Pink Caravan Mini clip

حملة جمعية أصدقاء مرضى السرطان "زكاتكم علاجهم" - أبواب صرف أموال الزكاة والتبرعات

Voluntary Sector Network survey – findings | Voluntary Sector Network | guardian.co.uk

Voluntary Sector Network survey – findings | Voluntary Sector Network | guardian.co.uk:

"Infographic of findings from the latest Guardian Voluntary Sector Network survey
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 24 July 2013 07.25 BST

Samantha Jones for the Guardian
A survey conducted by the Guardian Voluntary Sector Network revealed charities' concern about the future.

"

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FOCP participates in Ramadan and Eid Exhibition - جمعية أصدقاء مرضى السرطان تشارك في معرض رمضان والعيد

Friends of Cancer Patients (FOCP) is participating in the Ramadan and Eid Exhibition at Sharjah Expo Center from 18^th July until 10^th August at Hall 4. During the Exhibition we will be providing information about current and future activities of FOCP, and we will be distributing awareness brochures to the visitors. Our nurses will also be available at the exhibition to provide advice and increase awareness for early detection of Breast Cancer, in addition to accepting donations.  

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تشارك جمعية أصدقاء مرضى السرطان في معرض رمضان والعيد في مركز إكسبو الشارقة خلال الفترة من يوم الخميس الموافق 18 يوليو وحتى يوم السبت الموافق ١٠ أغسطس 2013 في قاعة 4،  حيث ستكون المشاركة عبارة عن: التعريف بنشاطات الجمعية الحالية والمستقبلية، توزيع البروشورات التوعوية لزوار المعرض، تقديم النصائح التوعوية للكشف المبكر عن مرض سرطان الثدي من قبل ممرضات في ايام مختارة، بالإضافة إلى جمع التبرعات عن طريق كوبونات التبرع الخاصة بالجمعية.

Photos from the Opening of the Exhibition

صور من إفتتاح المعرض

Friends of Cancer Patients organises Ramadan workshops to raise breast cancer awareness - جمعية أصدقاء مرضى السرطان تُنظم ندوات رمضانية لزيادة الوعي بسرطان الثدي

The Friends of Cancer Patients charitable society (FOCP), through its Pink Caravan breast cancer awareness campaign, has organised workshops for both men and women in the holy month of Ramadan in a bid to raise breast cancer awareness, and disseminate information about the cancer, its risk factors, and the role of self examination and early diagnosis.

تنظم جمعية أصدقاء مرضى السرطان، ومن خلال حملة القافلة الوردية، مبادرتها الرائدة لنشر الوعي حول سرطان الثدي، ورش عمل للرجال والسيدات خلال شهر رمضان المبارك، في محاولة لرفع مستوى الوعي بمرض سرطان الثدي، ونشر المعلومات حول المرض، وأعراضه، ودور الفحص الذاتي والتشخيص المبكر في الوقاية منه.

The workshops are being conducted at Al Multaqa Ramadan Forum titled 'Breeze of Mercy' at the Zabeel Hall, Dubai World Trade Centre, from July 12th to 23rd between Fridays and Tuesdays.

It is the cancer society's second consecutive year of participation at the huge Ramadan event which is organised annually by the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing.

 وتقام الندوات خلال إنعقاد الملتقى الرمضاني تحت عنوان "نسائم الرحمة" في قاعة زعبيل بمركز دبي التجاري العالمي من 12 وحتى 23 يوليو ما بين أيام الجمعة والثلاثاء. وتشارك جمعية أصدقاء مرضى السرطان للعام الثاني على التوالي في هذه الفعالية الرمضانية الكبيرة التي تُقام سنويا بتنظيم دائرة السياحة والتسويق التجاري بدبي.

Photos from the event - صور من الفعالية

حقائق ومعلومات يجب أن تعرفها عن سرطان الثدي

سرطان الثدي هو نوع من السرطان (المرض الخبيث) الذي يؤثر على النساء والرجال ولكن بنسب أعلى للنساء، وقد تبين أن 28٪ من مجموع حالات السرطان في جميع أنحاء العالم هي حالات لسرطان الثدي.

سرطان الثدي هو ثاني أكبر سبب لوفيات السرطان بعد سرطان الرئة.

يحدث اصابة بسرطان الثدي بمعدل 1 من أصل 8 نساء خلال فترات حياتهن.

8 من أصل 10 من أورام الثدي تكون غير سرطانية.

 9.5من أصل 10 نساء تم علاجهن من سرطان الثدي في وقت مبكر بحيث يتمتعن بحياة طبيعية خلال 5 سنوات.

لا يمكن منع سرطان الثدي ولكن يمكن علاجه والشفاء منه إذا اكتُشف في وقت مبكر.

يعتبر الكشف المبكر وتحديد المرض في بدايته من أهم وسائل مكافحة سرطان الثدي.

من هم الأكثر عرضه لسرطان الثدي؟

 من هم فوق سن ال 50 عاما.

