lifestyle
- overweight
- unhealthy lifestyle, diet rich in animal protein
- lack of introspection
We can combat most of the above-mentioned factors by reducing the risk of developing breast cancer with a conscious lifestyle and a healthy diet. Furthermore, with regular self-examination and screening tests, the disease can be prevented, or in the case of an already established disease, harmful cell proliferation can be recognized in time, so it can be successfully cured in its early stages. .
Mammography screening is recommended for all women over 40 years of age every 2 years, but it is also recommended for those under 40 at similar intervals if the family history of breast cancer.
When should you visit our doctor immediately?
- if a lump is felt in the breast or armpit during self-examination,
- too hard, swollen, breasts,
- in the case of itchy, reddened, discharge nipples,
- in case of noticing an abnormal shape of the breast.