Awareness on Breast Cancer is the Best Way to Prevent It, Says Expert

The best way to prevent breast cancer is through gaining empowerment in terms of having awareness about the disease by attending seminars and other forms of advocacy related to it.

“With early detection, we can save lives,” said Dr. Cristina L. Santos, a surgeon and one of the speakers in the “Keep Abreast Seminar” held recently at the Ateneo Graduate School of Business in Rockwell, Makati City, as part of the observance of October as Cancer Awareness Month.

Dr. Santos said that through the seminars they are conducting for almost 10 years already, they share with the attendees and fellow advocates about breast cancer the signs and symptoms, risk factors that are modifiable and non-modifiable as well as guidelines for early detection of breast cancer.

She said that on the preventive side, one can take active part by having regular exercises, living an active and healthy lifestyle, knowing the risk factors and minimizing or coping with stress.

For early diagnosis, she cited at least three steps involved: 1) take monthly breast self-exam (BSE) seriously; 2) seek clinical breast exam (CBE) periodically; and 3) submit to screening mammography regularly.

She said that by attending seminars, men and women will be more equipped with the knowledge on how cancer can be managed and have an increase in survival rate.

Based on the statistics from Cancer Research UK, 90 percent of women who were diagnosed early enough had a better chance of recovering from the disease than those diagnosed during the advanced stages.

“Building breast cancer awareness is still very important. We need to inform the public. If they are properly educated, then they will build the initiative on their own,” Dr. Santos said.

She added that while lung cancer is still the leading cause of death and breast cancer belongs to the fifth cause, the people should be more aware of what they can do to fight breast cancer as they understand the significance of early detection.

During the seminar, some survivors of breast cancers were invited to share their stories and experiences to serve as a living example of how early detection helps.

Among them is 65-year-old Marife Garido, a businesswoman who shared that she was able to survive breast cancer at an early stage through BSE method and undergoing mastectomy (surgical removal of breast).

“That (incident) served as a wake-up call for me to get involved in awareness campaign,” she said.

For the case of 24-year-old Rochelle Espiritu, she said she joined the seminar advocacy in memory of her husband who died of breast cancer that reached stage 4 in 2007.

By becoming a witness on what her mother went through, she and her sister joined the advocacy, especially lately that she noticed that she was developing a lump in her breast through BSE.

Luckily, she said that through early diagnosis, it was seen that such lump was benign.

“Upon knowing of my condition, I developed more interest to really take care of myself and my condition,” Espiritu added.

Breast cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the breast.

These cells begin to grow out of control and can easily invade adjacent structures and other organs (like the axillary or armpit, lymph nodes, lungs, bones, liver and brain).

The Philippine Wacoal Corporation is behind the “Keep Abreast Campaign Advocacy” for almost 10 years already to inform the public about the importance of early diagnosis, prevention and treatment of breast cancer.

The firm has engaged in the campaign as a way of giving back to society and reaching by a helping hand.

To build better awareness, it has also partnered with Gift2Life Inc. to conduct free seminars to build better public awareness.

According to Dr. Santos, another seminar will also be conducted in the same venue on Oct. 17 in order to raise more awareness as tool toward breast cancer prevention to bring the message that there is hope with early detection.

The seminar is free and open to the public.

According to Globocan 2012 of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the Philippines ranks as the 6th country in Asia and 2nd country in Southeast Asia with the highest incidence of breast cancer. (PNA) SCS/LSJ