What is Breast Cancer Awareness Month?
(Credit: https://hospiceatyourside.com/breast-cancer-awareness-month/)
Every October, you’re likely to see a wealth of information about breast cancer! And that is a good thing because awareness surrounding breast cancer is incredibly important as early detection.
October is the month; we celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness month! It’s an annual campaign to increase awareness for those that have suffered from breast cancer.
It was originally created to encourage women to get regular mammograms, but it has since expanded to address treatment, research and funding.
The goal is to get as many people involved in raising awareness and funds to help support lifesaving research for those who have been affected by breast cancer.
Breast cancer Awareness Month began in 1985, through a partnership between the American Cancer Society and imperial chemical industries, which has since become part of AstraZeneca, a producer of breast cancer drugs.
(Credit: https://www.hcahealthcare.co.uk/news/campaigns/breast-cancer-awareness)
Breast Cancer is one of the most common cancers among all Women. This is a disease in which the cells in the breast grow out of control.
Breast cancer is caused by a combination of genes, environment and lifestyles.
Every woman should know how her breasts normally look and feel, so she can recognise any changes that may occur.
(Credit: https://visionable.com/blog/breast-cancer-awareness-month-spot-symptoms/)
Here are some signs and Symptoms of Breast Cancer may include:
· Lump in the breast or underarm area
· Swelling or thickening of all or part of the breast
· Dimpling or skin irritation of breast skin
· Nipple discharge
· Any change in the size or shape of the breast
· Persistent breast pain
· Redness or thickening of the nipple or breast skin
There are different ways of reducing the risk of breast cancer and this includes:
· Staying at a healthy weight. Balancing your food intake with physical activity to avoid excess weight gain
· Being physically active
· Limiting or avoiding alcohol
A nurse, Rachel Williams, who works at Lewisham Hospital, “I feel like if lot of people were aware of breast cancer awareness month, it would definitely be make more of an impact. This is because they would be able to support more, with the funds for research in order to help people fight against this disease.”
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Approximately 54,700, women were diagnosed in 2017 with breast cancer and 390 men were also diagnosed. Breast cancer is not only exclusive to women.
Sandra Grahams, a receptionist from Rushey Green Pharmacy, “Breast cancer has now become one of the most common cancers, which has touched everybody whether it has been through a friend, colleague, family member or even just yourself”.
Almost nine in ten women survive breast cancer for five years or more. Breast cancer survival has improved and doubled in the UK in the last 40 years due to the combination of improvements in medical care and treatment. This includes earlier detection through screening, a focus on targets and faster diagnosis.
An estimated 600,000 people are alive in the UK, after a diagnosis of breast cancer. This is predicted to rise to 1.2 million in 2030.
Breast Cancer Now is a charity in the United Kingdom that was formed in 2015 by the merger of the Breast Cancer Campaign and breakthrough breast cancer. It’s the UK’s largest breast cancer charity. The charity is committed to fighting the disease through awareness and research.
Breast Cancer Now has invested over £255 million into research and is currently funding 80 cutting-edge projects to discover how they can prevent breast cancer, save lives and help people live well with and beyond the disease.
(Credit: National Breast cancer Foundation on YouTube)
The National Breast Cancer Foundation, founded in 1991, is a U.S. breast cancer organization that promotes breast cancer awareness and education. NBCF also provide free screening services and support breast cancer patients and survivors.
This organization was founded to fill in the gaps in cancer care, ensuring that every woman has the access and information she needs to get through her breast cancer journey.
The NBCF is increasing access to breast health care and services. By working closely with hospitals and breast centres in communities across the U.S to help remove barriers to critical screenings, they also help women detect their breast cancer in its earliest stages when it is more treatable.
They are also working on removing obstacles in the complex cancer care system, such as the cost, fear and misinformation that prevents patients from getting the care they need in a timely fashion.
Good, timely care and support can increase the quality of life and the likelihood of survival by keeping women on track with their treatment and follow-up survivorship appointments.
By knowing and understanding the basics of cancer and following the recommended guidelines for screening, men and women can reduce the number of cases and increase survival rates by allowing treatment to begin earlier.
Janet Bangura