من كان لها أم أو أخت أو ابنة أصيبت بسرطان الثدي (تاريخ عائلي لسرطان الثدي).

من أنجبت طفلها الأول بعد سن 35 عاما.

من بدأت دورتها الشهرية قبل سن 12 عاما.

من تأخر عندها سن اليأس.

من أصيب بالسرطان من قبل.

من تتناول وجبات عالية الدهون ويعاني من 40٪ أو أكثر فوق الوزن.

من يدخن أكثر من 10 سجائر يوميا.

من يشرب الكحول بشكل منتظم.

من يستخدم “العلاج بالهرمونات البديلة” أو “الحبوب” لفترة طويلة.

سرطان الثدي يمكن أن يؤثر على أي امرأة حتى لو انها لا تعاني من أي من عوامل الخطر المذكورة.

هل أنت في خطر حقيقي؟

ماذا يمكنك أن تفعل؟

الفحص الذاتي للثدي بانتظام.

فحص طبي منتظم من قبل الطبيب.

فحص الثدي بالأشعة السينية بعد سن ال 40 عاما.

تقليل خطر الاصابة بسرطان الثدي (عن طريق الحفاظ على وزن صحي وتناول الطعام الصحي والتوقف عن التدخين وممارسة الرياضة).

متي يجب القيام بالفحص السريري على يد أحد الأطباء؟

يتم ذلك كجزء من الفحص الصحي السنوي أو عند الشعور بوجود أي شئ غير طبيعي.

عدد مرات الفحص:

بدءً من سن ال 20 سنة : ينبغي القيام بالفحص الطبي كل 3 سنوات.

بعد سن ال 40 سنة : ينبغي القيام بالفحص الطبي مرة كل عام.

متى يتم استخدام الفحص بالأشعة السينية؟

فحص الثدي بالأشعة السينية هو تقنية تقوم على فحص الثدي باستخدام الأشعة للوصول الى أي تغيير غير طبيعي حتى قبل أن يتم اكتشافه من قبل النساء أنفسهن أو من قبل الطبيب.

متى يتم الفحص:

من سن 40 عاما فما يتم اجراء الفحص مرة كل سنة إلى سنتين.

من سن 35 سنة إذا كان هناك تاريخ عائلي إيجابي للإصابة بسرطان الثدي.

توقيت الفحص باستخدام الأشعة السينية:

ويمكن أن يتم الفحص في أي وقت ولكن يفضل أن يكون ذلك بعد بدء دورة الطمث (في الأيام ال 10 الأولى من فترة).

قبل الذهاب إلى موعد فحص الثدي

لا تستخدمي التطيب أو العطر أو مزيل العرق أو البودرة لأنها تؤثر على نتيجة الفحص.

أحضري معك تقاريرالفحص بالأشعة القديمة ان وجدت.

فحص الثدي بالأشعة السينية هو الأسلوب الوحيد الذي أثبت فعاليته في التقليل من وفيات سرطان الثدي من 20 إلى 30٪ في النساء البالغات أكثر من 50 سنة من العمر.

Exclusive: Cancer - A cure just got closer thanks to a tiny British company - and the result could change lives of millions - Science - News - The Independent

A revolution is brewing on an English business park as scientists harness our natural-born killers – the T cells – to target malign tumours

STEVE CONNOR 

SUNDAY 14 JULY 2013

1 / 2

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A single-storey workshop on a nondescript business park in Oxfordshire is not the sort of place where you would expect scientific revolutions to take place. But behind the white-painted walls of this small start-up company, scientists are talking about the impossible – a potential cure for cancer.

For the past 20 years, the former academics who set up Immunocore have worked hard on realising their dream of developing a totally new approach to cancer treatment, and finally it looks as if their endeavours are beginning to pay off. In the past three weeks, the company has signed contracts with two of the biggest players in the pharmaceuticals industry which could lead to hundreds of millions of pounds flowing into the firm's unique research on cancer immunotherapy – using the body's own immune system to fight tumour cells.

Immunocore is probably the only company in the world that has developed a way of harnessing the power of the immune system's natural-born killer cells: the T-cells of the blood which nature has designed over millions of years of evolution to seek out and kill invading pathogens, such as viruses and bacteria. T-cells are not nearly as good at finding and killing cancer cells, but the hard-nosed executives of the drugs industry – who are notoriously cautious when it comes to investments – believe Immunocore may have found a way around this so that cancer patients in future are able to fend off their disease with their own immune defences.

"Immunotherapy is radically different," said Bent Jakobsen, the Danish-born chief scientific officer of Immunocore who started to study T-cells 20 years ago while working at the Medical Research Council's Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge. "It doesn't do away with the other cancer treatments by any means, but it adds something to the arsenal that has one unique feature – it may have the potency to actually cure cancer," Dr Jakobsen said.

It is this potency that has attracted the attention of Genentech in California, owned by the Swiss giant Roche, and Britain's GlaxoSmithKline. Both companies have independently signed deals with Immunocore that could result in up to half a billion pounds being invested in new cancer treatments based on its unique T-cell therapy.

