According to Globocan data, in 2020 the number of breast cancer cases in Indonesia reached 68,858 cases or 16.6% of the total 396,914 new cancer cases found. This number makes breast cancer ranked first as a type of cancer with the most new cases above cervical cancer (9.2%), lung cancer (8.8%), colorectal cancer (8.6%), liver cancer (5.4%) and the rest are other types of cancer.
As many as 70% of breast cancer cases are detected when they are in an advanced stage and causing death rates to reach more than 22,000 cases. In fact, about 43% of cancer deaths can be prevented if patients routinely carry out early detection and avoid risk factors that cause cancer.
Breast Cancer Risk Factors
The main factor that increases the risk of breast cancer is getting older for a woman. Most cases of breast cancer are found in women who are 50 years old or older. Most women have a risk of getting breast cancer, but not all women with that risk will get breast cancer. Breast cancer risk factors are generally divided into two, the first one is some risk factors that can’t be changed, and the other one is some risk factors that can be changed. The following risk factors below are the factors that can’t be changed :
- Getting older, the risk for breast cancer increases with age.
- A woman who’s starting her menstrual periods before age 12 and starting menopause after age 55 has an increased risk of breast cancer.
- Women with dense breasts have a higher risk because it’s difficult to detect if there is a tumor.
- Having a family history of breast cancer also makes the risk higher.
Meanwhile, the following are risk factors that we can still change because we still have control over some of the following factors :
- Women who are less physically active have a higher risk of getting breast cancer.
- Older women who have entered the menopause phase and are overweight or obese have a bigger chance of getting breast cancer than those at a normal weight.
- Women who experience their first pregnancy over the age of 30, never had a full-term pregnancy, or do not breastfeed their babies can also increase their risk of getting breast cancer later in life.
- Smoking, drinking alcohol, and hormonal changes due to night shift work can also increase your risk of getting breast cancer.
Breast Cancer Symptoms
Every woman has a different breast condition, so the symptoms they have can also differ from one another. some symptoms that can be used as a warning for the emergence of breast cancer:
- New lump in the breast or underarm (armpit).
- There is swelling in the breast area.
- There is irritation in the breast skin.
- There is a rash in the breast area.
- Nipple discharge other than breast milk, including blood.
- Feeling pain in the breast area.
- There is a change in the size or shape of the breast.
Although there are factors that cannot be changed, such as heredity and age, we can still reduce the risk of breast cancer in several ways. Maintaining an ideal body weight, adopting an active lifestyle, consuming healthy foods, and avoiding alcoholic beverages are some lifestyles that you can use, to reduce the risk of getting breast cancer in the future. In addition, perform routine checks, both independently and clinically, in order to monitor the health condition of our breasts.
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Sources :
Redaksi Sehat Negeriku. (2022). Kanker Payudara Paling Banyak di Indonesia, Kemenkes Targetkan Pemerataan Layanan Kesehatan. Sehat Negeriku. [online]. https://sehatnegeriku.kemkes.go.id/baca/umum/20220202/1639254/kanker-payudaya-paling-banyak-di-indonesia-kemenkes-targetkan-pemerataan-layanan-kesehatan/
Division of Cancer Prevention and Control. (2022). Breast Cancer. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [online]. https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/