PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):--- Breast cancer caused 670,000 deaths globally in 2022, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
WHO adds that roughly half of all breast cancers occur in women with no specific risk factors other than sex and age. Breast cancer was the most common cancer in women in 157 countries out of 185 in 2022.
Breast cancer occurs in every country in the world, and approximately 0.5–1% of breast cancers occur in men.
Breast cancer is a disease in which abnormal breast cells grow out of control and form tumors. If left unchecked, the tumors can spread throughout the body and become fatal.
Breast cancer cells begin inside the milk ducts and the earliest form is not life-threatening and can be detected in early stages. Cancer cells can spread into nearby breast tissue, and this creates tumors that cause lumps or thickening.
Invasive cancers can spread to nearby lymph nodes or other organs and can be life-threatening and fatal. Treatment is based on the person, the type of cancer and its spread. Treatment combines surgery, radiation therapy and medications.
Collective Prevention Services (CPS), a department from the Sint Maarten Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor, says creating awareness about breast cancer is part of CPS’s annual calendar of health observances.
The female gender is the strongest breast cancer risk factor. Approximately 99% of breast cancers occur in women. The treatment of breast cancer in men follows the same principles of management as for women.
The WHO adds that certain factors increase the risk of breast cancer including increasing age, obesity, harmful use of alcohol, family history of breast cancer, history of radiation exposure, reproductive history (such as age that menstrual periods began and age at first pregnancy), tobacco use and postmenopausal hormone therapy.
“Approximately half of breast cancers develop in women who have no identifiable breast cancer risk factor other than gender (female) and age (over 40 years).
“Family history of breast cancer increases the risk of breast cancer, but most women diagnosed with breast cancer do not have a known family history of the disease. Lack of a known family history does not necessarily mean that a woman is at reduced risk.”
Women and men should check with their family physician as most people will not experience any symptoms when the cancer is still early hence the importance of early detection.
