Breast Cancer Awareness

Early breast cancer usually doesn’t show any symptoms. As the tumour grows, it can change how the breast looks or feel. The common changes include:

• A lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the armpit area.
• A change in the shape and size of the breast.
• Dimpling or puckering in the skin of the breast.
• The nipple becoming inverted (turning inward into the breast).
• Abnormal discharge from the nipple.
• Scaly, red, or swollen skin on the breast, or the dark area surrounding the nipple.
• The skin of the breast taking on an orange peel look or feel.

If breast cancer is found early, there are more treatment options and a better chance for survival. Getting checked regularly can put your mind at ease. Even if you feel healthy now, just being a woman and getting older puts you at risk for breast cancer. Finding cancer early can save your life.
Know how your breasts normally look and feel. Breast self-examination should be done once a month during ovulation. Many women have a pattern of lumpiness in their breast, which is normal. However, if you feel any change in your breasts or underarms, ask your doctor to do a clinical breast examination.

YOU HAVE A HIGHER RISK IF………
• You are older than 50. Women in their twenties or thirties are increasingly diagnosed with breast cancer.
• You have a close family member with breast cancer. The risk is higher if your grandmother, mother, sister or daughter had breast or ovarian cancer.
• You have a personal history of cancer and have received treatment for it. Women who have received high dose chemotherapy or have had radiation therapy to the chest before age 30 are at an increased risk.
• Your breast tissue is very dense. Women whose mammograms show a larger area of dense tissue than those of women of the same age are at increased risk.
• You have never given birth or your first confinement was after the age of 35. Pregnancy reduces a woman’s total number of lifetime menstrual cycles, which may be the reason.
• You’re using or have recently used birth control pills for many years. The risk decreases if women stop using it for 10 years or more.
• You are using combination hormone replacement therapy. (Combination of estrogen and progesterone.) Breast cancer risk is reduced to average about 5 years after stopping combined treatment.
• You have two or more alcoholic drinks per day. The use of alcohol is clearly linked to an increased risk of developing breast cancer.

WOMEN 40 AND OLDER, SHOULD BE REFERRED FOR A MAMMOGRAM EVERY 2-3 YEARS.

ALTHOUGH VERY RARE, MEN CAN ALSO DEVELOP BREAST CANCER.

There will always be patients who need our prayers and love. Please support our patients.
Johannes Onesimus
Cheiniqua Cunu
Ally Nghipunduka
Mr Greeff
Ms Greeff
Katrina Smith
Hendriena Pieters
Edmund Khoza
Bertha Naibeb
Everyone not mentioned

We hope Anna de Waal and Bertha Naibeb will have a speedy recovery after surgery.

Special thanks to Cornelia Swanepoel, personnel, parents and students of BRIGHTSTART MONTESSORI for their support and fund raising the last four years. Their annual Mini Cup for Cancer has raised N$ 1060.00. A phenomenal amount of N$ 2630.00 for shoelaces on Boot Out Cancer Day was paid to CAN.

BOOT OUT CANCER DAY replaced the usual Bandana Day.
Thank you Luderitz for your N$ 12 000.00.

CALENDERS are still available. Great gifts!

Please remember your annual PAP SMEAR.

DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WITH CANCER? Please contact us.
063 204252
0812753013