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Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM) is an annual international health campaign every October to increase awareness of this disease and to raise funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure.

BCAM is also a prime opportunity to offer information and support to those who are affected by breast cancer and to remind women to be breast aware for early detection of Breast Cancer.

The aim of the BCAM from the start has been to promote mammography as the most effective screening method for early detection of Breast Cancer.

Breast Cancer Facts

Breast cancer is the most common female cancer in South Africa with one in 29 women diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime, according to the National Cancer Registry. The incidence of Breast Cancer among South African women is increasing.

In the past, Breast Cancer mostly affected women over 40 years old but more and more younger women present with Breast Cancer. The key is to detect Breast Cancer early so that it can be treated early.

The good news is that if it is detected and treated early, there is an excellent chance of recovery and survival.

This is why every woman needs to conduct a Breast Self Examination (BSE) monthly, from the age of 20 and have a routine screening mammogram (a special x-ray to detect abnormalities in the breast) annually, from the age 40 and earlier if you have any concerns or a family history of Breast Cancer.

If you have the following symptoms – difference in size breasts | lumps | unusual swellings | puckering of the skin | sores | pain | discharge visit a health professional without delay. Many breast lumps are harmless, but they all must be checked.

Male breast cancer is rare, accounting for 1% of all breast cancers. It is a hundred times more common in women than in men.

According to the South African National Cancer Registry men have a lifetime risk of 1 in 928 of developing Breast Cancer. Recent research found that men with a faulty BRCA2 gene (which is related to female breast cancer as well), have a 1 in 12 chance of developing breast cancer before the age of 80 years.

Tips for Having a Mammogram

Mammography is currently the most effective way of detecting Breast Cancer in its earliest and most treatable stages.

Suggestions for ensuring that you receive a good quality mammogram:

• Use a facility that specialises in mammography and offers Digital Mammography.
• If you are satisfied that the facility is of high quality, continue to go there on a regular basis so that your mammograms can be compared from year to year.
• If you are going to a facility for the first time, bring a list of the places, dates of mammograms, biopsies, or other breast treatments you have had before.
• If you have had mammograms at another facility, you should make every attempt to get those mammograms to bring with you to the new facility (or have them sent there) so that they can be compared to the new ones.
• On the day of the exam, don’t wear deodorant or antiperspirant; some of these contain substances that can interfere with the reading of the mammogram by appearing on the x-ray film as white spots.
• You may find it more convenient to wear a skirt or pants so that you’ll only need to remove your blouse for the exam.
• Schedule your mammogram when your breasts are not tender or swollen to help reduce discomfort. Try to avoid the week before your menstruation. The ideal time is 7-10 days after the onset of your last menstrual cycle.
• Always discuss with your attending radiographer/radiologist any breast symptoms or problems that you are having and any pertinent medical history such as prior surgeries, hormone use, family or personal history of breast cancer.

Contact your local CANSA Care Centre regarding Reach for Recovery in your area. If there is no Reach for Recovery group in your area, the Care Centre will be able to provide you with counselling, support and prostheses.

For more information call CANSA toll-free on 0800 22 6622 or visit: www.cansa.org.za

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