By Shahtaj Khan
Breast cancer is a condition brought on by the growth of malignant cells there. These malignant cells first proliferate and invade healthy breast cells. They eventually travel to other areas of the body through lymphatic or blood arteries. When this occurs, malignant cells begin to spread to other tissues, a process known as metastasis. The fact that this is the second largest cause of mortality for women worldwide is one of the main causes of increasing awareness of the disease. One in eight women is affected, whereas only one in a thousand men are. Mostly elderly women are affected.
Here are some other breast cancer statistics:
- According to various studies, women over 60 accounts for almost 50% of all diagnosed cases of breast cancer.
- Your chance of getting breast cancer nearly doubles if a first-degree family (mother, daughter, or sister) has a history of the disease. A family member with breast cancer, either now or in the past, affects about 15% of women with the disease.
- Because there is no cure for breast cancer, our attention should be directed toward early detection. Before the disease spreads, early detection can enable you to take many actions, such as obtaining a mastectomy or receiving chemotherapy.
Treatment/Precautions for Breast Cancer
Precautionary Measures to Prevent Breast Cancer,
- Keep Your Weight Under Control to Prevent Breast Cancer.
- Be active physically.
- Consume Fruits and Vegetables and Drink Moderately (Zero is Best)
- Avoid smoking.
- Try to breastfeed if you can.
- Avoid taking birth control pills, especially if you are over 35 or smoke.
- Steer clear of menopause hormone therapy.
- Raloxifene and Tamoxifen for High-Risk Women.
Treatments for Breast Cancer:
There are numerous treatments for breast cancer. The type of breast cancer and the extent of its spread will determine this. Multiple types of treatments are frequently given to patients with breast cancer.
Surgery: A procedure where cancerous tissue is removed by doctors.
Chemotherapy: Shrinks or kills the cancer cells using specialized medications. The drugs may be taken orally, administered intravenously, or occasionally both.
Hormonal Therapy: Hormone treatment prevents hormones that cancer cells require for growth from reaching them.
Biological Therapy: Biological treatment collaborates with the immune system of your body to combat cancer cells or to manage the negative effects of other cancer treatments.
Radiation Therapy: Radiation treatment destroys cancer cells using high-energy beams that are comparable to X-rays.
Famous Cancer Survivors
Following are the most famous celebrities who survive breast cancer because illness of any type doesn’t discriminate between rich and poor people and anything can happen to any person at any time but to fight that illness with bravery is the most important thing we learn from these celebrities who not only set an example of fighting with breast cancer with their strength but also took part in giving awareness of breast cancer at different forums and still raising their voices to make people aware about breast cancer.
- Angelina Jolie: In addition to having the BRCA1 gene mutation, Angelina Jolie’s mother passed away from breast cancer. Over the course of her lifetime, she calculated that this gene gave her an 87% risk of acquiring breast cancer and a 50% chance of developing ovarian cancer. To lessen her risk of developing breast cancer, Angelina Jolie had double mastectomy surgery. The 37-year-old mother of six has given the New York Times an explanation of why she underwent the procedure. “I chose to be proactive and to reduce the risk as much as I could,” she said. And everyone was really appreciative of what she did.
- Nadia Jamil: A courageous lady who, by triumphing against fatal breast cancer, not only created a name for herself in the performing world but also in her own life. The actress Nadia Jamil has been battling breast cancer since last year and has posted updates about her condition on social media. She kept everyone up to date on her development even during the procedure. For medical care, Nadia traveled to the UK. She persisted in sharing her occasionally hilarious images on social media during this physical and nervous struggle. She explained the challenges she had encountered there as well as the most recent status of her treatment. The wonderful news that her cancer tests were negative spread on social media. The bright actress revealed that she had been to the UK for cancer treatment and had returned home for a while.
- Asma Nabeel: Producer-writer Asma Nabeel of Khaani fame, battled cancer back in 2013, She revealed her courageous battle with breast cancer in October, during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and urged other cancer survivors to keep fighting, smile, and move on. She also shared a motivational message for all cancer survivors that was: “For all those cancer warriors out there a little motivation for all of you,” she wrote. “When cancer hits you, all people talk and think is about your death. This is my answer to all… only Allah knows who will die when so don’t discourage people who are fighting it,” said Asma Nabeel and urged everyone to let them live. “Encourage them and let them live. I fought, I survived and thanks to my cancer it made me really really tough. Three cheers for all the cancer warriors.”
- Mahima Chaudhry: Mahima Chaudhry, best known for her performance in the 1997 hit Pardes, has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Revealing that the cancer was detected during the yearly routine check-up, Mahima said, “I didn’t have any symptoms.” I get a yearly test done, including blood tests and sonography. It was one such annual checkup where the person doing my sonography said that I should get this checked by an oncologist.” She shared that while the doctor suggested a biopsy, he did say that it “doesn’t look like anything”, explaining to her that “these are pre-cancer cells called DCIS. Sometimes, they become cancer, and, sometimes, they don’t.”
Mahima further shared that “I wanted to get them removed”. “We did a biopsy and it didn’t come as cancer. It was negative. But, I still wanted to take it out. When we took it out and the doctors did the biopsy of the cells that were removed, they found tiny portions of cells that had already become cancer,” the Pardes actor shared. While the actor knew that it was treatable, she couldn’t help but feel scared and vulnerable. “The doctor said that they need to give me chemotherapy. I started crying. If you catch it early, cancer is treatable. But, we are just so terrified of the word cancer, which is why I didn’t share it with my parents.
- Palwasha Yousuf: Even though Palwasha Yousuf isn’t an actress, people are familiar with her as the sister of the well-known actress Syra Yousuf and for her brief stints in modeling. She owns her own salon and is a successful businesswoman. After receiving a cancer diagnosis a few years ago, Palwasha heroically battled the disease. She is currently cancer-free and doing everything she can to increase awareness of breast cancer. In order to share her experiences with others, she makes sure to attend every cancer awareness conference to which she is invited.
