Breast Cancer:

Four surprising facts

Breast cancer is the most common cancer for women worldwide, with over two million new cases in 2018 (World Cancer Research Fund).

According to DR BERTHA WOON, breast surgeon at Gleneagles Hospital, there are many factors that lead to these growing numbers. Apart from the usual risk factors for breast cancer – including being female, having a family history of breast cancer, having your first child over the age of 30, not having children at all, not breastfeeding, being overweight, leading a sedentary lifestyle, and smoking and alcohol consumption – nutrition and environmental factors can play a role, as can early menarche or late menopause due to a longer period of oestrogen exposure.

“Most of the time, I would advise ladies to decrease stress, spend time for themselves and to go to bed by around 11pm so that their DNA repair genes can do their job,” says Dr Woon.

Breast cancer doesn’t always present itself in the form of a lump.

Though a lump in the breast is a common symptom, the signs of breast cancer can vary. It’s critical to also look out for symptoms such as nipple retraction, abnormal bleeding or discharge from the nipple, an itchy rash around the nipple, a change in breast size, or a sore feeling in the breast. It’s important to consult your doctor if any of these symptoms occur, says Dr Woon.

It’s best to get mammograms or do self-exams 10 to 14 days after the first day of your last period.

“This is when the breasts are less likely to have fluid retention and are less likely to be painful,” says Dr Woon.

Also, if you no longer have a period, do your breast selfexamination the same day of each month – for example, the first day – for consistency. Women can also continue to perform breast self-examinations while pregnant or breastfeeding, and if they have breast implants.

It is possible to preserve your breast during cancer surgery.

There’s a common misconception that if you have breast cancer, you’ll definitely lose your breast. However, the truth is that not everyone who has breast cancer has to undergo a mastectomy ( surgery that involves removing the whole breast tissue).

“Breast-preserving surgery, which is suitable for the early stages of breast cancer, involves removing the tumour along with a minimal amount of surrounding breast tissue to ensure that no cancer is left behind,” says Dr Woon. She says that the appearance of the breast after breast-conserving surgery is especially good if the tumour is no more than around a quarter of the total breast volume. As for the nipple, unless the tumour is located in the centre of the breast or involves the nipple, the nipple is not removed during cancer surgery. Gleneagles Hospital is located at 6A Napier Road. To schedule an appointment, text 8799 7767 (Whatsapp). gleneagles.com.sg