Beyond the Ribbon: Breast Cancers.

October has been labelled as breast cancer awareness month throughout the world every year. In 1990 'Pink Ribbon' was introduced globally as a symbol of breast cancer to express solidarity with patients and as a cardinal insignia to draw attention towards its gravity, reinforcing preventive measures to be taken at all levels.

This year's theme is 'Keeping Her in The Picture', a call to everyone to look out for the well-being of the important women in their lives.

Mankind has a very long history of breast cancer. The disease was footnoted more than 3,500 years ago by the ancient Egyptians. In 460 B.C. Hippocrates described breast cancer as a humeral disease caused by the excess of black bile.

The breast is made up of three main parts which are lobules, ducts, and connective tissue. The lobules produce milk, ducts are tubes that carry milk to the nipple. The connective tissue consists of fibrous and fatty tissue which holds everything together. Most breast cancers begin in the ducts or lobules.

The most common symptoms of breast cancer are, a mass or lump, a painless hard mass with irregular margins but sometimes breast cancers are round, tender, soft, Puffiness of all or part of the breast, dimpling of skin looking like an orange peel, pain in the nipple or breast, red, flaking or thickened breast skin, nipple retraction nipple discharge, swollen lymph nodes sometimes a breast cancer appears in armpits or around the collar bone even before this tumour in the breast is large enough to be observable

Unlike other cancers which are mostly hidden inside the body, breast lumps tend to mark themselves as visible or palpable masses hence getting the attention of both the patient and health professionals making early diagnosis, treatment and therefore excellent prognosis.

The exact cause of breast cancer is not known however certain risk factors are associated with its development being a female is the main risk, others include, increasing age, failure to get pregnant, family history of breast, fallopian tube, ovaries or peritoneal cancers, history of breast cancer in other breast, radiation exposure, female who have mutated BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes responsible for cancer, obesity, starting of monthly period at a younger age for example before age 12 side by side menopause in relatively older age, first child at an older age for example giving birth to first baby after age 30 or more, Drinking alcohol and cigarette smoking.

A biopsy is another...