|
Thursday, April 21, 2005
Women's nightmare
By Henrylito D. Tacio
Health 101
A WOMAN'S risk of developing breast cancer increases as she gets older. Over three-fourths of the breast cancers diagnosed each year occur in women over age 50. A woman of 70 is almost twice as likely to develop breast cancer in the next year as a woman aged 50.
Breast cancer responds to treatment best when it is detected early. "Breast lump is the most common patient complaint," says Dr. Stephen Sixto Siguan, a board member of the Philippine Cancer Society. "The patient herself usually detects this lump in 70% of cases by means of breast self-examination (BSE)."
BSE, he points out, is very important in early breast cancer detection. "Periodic clinical breast examination by a trained physician can also further help detect these breast abnormalities," Dr. Siguan says.
However, only mammography--a low-dose x-ray of the breast--has the capacity to detect very small breast lesions suspicious of being cancerous.
According to the latest edition of "Philippine Cancer Facts and Estimates," there are about 72,000 new cancer cases yearly in the Philippines. About 33,000 of these cases are women and 9,325 of them are breast cancer cases.
There will be about 38,000 deaths each year, 9 percent of these (about 3,000) are due to breast cancer.
"What was once thought of as a disease of developed countries, breast cancer is now a major public health problem in the Philippines," observed Dr. Juan M. Flavier when he was still the health secretary.
Aside from age, family history also plays a big role. Recent studies have shown that about 10 percent of breast cancer is hereditary. Having one first-degree relative (mother, sister, or daughter) with breast cancer approximately doubles a woman's risk, and having two first-degree relatives increases her risk five-fold.
Although the exact risk is not known, women with a family history of breast cancer in male family members also have an increased risk of breast cancer.
Other risk factors include never having borne a child; having first child after age 30; first menstrual period at an early age and a history of benign breast disease that required biopsies.
A link between breast cancer and hormones is gradually becoming clearer. Researchers think that the greater a woman's exposure to the female hormone estrogen, the more susceptible she is to breast cancer.
The diet-breast cancer link is still debated, however. Obesity is a noteworthy risk factor, and drinking alcohol regularly may promote the disease. Many studies have shown that women whose diets are high in fat are more likely to get the disease.
Two long-suspected risk factors--electro-magnetic fields in power lines and a history of abortion or miscarriage--have been discredited by recent studies in the United States. A third theoretical link, pesticides, was also discounted--at least in the case of DDT.
Unlike most types of cancer, however, breast cancer responds to treatment best when it is detected early. "Breast lump is the most common patient complaint," says Dr. Siguan. "The patient herself usually detects this lump in 70% of cases by means of breast self-examination (BSE)."
BSE is a way for a woman to examine her breasts for any changes that might be early signs of cancer. Many women find it helpful to check their breasts every time they shower for the first few months after being taught the method to become very familiar with their own breasts.
It is usually done one week to 10 days after the first day the first day of menstruation, when the breasts are smallest.
According to medical doctors, localized tumors can usually be treated successfully before the cancer spreads; nine cases out of 10 have a five-year survival rate. Once the cancer begins to spread, getting rid of it completely is more difficult, although treatment can often control the disease for years.
"Treatment of breast cancer is according to how far the cancer has spread," says Dr. Siguan. "Small, localized breast cancer may be surgically treated with removal of the breast lump only plus some lymph nodes at the armpit instead of total mastectomy."
Dr. Siguan continues: "However, when total mastectomy is inevitable, breast reconstruction may be opted for. For locally advanced breast cancer, chemotherapy may be given initially in order to render the breast tumor completely removable. For cancers already with evidence of spread beyond the confines of the breast and armpit, systemic treatments like chemotherapy and/or hormones are most effective rather than surgery.
Invariably, the smaller the breast lump, the higher the chance for cure. "As a matter of fact, the size of the breast cancer that can offer the best chance for cure is that which one still cannot feel the tumor by touch and usually they are detectable only by mammography," Dr. Siguan says.
Some good news: Regular aerobic exercise may offer some protection against a woman's developing breast cancer. Studies have found that women who exercised vigorously and often were at least half as likely as non-exercisers to get breast cancer.
Researchers at the University of Chicago found that women who have survived breast cancer are at significantly reduced risk of ever suffering a heart attack, the number one killer of women.
For feedback, write me at tasyo2002@yahoo.com
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (April 2, 2005 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
WEEKEND
|
