*this is a sticky post*
Ladies,
Do you know that CANCER is the second (NO. 2) largest killer in Malaysia, after ROAD ACCIDENT?
Do you know that 31% of the cancer admissions is BREAST CANCER?
Do you that the earlier breast cancer is found and diagnosed, the better your chances of beating it?
Do you really understand BREAST CANCER?
- Like other cancer, breast cancer is the abnormal growth of breast cells.
- Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that develops from the cell of the breasts.
Below table might help to understand breast cancer’s stage. Take from http://www.breastcancer.org, a non profit organisation for Breast Cancer,
| Stage | Definition |
|---|---|
| Stage 0 | Cancer cells remain inside the breast duct, without invasion into normal adjacent breast tissue. |
| Stage I | Cancer is 2 centimeters or less and is confined to the breast (lymph nodes are clear). |
| Stage IIA | No tumor can be found in the breast, but cancer cells are found in the axillary lymph nodes (the lymph nodes under the arm) OR the tumor measures 2 centimeters or smaller and has spread to the axillary lymph nodes OR the tumor is larger than 2 but no larger than 5 centimeters and has not spread to the axillary lymph nodes. |
| Stage IIB | The tumor is larger than 2 but no larger than 5 centimeters and has spread to the axillary lymph nodes OR the tumor is larger than 5 centimeters but has not spread to the axillary lymph nodes. |
| Stage IIIA | No tumor is found in the breast. Cancer is found in axillary lymph nodes that are sticking together or to other structures, or cancer may be found in lymph nodes near the breastbone OR the tumor is any size. Cancer has spread to the axillary lymph nodes, which are sticking together or to other structures, or cancer may be found in lymph nodes near the breastbone. |
| Stage IIIB | The tumor may be any size and has spread to the chest wall and/or skin of the breast AND may have spread to axillary lymph nodes that are clumped together or sticking to other structures, or cancer may have spread to lymph nodes near the breastbone.Inflammatory breast cancer is considered at least stage IIIB. |
| Stage IIIC | There may either be no sign of cancer in the breast or a tumor may be any size and may have spread to the chest wall and/or the skin of the breast AND the cancer has spread to lymph nodes either above or below the collarbone AND the cancer may have spread to axillary lymph nodes or to lymph nodes near the breastbone. |
| Stage IV | The cancer has spread — or metastasized — to other parts of the body. |
Do you know that regularly check your breasts with BSE (Breast Self-Examine) method will help you to detect any unfamiliar things about your breasts?
Several tips to do BSE:
- Do it monthly, at least once a month.
- Do it several times in a month, before you get your period, and after your period passes, and during your ovulation so that you would know your breasts ‘normal condition’, when it is tender, when it is normal, when it is engorge, etc.
- Know breasts’ anatomy that have breast cells, milk duct, etc.
*http://www.bestthermographyservice.com
- Record your finding when you do BSE and compare the result every time you do the exam.
- You might find your breasts slightly painful, swell, etc, if you’re breastfeeding, don’t forget to jot down.
When you do BSE, it is not to detect breast cancer immediately, because sometimes lumps is normal. About 20% ladies have lumps in their breasts and they are nothing to do with breast cancer. But, for some other ladies, these lumps might be cancerous. That’s why you must observe your own breast and see if any changes occurs.. e.g. the lumps getting bigger and painful, please consult your doctor.
As we know this very October is THE PINK MONTH (Breast Cancer Awareness Month), please help yourselves and help others, by spreading the pink ribbon and make others aware about the importance of BSE.
Just put any of these in your blogs/sites:
To get the code in HTML, please CLICK HERE.
A little effort might help millions of women like us from suffering this no. 1 ladies’ killer.
Let’s join us with Alice Wonders and NCSM, together we stop this from taking a wife from her husband, a mother from her children, a daughter from her parents…
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