October is all about going pink! World over October is celebrated as Breast Cancer Awareness month and as women we need to take the first step towards that awareness. When was the last time you did a self examination? If you can’t even remember – then that is the problem. As moms we tend to make excuses, put ourselves last and keep postponing things that we need to do for ourselves. Well, this article will show you that you simply can’t afford to do that anymore.
Breast Cancer rates in India:
Statistics and data collected from Breast Cancer India show that the incidence of breast cancer has increased in the younger age groups and has doubled over the last 25 years and that is a worrying aspect.
Image source: breastcancerindia.net
The statistics also show that breast cancer is now the most common cancer in most cities in India, and 2nd most common in the rural areas. The statistics provided by PBCR (Population Based Cancer Registry) indicate that breast cancer accounts for 25-32% of all the cancers that affect females in the top cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Kolkata, Chennai and Ahmedabad. But the good news is breast cancer, as observed by doctors is a relatively slowly progressing disease, than the other variants of cancer.
The Link between Breast Cancer and Breastfeeding:
Recent research studies and findings indicate a healthy correlation between breastfeeding and lower incidence of breast cancer among new mothers. The research by epidemiologist Sir Richard Doll reveals that a woman’s average risk of developing the cancer – which currently stands at 1 in 12, decreases by four per cent for every year she breastfeeds. The exact reason to this has not been zeroed in by medical experts but they feel that the differing hormone levels (oestrogen and progesterone) that a women undergoes during breastfeeding could be the vital factor for this finding.
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Image source: cancerworld.org
According to a study published in the journal Maternal and Child Nutrition, breast-feeding helps mothers reduce their chances of getting diagnosed with breast cancer, pre-menopausal ovarian cancer, diabetes, hypertension and heart attacks. The findings show the benefits that breast feeding can provide not only to the new born child, but to the lactating mother as well. We told you in an earlier article about how a report published in 2015 reveals that less than 50% of mothers breastfeed their child in the first one hour of birth, which is vital according to experts. According to the report published by Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India (BPNI) and the Public Health Resource Network (PHRN), the falling rates of breastfeeding are attributed to the increase in sale of infant food, lack of support to women in the family and at workplaces, and inadequate healthcare support in the country.
The need for awareness:
Another reason for increasing incidence of breast cancer is due to ‘late pregnancy’. Statistics have proven that compared with those who gave birth before the age of 22, women who had their first child in their 30’s were 63% more likely to develop breast cancer before the menopause and 35% more likely to get the disease afterwards. Due to lifestyle modifications and career goals taking precedence in today’s world, late pregnancy and subsequent late motherhood are known to be harmful for the child as well as the mother.
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The key, they say, to winning the battle is equipping yourself with knowledge about the disease and having a positive attitude. Unlike the West, where most of the breast cancer cases are detected at stages 1 and 2, lack of awareness, social taboo and improper medical facilities in some areas have resulted in diagnosis of the disease at a much later stage thereby complicating the treatment options. Regular examination and periodic health check up with your practitioner can help in a long way. Only one in ten of the breast lumps detected are cancerous. Hence early clinical examination by a surgeon can allay much of the anxiety and improves the survival rate.
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KSP Team
Mansi Zaveri
