Modern Medicine takes the fear out of breast cancer

	One in 26 South African women (from all race groups) will get breast cancer during their lifetime.
	75% of South African women present with cancerous breast tumours of larger than 5cm.
	Breast cancer are generally more aggressive in younger women.

Breast cancer statistics are still very scary, as are the stories survivors tell and the ones told by family and friends of non-survivors. But, with developments within the field of medicine, breast cancer is not necessarily a death sentence, nor a ticket to disfiguration, as so many believes it to be.

“I get so mad when I hear of cases where doctors diagnose breast cancer in a woman, and then immediately ship her off to the operating theatre to have it cut away as soon as possible,” says Dr Carol-Ann Benn, specialist surgeon at Netcare’s Milpark Hospital, which provides a centre of excellence for breast health and breast cancer. “These days, there are so much more we can can offer women in addition to surgery.”

Dr Benn compares breast cancer today as very similar to diabetes, in that, a person can live with it for years and years, while undergoing treatment, without necessarily having a rapidly fatal outcome “It is, therefore, essential that we spread the news as far and wide as we possibly can. We need to take away the fear of dying, the fear of women losing their breasts and being disfigured, the fear of losing your partner,” she says.

According to Dr Benn, there is a great amount of misconception about breast cancer, not only amongst the general public, but also within the medical fraternity. One of the greatest misconceptions is that a woman’s breasts has to be removed. The principle is to remove the cancer with a clear margin and to assess the draining lymph nodes.

“The treatment will obviously vary from person to person, but I always feel that every woman is entitled to a second opinion. There is nothing wrong with getting a second opinion and to be informed of all your options. It is, after all, your body,” she says.

Dr Benn is a firm believer of using a multidisciplinary approach to breast cancer management involving oncology (chemotherapy and hormone therapy), radiation and surgery. Some patients are started off on chemotherapy first. I have found that, in most cases (80%), it decreases the size of the tumour and, can result in more breast saving surgery.

When it does come down to doing reconstructive surgery to the breasts, Dr Benn feels it is every woman’s personal choice. “Some women choose not to have reconstructive surgery, as it is their right to. For those who do want the surgery we can use a variety of techniques such as breast reduction or implant a prosthesis.

Dr Benn doesn’t like talking about a risk factors of  breast cancer, as the mere fact that you have breasts places you at risk. While there are other factors that seem to increase your chances anyone could be at risk. “What does concern me about prevalence in increasingly younger women, is what I call the ‘take away food generation ,” says Dr Benn. She explains: “In the USA, the prevalence of breast cancer some areas is a one in seven life time risk. Studies have shown that it might have a correlation where cooking oil is being used over and over, as we sometimes do even at home. This is particularly worrisome when you take into consideration that parents are feeding their kids take-away and restaurant food far more often than we ever received as kids.”

The most important factor which would increase your chances of surviving breast cancer, should you ever be diagnosed with it, is information. The more you know about self-administered breast examinations, when you should go for mammograms or have a doctor administer an examination, the more likely it is that you will detect the cancer in its early stages. And the earlier you are diagnosed with and treated for breast cancer, the greater your chance of survival. “Information is critical and the responsibility for your health is in your own hands,” concludes Dr Benn.

Breast cancer risk factors and facts

	Family history: You are at higher risk if you have a close relative (on either mother or father side) who have or have had breast cancer.
	Age: Your chances of developing breast cancer increases with age, especially once you have crossed 40. Women over the age of 35 should go for regular check-ups. The younger you are when developing breast cancer, however, the greater the chance of the cancer being more aggressive than in older women.
	Lifestyle: If you follow a diet high in fat, do not exercise regularly, are overweight and drink more than two glasses of alcohol per day, you are at higher risk.
	Gender: Women are at far greater risk than men. Only approximately one in every 100 men is at risk.
	Hormones: Women who went through menopause at a later stage in life, had children after the age of 40 (or no children at all) or started their menstrual cycle at a very young age, are at greater risk.