Behind the Pink Ribbon: Living with Breast Cancer

Behind the Pink Ribbon: Living with Breast Cancer HEALTHO GetSävvi Awareness Calendar October Is Breast Cancer Go for regular screenings and encourage friends and family to get a breast check Donate money to breast cancer organisations to aid in further cancer research Awareness Month Dos Don'ts Prevention Exercise regularly Eat healthy foods Breast- feed of Breast Cancer Don't smoke Limit exposure to pollution You can exercise Go for a mammogram to check for signs of breast disease breast cancer prevention by doing these: Keep your Watch out for changes to your breasts Limit your alcohol consumption medication weight down Limit using hormone Symptoms Keep an eye out for the signs and symptoms of breast cancer. If you have any of these, see a doctor immediately. A breast lump or thickening near the breast or underarm Dimpling, swelling 77) or shrinkage of the breast Pain or tenderness (2 in the breast Any temperature change in the breast such as burning sensation 3) Nipple turned inward or inverted When the breast, areola 4) or nipple becomes scaly, pitted, red, swollen or itchy Any nipple discharge: 5) milky (if not pregnant), clear or bloody Risks Women who haven't had children or who had their first child after 30. Watch out for the dangers that can increase your risk of getting breast cancer. tilit Aging • Being a woman (women have higher oestrogen and progesterone levels) • Using birth control pills White women are at higher risk than Black women. • Having cancer in one breast puts a woman at increased risk of cancer in the other breast or another part of the same breast • Women with benign breast tumours • Having dense breast tissue (more glandular and fibrous tissue than fatty tissue) Having more menstrual cycles (menstruating early and going through menopause later) • Gene defects inherited from a parent • A family history of breast cancer Women who had radiation to the chest as treatment for another cancer . ... ...................................... Treatment Treatment for breast cancer available for women ::: Stem cell treatment is used after radiation and/or chemotherapy (which affects the body's immune system) to replace damaged stem cells to aid in fighting infection. Hormone therapy (tamoxifen pills) can slow breast cancer cell growth if taken every Mammography: a mammogram detects about 90% of all breast cancers. Chemotherapy day for two to five years. may follow breast cancer surgery and can take the form of injections or drugs. u mammogram is an X-ray of the breasts A breast biopsy, the removal of breast tissue through surgery or using a needle Removal of the ovaries in pre-menopausal women as a way of eliminating the main source of oestrogen which can boost the growth of some breast tumours. Lumpectomy. the removal of Radiation is used after the cancer has been removed to destroy or shrink any remaining cancerous cells. of breast cancer. Mastectomy, the surgical removal of the breast for the treatment a lump from the breast. Breast self-examination helps to detect any abnormalities. Discovering breast cancer in the early stages will make treatment more effective. Self Breast Exam How to check for breast cancer Visually check your breasts for any abnormalities in front of a mirror by: 1 Do your breast examination in the shower 2 Move your fingertips in a circular and/or up-and-down motion around your breast and armpit area 1 Lie down with a pillow under your one shoulder. 2 Reach the same arm behind your head. 3 Check your breast and armpit area by moving your fingertips in a circular and/or up- and-down motion. 1 standing up straight with your arms at your sides 2 raising your arms up 3 with you hands on your hips, flexing your chest muscles.