BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
KEEP BREAST CANCER IN CHECK
A woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every 10 minutes in the UK and it affects men too. But it is a curable cancer if caught early and self-checks are the best defence
Since 1985 people have come together in October to observe Breast Cancer Awareness Month and create increased awareness about this complex disease, and raise funds for its research and treatment. Yet too many women assume that it won’t affect them. However, studies have found that, in the UK, every 10 minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer and one in every eight people diagnosed with cancer has breast cancer. Though the statistics
is often believed, breast cancer can occur in men. This is because they too have breast tissue. Male breast cancer accounts for less than one per cent of all diagnosed breast cancers. While, about 55,000 new cases of breast cancer are reported amongst women in the UK every year, about 350 cases are diagnosed in men.
“Breast cancer is one of the most curable forms of cancer with a 94 per cent survival rate and it furthest in terms of advancement in treatment programmes”
are alarming, breast cancer is one of the most curable forms of cancer with a 94 per cent survival rate and it is furthest in terms of advancement in treatment programmes. Studies have also found that at least 30 per cent of breast cancer cases are preventable. Though rare, and contrary to what
30 | POLICE | OCTOBER 2022
Age is the most common cause of breast cancer amongst men and occurs in most men after the age of 60. Obesity and liver ailments further increase the risk as these conditions are associated with higher levels of oestrogen in the body. Exposure to radiation can also
contribute to a higher risk of developing breast cancer in men. However, diagnosis can be as difficult in men as women because they experience the same anxiety and fear of self-checking and finding out on their own. Additionally, breast cancer is perceived as a woman’s disease and sometimes men find it embarrassing and difficult to discuss with family and friends.
The most
common symptom of breast cancer in men is similar to
those of women – a breast lump around or behind the nipple. Further diagnosis is made in the same way as for women, i.e. first a mammogram and ultrasound of the affected breast followed by a biopsy. The treatment of breast cancer in men is the same as for women.
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