Breast Cancer

  Cancer is preventable

       Although breast cancer is the commonest form of the cancer in females , it is controllable in most women. They can live a near normal life if properly treated in the early stages of the disease. It is most common among women in the West. Breast cancer is a form of cancer which originates from the breast tissue , usually from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk.
      There are many different types of breast cancer and different stages depending on the spread  and genetic make-up.

    * Most breast cancers depend on hormones , estrogen and progesterone to grow and therefore women
       using oral hormonal contraceptives for long periods (usually over five years) may be at a risk of
       developing breast cancer.  
    * Screening for breast cancer before the symptoms are detected will help to identify the disease.
    * If you are above 50 years , have a mammogram done every year.
    * You should undergo a physical examination and seek medical sdvice.
    * Be careful of breast abnormalities.
    * Research has shown that women with certain risk factors are more likely to develop breast cancer those
       over 60 years , a personal history of breast cancer , family history  , gene changes  , re-productive and
       menstrual history and certain breast changes.
    * Women at risk should be concerned about their weight and have a balanced diet and do regular exercise.
    * Radiation therapy the chest , early menarche , late menopause  , lack of exercise and smoking can
       increase a woman's risk of having breast cancer . 
    * Treatment options include surgery , radiation therapy , chemotherapy , hormone therapy , and biological
       therapy and usually these are combined.
    * Mastectomy is done when the breast cannot be saved.
    * Most patients respond well to chemotherapy and hence there is hope.

   

Cancer

Cancer is preventable

      Some people wrongly think that cancer has something to do with karma and destiny , but it is preventable in most cases. According to Maharagama Cancer Hospital (Sri Lanka) consultant and secretary of the college of Oncologist Dr.Kanthi Perera , "Cancer is a one-hundred percent treatable disease but people die due to bad habits and ignore the warning signs". She said that there are patients who take treatment but do not heed advice and continue the habit of smoking and drinking. The doctor said that when cancer is diagnosed , it is often too late. Hence , it's not just detecting it early but changing your lifestyle and attitude.

breast cancer cells

      "We always advice them to take an example from other patients but they don't pay heed to it. Is it worth spending Rs.3 lakhs for treatment when your life is wasted by smoking a pack of cigarettes worth Rs.100 ?
Dr.Perera queried.
       Cancer occurs when different conditions cause cells to multiply uncontrollably. One such condition is the division beyond normal limits , invasion or intrusion on and destruction of adjecent tissues and sometimes metastasis which means spreading these cells to other parts of the body via lymph or blood. These three malignant properties of  cancer differentiate them from being  tumours , which are self-limited and do not invade or metastasis. In most cancer cases , causes a tumour but others do not.
         A survey conducted in Sri lanka , revealed that 20.4 percent of major cancer cases were due to oral cancer which was commonly in men. "There was a high incidence of oral cancer in men and women but with changing behavioral patterns and education , betel-chewing is now less prevalent among youth" , she said. The doctor who counts nearly 20 years experience as a consultant said that today , 25.4 percent of women have breast cancer which has become the number one cancer in women.
      "Modernisation and urbanisation has made it convenient for women to delay pregnancy , marry late and take various types of contraceptive pills" , she said. Even though breast cancer is common in the west , many Sri Lankan women get it quite early in life and this is a dangerous sign , she said.
      "The problem is that many people are stressed out and don't check themselves which is vital in detecting cancer in its early stages" , said Dr.Perera. She said that if someone uses a certain type of contraceptive pill or a medicine , she generally gives it to others and explains that it is beneficial. "What's good for one person doesn't mean it's good for another", she said. Nutrition levels among people were very poor. "With junk food freely available and the habit of not having meals time , make people sick. People should eat greens , yellow vegetables , a variety of fruits and drink plenty of water. "It is often due to negligence on the part of people that they fall victim to cancer at an early stage in life , she said.