EARLY DETECTION IS PRESERVATION

pinktober

This is a love letter to my mother, my sister and every woman that I may or may not cross paths with. Everyone and anyone can be affected by cancer; the age, the financial status or the social issues do not matter. It is a dangerous disease but it does not exclusively mean that a death warrant has been issued. With timely diagnoses and the right treatment, matters can be resolved and one can live a normal, healthy life once more. Self-check breast examinations are quick, short and easy. They can be performed anywhere, anytime and with other pre-cautions, can truly shift the course of your life.

Breast cancer occurs when some breast cells begin to grow abnormally. These cells divide more rapidly than healthy cells do and continue to accumulate, forming a lump or mass. Doctors estimate that about 5 to 10 per cent of breast cancers are linked to gene mutations passed through generations of a family, but there could be other reasons that may increase your risk to it such as: hormonal, lifestyle and environmental factors. If left unchecked, the tumours can spread throughout the body and become fatal.

Cancer is most often synonymous with death, as soon as the C-word is mentioned, everyone around is frightened. Wide-eyes and hushed tones are undertaken. Looks of sympathy and pity are passed around. These reactions cause people to not talk about it, to not be aware of symptoms and prevention methods, which only interfere with the prevention and the cure. The sooner it is diagnosed and treated the better but if the C-word is not talked about, how will we ever know how to intercept it. It is extremely important to not only talk about it openly but to be able to know if something is wrong and how seriously it should be taken.

Although treatment could be administered, prevention is always better than cure. There are some safety measures that you can take to prevent the risk of cancer.

Preventions:

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is pivotal, this includes many different areas in life. From sleeping to diet to exercise. It is important to keep your weight in check, taking sudden increasing or decreasing of the weight into account seriously. After a certain age, it is required to be diligent with your health and notice anything out of the ordinary critically. If you have a family history of breast cancer or even cancer in general, it is important to track any abnormalities or new/different changes in your body.

* Being physically active at least 30 minutes a day regularly, this not only reduces the risk of breast cancer and other diseases, it also increases cardiovascular fitness, strengthens muscle, bones and endurance.

* Cigarettes, vapes, hookah and other smoking tools have become extremely common in the world and Pakistan, it is accessible everywhere. Experts have declared in numerous studies that smoking is a leading cause for various different ailments and diseases, especially mouth and lung cancer. Recent research has indicated breast cancer can also been caused due to smoking. If you do smoke, try to quit as soon as possible. There are many alternate solutions to help in quitting such as nicotine patches, support groups and medical aid.

* Breastfeeding is paramount in lowering the risk of breast cancer, along with tremendous benefits for the babies as well.

* But most importantly, the step that should be religiously followed up with; screening, mammograms and CT scans (on doctor’s advice only). No age is too young for mammograms and keeping a check. They should be done every year. Along with other professional check-ups, such as blood work, weight evaluation and self-examination are key procedures.

Self-examination

Every woman should be familiar with the look, the shape and the area around your breasts to notice any changes, abnormalities and deformities. Any change in colour, shape, texture, size should be taken earnestly and a professional examination should be executed immediately.

Perform self-checks on yourself on a regular basis, at least twice a month. Educate people around you on the dos and the don’ts and the how’s.

Be there for people who could be going through a difficult time relating to this disease. Through the progression of technology and science; cures and treatments have been developed to save lives which would not have been possible a decade ago. The world has truly evolved so much that the impossible has become possible, but do your duty to yourself, to your body, to your family. Perform self-checks on yourself monthly, get screened yearly, no matter how scary and difficult it is. It might just save your life.