Stella and Elizabeth were sisters born into a great family with good parents. Their parents did their best to raise them well. They made sure that both girls received quality education as they themselves couldn’t.
While they were teenagers, Stella and Elizabeth lost their maternal grandmother at the young age of 55 due to a brief ailment that wasn’t understood, diagnosed nor treated. This strange illness was thought to be a spiritual problems as there was no other explanation they could think of.
As time went by, the sisters completed their secondary education and decided on different paths for themselve. While Stella proceeded to the university for a degree program, Elizabeth learned a trade. In time, their mother fell ill. They treated her with various medications but the sickness persisted. It was later diagnosed to be Breast Cancer. She unfortunately lost the battles at the age of 60.
As the sisters continued their lives after the death of their mother, Stella, was invited to a cancer awareness program with an emphasis on breast cancer on campus. It was at this program that Stella’s eyes were opened about Breast Cancer. She learned what it is and what she can do to prevent it as it dawned on her that the illness runs in her family, having taken the lives of her mother and grandmother. Part of the things she learned would reduce her chances of developing the illness are healthy eating, Regular self breast examination, regular exercise, keeping a healthy weight, avoiding regular intake of alcohol.
This realization informed Stella’s decision to take control of her life to avoid the fate that her mother and grandmother had. So, she made sure that she faithfully followed all she learned at the awareness program. She kept physically active, avoided alcohol, ate mainly fruits and vegetables and also went for regular health checks. As a result, she was still alive and health at the age of 65
Elizabeth on her part had a different outcome. Because she was not informed and knowledgeable about Breast Cancer, she did not take any precautionary measures to avoid the illness. Unfortunately, she got the disease when she was 57 years old and died at the age of 60.
Breast cancer, which killed about 685,000 globally in 2020 according to the World Health Organization, is a disease in which cells in the breast grow out of control. While the majority of people diagnosed with breast cancer are women, men get it too. Research shows that 1 in every 100 breast cancer diagnoses in the US are in men. There are different kinds of breast cancer. The kind of breast cancer depends on which cells in the breast is involved. The breast is made up of three main parts: lobules, ducts, and connective tissue. The lobules are the glands that produce milk. The ducts are tubes that carry milk to the nipple. The connective tissue (which consists of fibrous and fatty tissue) surrounds and holds everything together.
Types of Breast Cancer
Most breast cancers begin in the ducts or lobules. Breast cancer can spread outside the breast through blood vessels and lymph vessels. When breast cancer spreads to other parts of the body, it is said to have metastasized. There are two major types of breast cancer. They are:
- Invasive ductal carcinoma. The cancer cells at this stage begin in the ducts and then grow outside the ducts into other parts of the breast tissue. Invasive cancer cells can also spread, or metastasize, to other parts of the body.
- Invasive lobular carcinoma. Cancer cells begin in the lobules and then spread from the lobules to the breast tissues that are close by. These invasive cancer cells has the tendency of spreading to other parts of the body.
Reduce Risk Of Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is not a death sentence. Many people who have been diagnosed with the disease beat it and continue to enjoy a great quality of life. Research and studies carried out by scholars has shown that there are some practical steps one can take to reduce or prevent the chance of having breast cancer. The steps are:
- Regular examination: This remains the key to management and prevention of breast cancer. It can help detect any changes in the breast on time. When detected early and given the relevant intervention, the chances of survival becomes very high. In fact, there 99% chance of survival if found early and treated.
- Limit alcohol intake: Limiting Alcohol intake can reduce the risk of developing breast cancer.
- Maintain a healthy weight through healthy eating: Reducing the level of calorie consumption goes a long way in maintaining a healthy weight. It is pertinent to seek strategies to accomplish this including eating plenty of fruits and vegetable, drinking a lot of water, reducing the consumption of processed foods etc.
- Stay physically active: Engaging in regular physical activities remains the panacea to healthy weight and general wellbeing. This in turn, helps in preventing the development of breast cancer and other illnesses.
- Breast-feeding: Study indicates that breastfeeding plays a huge role in prevention of breast cancer.
- Limit postmenopausal hormone therapy: Excessive intake of hormone therapy increases the risk of breast cancer. Always seek medical advise from qualified medical professional before embarking on any hormone treatment.
The following are the symptoms to look out for:
- New lump in the breast or underarm (armpit).
- Thickening or swelling of part of the breast.
- Irritation or dimpling of breast skin.
- Redness or flaky skin in the nipple area or the breast.
- Pulling in of the nipple or pain in the nipple area.
- Nipple discharge other than breast milk, including blood.
- Any change in the size or the shape of the breast.
- Pain in any area of the breast.
As you have seen from this content, our actions today can affect our lives tomorrow. Like Stella, we can protect our health and avoid breast cancer and other illnesses by taking charge of our health. At Balance of creation, we provide regular tips that help our readers lead healthy lives. To get more useful health tips just like this, visit our website www.balanceofcreation.co.uk and follow us on all our social media platforms.
