As most people might be aware already, the month of October is regarded as the “Breast Cancer Awareness Month”. When the significance of breast cancer awareness is thought of, it is clear that awareness is very important for this deadly cancer. One of the reasons is that breast cancer is the second-most common type of cancer among women. In the United States, about one in eight women is expected to contract this cancer at some point in their lives. So, how can this “National Breast Cancer Awareness Month” make a difference? This point is taken for discussion here.

Defining “National Breast Cancer Awareness Month”

The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month can be defined as a worldwide campaign that is conducted every year and it involves hundreds of organizations. The aim of this campaign is to highlight the significance of breast awareness, as well as education and/or research in relation to it. The primary objective would be to get as many people as possible to involve in the campaign so as to create breast awareness and thereby, raise funds for breast cancer research.

The Message about Breast Cancer from WHO

It’s to be noted that the breast cancer awareness month is marked in all the countries across the globe during October. It’s because the U.S. is not the only country that has an increasing number of breast cancer cases, but also the countries. The World Health Organization believes that this worldwide campaign will help increase attention, as well as support for the breast awareness, thus, leading to the early detection and/or treatment and palliative care for the disease. The good news about the breast cancer is that most women with the disease can survive if it’s detected and treated earlier. In this line, a mammogram, which is the screening test carried out for breast cancer, can help detect the breast cancer early when it will be easier to treat.

A Look at the Statistical Data

According to the statistical data, about 1.38 million new breast cancer cases are detected every year. Also, breast cancer is found to be responsible for around 458,000 deaths each year. So far, breast cancer is found to be the most common cancer that affects the female population all around the globe, both in the developed, as well as the developing nations. On the other hand, in the low, as well as middle-income nations, the incidence of breast cancer is found to be steadily increasing in the past few years. The most common reasons are believed to be the increase in life expectancy of people, increased urbanization, and acquisition of western lifestyles.

A majority of breast cancer deaths are found to be occurring in low and middle-income countries, wherein most women with the disease are detected in the later stages. It has been observed that lack of awareness on the early identification and barriers to healthcare accessibility are the major reasons for this increased number of cases.

Need for Breast Awareness

At present, a general scenario all around the globe is that there is not enough knowledge on the causes of cancer. This makes early detection of the breast cancer difficult thereby, remaining as a cornerstone for the control of it. As mentioned earlier, if breast cancer is identified early and if sufficient treatment and palliative care are provided, there are fair chances for the disease to be cured. On the other hand, if the disease is identified at a later stage, the curative treatment would often become ineffective. It’s because of these reasons that WHO is encouraging the nations to create comprehensive breast cancer control programs as part of the national cancer control schemes.

Breast Cancer – Signs and Symptoms

To save oneself from breast cancer, one must watch out for the following signs and symptoms.

• Changes in size and/or shape of breasts
• Lumps or regions that are thicker than the other portions of the breast
• Changes in skin texture
• Redness or rashes on the skin/around the nipples
• Nipples becoming inverted
• Liquid coming out from the nipples without squeezing
• Constant pain in breasts or armpit
• Swelling in the armpit or collarbone

It’s to be noted that several of these symptoms may also be due to the normal changes or a benign condition. However, it’s advisable to consult a doctor upon noticing any change as early as possible.

Breast Cancer – Risk Factors

The following are the risk factors for breast cancer:

• Family History
• Breast lumps
• Denser breast tissues
• Age
• Diet
• Lifestyle choices
• Radiation Exposure
• Obesity
• Estrogen exposure

How to Contribute?

As a responsible citizen, each and every one should use the opportunity of breast cancer awareness month to spread the word about the steps women could take for the purpose of detecting breast cancer early. All the women of ages 40-49 should be encouraged to have a talk with their doctors about when to start taking mammograms. Thus, the task of creating awareness about breast cancer can be made simpler.