By Evangeline T. Capuno
An ounce of prevention, so goes a familiar saying, is better than a pound of cure. This is true in the case of breast cancer.
“What was once thought of as a disease of developed countries, breast cancer is now a major health problem in the Philippines,” commented the late health secretary, Dr. Juan M. Flavier.
Today, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer of Filipino women, accounting for 28% of the total cases. Current estimates show that one in 13 Filipinas will develop breast cancer in her lifetime.
Although breast cancer also strikes men, it’s the women who are greatly affected by the dreaded disease. Their risk factor even increases if they smoke, drink, get older, and some members of the family have it.
But current studies show that women, to some extent, shape their own odds. “It’s incredibly important that people know they are not powerless,” said Susannah Brown, senior scientist at the World Cancer Research Fund. “There are steps they can take to help reduce their risk.”
Let’s take a closer at these prevention measures against breast cancer:
Avoid or limit your alcohol intake. Even drinking small amounts of alcohol has been linked with an increase in risk, according to the American Cancer Society. It is best not to drink alcohol at all.
But for women who do drink, the general recommendation – based on research on the effect of alcohol on breast cancer risk – is “to limit yourself no more than one drink a day, as even small amounts increase risk,” the Mayo Clinic says.
Don’t smoke. On top of its many other health risks, smoking causes at least 15 different cancers – including breast cancer. “If you smoke, try to quit as soon as possible,” Siteman Cancer Center (SCC) says. “You can do it.”
Maintain a healthy weight. “If your weight is healthy, work to maintain the weight,” the Mayo Clinic suggests. “If you need to lose weight, ask your doctor about healthy strategies to accomplish this.
Eat well. “Embrace a diet high in vegetables and fruits and low in sugary drinks, refined carbohydrates and fatty foods,” urges Dr. Anne McTiernan, director of Hutchinson Center’s Prevention Center. “Eat lean protein such as fish or chicken breast and eat red meat in moderation, if at all. Eat whole grains.”
Fiber-rich carrots are rich in beta-carotene, which some studies suggest may decrease the risk of breast cancer. Green beans help lower a person’s risk of breast cancer because it boosts her fiber intake.
Population studies have found that high tofu intake is associated with lower risk of breast cancer, especially for pre-menopausal women. Corn is a rich source of an anti-cancer agent that is effective in fighting tumors in breast cancer
Salmon is a good source of vitamin D, vitamin B6, selenium and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, all of which have been associated with lower risk of certain cancers, including breast cancer.
Be physically active. Exercise is as close as a silver bullet for good health as there is. “Physical activity can help you maintain a healthy weight, which helps prevent breast cancer,” the Mayo Clinic says. “Most healthy adults should aim for at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity weekly, plus strength training at least twice a week.”
Breastfeed, if possible. If you are a mother and have a child, breastfeed him or her. “Breastfeeding might play a role in breast cancer prevention,” the Mayo Clinic says. “The longer you breast-feed, the greater the protective effect.” SCC says that breastfeeding for a total of one year or more (combined for all children) lowers the risk of breast cancer. “Mother’s milk has great health benefits for the child,” it adds.
Avoid hormone replacement therapy. “Menopausal hormone therapy increases risk for breast cancer,” says Dr McTiernan. “If you must take hormones to manage menopausal symptoms, avoid those that contain progesterone and limit their use to less than three years.”
Find out your family history. “A woman’s risk for breast cancer is higher if she has a mother, sister, or daughter (first-degree relative) or multiple family members on either her mother’s or father’s side of the family who have had breast or ovarian cancer,” the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states. “Having a first-degree male relative with breast cancer also raises a woman’s risk.”
No one should die of breast cancer as it is preventable. But the Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO) says the vast majority of women with breast cancer in poor countries are diagnosed only after the cancer has reached a late, untreatable stage.
“Many Third World women are unaware that they are at risk of breast cancer and do not know how to examine themselves for signs of the disease,” the United Nations health agency says.
Health experts agree that it is women themselves who can do something to detect the disease and prevent it from reaching an incurable stage. “Women can do breast self-examination (BSE) a week after menstruation,” the Philippine Cancer Control Program of the health department states.
The BSE can be done while under the shower, before going to bed at night or upon waking up in the morning. A powder or soap over the breast may be used to make the examination easier. If married, a husband can help her in the breast examination. Any mass felt should lead to a physician.
In the early stages, breast cancer usually has no symptoms. As a tumor progresses, a woman may experience pain or tenderness in her breast. She may also observe swelling in the armpit. But the most apparent symptom is a lump in the breast.
Aside from lump, other indicators include a noticeable or indentation on the breast; a change in the contour, texture, or temperature of the breast; a change in the nipple, such as an indrawn or dimpled look, itching or burning sensation; and unusual discharge from the nipple that may be clear, bloody, or another color.
The earlier a cancerous lump is detected and removed, the bigger the chances of treating it, says Dr. Antonio Villalon, an oncologist at the Manila Doctors Hospital. He advised that between 20 and 39 years old, every woman should have a clinical breast exam every three years; and after age 40 every woman should have a clinical breast exam done each year.
Mammograms — a type of X-ray — are the chief way now to check for breast cancer. However, a radioactive tracer that “lights up” cancer hiding inside dense breasts showed promise in its first big test against mammograms, revealing more tumors and giving fewer false alarms. The experimental method — molecular breast imaging (MBI) — would not replace mammograms for women at average risk of the disease.
But it might become an additional tool for higher risk women with a lot of dense tissue that makes tumors hard to spot on mammograms, and it could be done at less cost than magnetic resonance imaging, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Right now, medical science is still baffled with what causes breast cancer. “Many different things can affect your chances of getting breast cancer,” states the Breast Cancer Now (BCN), a London-based charity foundation. “There’s no single cause. It results from a combination of the way we live our lives, our genes and our environment. We can’t predict who will get breast cancer.” – ###
