What is Breast Cancer?
Breast cancer is the uncontrollable growth of breast cells. These cells are different from normal, healthy cells. They begin to grow out control and produce more cells that grow into growths, and can spread to other parts of the body. Breast cancer affects females but males can be affected as well in rare occasions.
What is a cell?
A cell is the smallest part of a living thing that can exist on its own. All living things are made of cells. Living things are plants and animals including us humans. Our bodies are made up of these tiny structures called cells. The cells are not visible to the naked eye. Each part of the body has cells which perform a specific function such as brain, bone, lung, breast etc. all have cells.
Is Breast cancer common in Zambia?
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer after cervical cancer in Zambia, followed by prostate cancer, blood, head and neck cancers. Breast cancer has now become common partly because most women are seeking medical care when they are sick. Unfortunately, most women seek medical care when the disease is in its late stages.
Why are some women more likely to have breast cancer than others? Breast cancer can occur at any age but it is more likely to occur after age 40. Certain factors may cause some women to have greater chance of having breast cancer than other women.
What is Cervical Cancer?
Cervical cancer occurs when abnormal cells on the cervix grow out of control. The cervix is the lower part of the uterus that opens into the vagina. Most cervical cancer is caused by a virus called human papillomavirus, or HPV. You can get HPV by having sexual contact with someone who has it.
How is cervical cancer detected?
There are many types of the HPV virus, but they don't all cause cervical cancer. You can have HPV for years and not know it. It stays in your body and can lead to cervical cancer years after you were infected. This is why it is important for sexually active woment to have regular Pap tests every 2-3 years. A Pap test can find changes in cervical cells before they turn into cancer. If you treat these cell changes, you may prevent cervical cancer.Cervical cancer can be cured when it's found in a very early stage through a Pap test.
Is cervical cancer common in Zambia?
It ranks as the 1st most frequent cancer among women in Zambia, and the 1st most frequent cancer among women between 15 and 44 years of age. Incidences of cervical cancer in Zambia occur at a rate of over 2.5 times that of breast cancer sufferers.
Risk Factors
- A personal family history of breast cancer.
- If you had breast cancer before, you are more likely to have the disease again.
- A relative (mother, sister, grandmother or aunt) on either side of the family with breast cancer before age 50, or any other type of cancer
- Smoking and alcohol : Your risk increases because tobacco smoke contains over 60 substances that are known to cause cancer.Read more on alcohol on the section of Alcoholism
- previous radiation therapy to the chest area : Radiation therapy is a type of treatment of cancer where high energy rays are used.
- Beginning your periods at an early age : Women who experience their periods early (before the age of 12) have an increased risk of breast cancer.
- Going through menopause at a late stage : Menopause is the time when a woman a woman stops her periods,which usually happens around the age of 50. Those who start menopause late (after the age of 55) have an increased risk of breast cancer.
- You are at a higher risk if you have never given birth before
- Having your first pregnancy after age 30.
- Use of birth control pills for a long time.
- Obesity : Obesity is when someone is very fat in a way that is unhealthy. Some studies had reported links between the breast cancer and obesity.
Most breast cancers occur in women with no factor other than getting older. The majority of advanced breast cancer cases are found in women over the age of 50 years old and women are more likely to get breast cancer than men.
What about HIV/AIDS and Breast cancer?
HIV/AIDS weakens your body to fight off infections and diseases. Some young people now-a-days in Zambia are being affected by breast and cervical cancers because of HIV/AIDS. Otherwise, most cancers are supposed to affect those people who are ages 45 years old and up.