It is no understatement to say that cancer immunotherapy, or immuno-oncology as it is technically called, represents a sea change in terms of cancer treatment. Cancer in the past has been largely treated by slicing (surgery), poisoning (chemotherapy) or burning (radiotherapy). All are burdened with the inherent problem of how to spare healthy tissue from irreparable damage while ensuring that every cancer cell is killed, deactivated or removed.

Now there is another approach based on the immune system, a complex web of cells, tissues and organs that constantly strive to keep the body free of disease, which almost certainly includes keeping cancerous cells in check.

For many years, scientists have realised that the immune system plays a key role in cancer prevention. There is ample evidence of this, not least from patients who are immune-suppressed in some way – they are more likely than other patients to develop cancer.

The immune system has two basic ways of fighting invading pathogens and the body's own cells that have gone awry. One involves the release of free-floating proteins, or antibodies, that lock on to an invader, triggering other immune cells to come in and sweep them away.

Many organisations have tried to develop anti-cancer treatments based on antibodies, with limited success, Dr Jakobsen said. Part of the problem is that antibodies are not really designed to recognise cells. What Immunocore has done is to build a therapy around the second arm of the immune system, known as cellular immunity, where T-cells seek out and destroy invading pathogens.

"There are a lot of companies working with antibodies but we are virtually the only company in the world that has managed to work with T-cells. It has taken 20 years and from that point we are unique," Dr Jakobsen said.

Immunocore has found a way of designing small protein molecules, which it calls ImmTACs, that effectively act as double-ended glue. At one end they stick to cancer cells, strongly and very specifically, leaving healthy cells untouched. At the other end they stick to T-cells.

The technology is based on the "T-cell receptor", the protein that sticks out of the surface of the T-cell and binds to its enemy target. Immunocore's ImmTACs are effectively independent T-cell receptors that are "bispecific", meaning they bind strongly to cancer cells at one end, and T-cells at the other – so introducing cancer cells to their nemesis.

"What we can do is to use that scaffold of the T-cell receptor to make something that is very good at recognising cancer even if it doesn't exist naturally," said Dr Jakobsen. "Although T-cells are not very keen at recognising cancer, we can force them to do so. The potential you have if you can engineer T-cell receptors is quite enormous. You can find any type of cell and any kind of target. This means the approach can in theory be used against any cancer, whether it is tumours of the prostate, breast, liver or the pancreas.

The key to the success of the technique is being able to distinguish between a cancer cell and a normal, healthy cell. Immunocore's drug does this by recognising small proteins or peptides that stick out from the surface membrane of cancer cells. All cells extrude peptides on their membranes and these peptides act like a shop window, telling scientists what is going on within the cell, and whether it is cancerous or not.

"All these little peptides tell you the story of the cell. The forest of them on the cell surface is a sort of display saying 'I am this kind of cell. This is my identity and this is everything going on inside me'," Dr Jakobsen explained.

Immunocore is building up a database of peptide targets on cancer cells in order to design T-cell receptors that can target them, leaving healthy cells alone and so minimising possible side effects – or that is the hope.

The first phase clinical trial of the company's therapy, carried out on a small number of patients in Britain and the United States with advanced melanoma, has shown that people can tolerate the drug reasonably well and preliminary results suggest there are "early signs of anti-tumour activity", the company said.

A danger with deploying T-cells against cancer is their potency. Yet it is this very potency that it is so exciting because it could lead to a cure for metastatic disease that has spread around the body, Dr Jakobsen said. "You can never make a single-mechanism drug that would come anywhere near a T-cell in terms of its potency.

"If you want to make an impact on cancer you need something that is incredibly potent – but when something goes wrong, it goes badly wrong. I think the honest truth about all cancer treatments is that no matter how much we test and do beforehand, it will continue to go wrong sometimes."

One infamous case of something going disastrously wrong was a clinical trial in 2006 at Northwick Park Hospital in London where scientists were testing a powerful immuno-regulatory drug on six volunteers. All suffered serious side effects caused by the overstimulation of their immune systems.

But Dr Jakobsen said the clinical trial of Immunocore's T-cell drug, as well as future trials, are inherently safe because they are based on incremental rises in dose. All indications suggest it will lead to the expected breakthrough.

He added: "All the pharma companies have come to the realisation that immunotherapy may hold the ultimate key to cancer; it is the missing link in cancer treatment that can give cures."

"They have seen this technology develop. It has come over the mountain top, if you like. With our melanoma trial they have seen it is safe – and it is working."

T-cell therapy

Using the body's immune system to fight cancer is one of the most promising areas of therapy, and could prove particularly helpful in the treatment of metastatic disease, when the cancer has spread from its original site.

The immune system is complex and is composed of many kinds of cells, proteins and chemical messengers that modulate how it works. Scientists are working on ways of exploiting the immune defences to recognise and eliminate cells that have become cancerous.

One of the most interesting examples is ipilimumab, a "monoclonal antibody" made by Bristol-Myers-Squib. It recognises and binds to a molecule, called CTLA-4, which is found on the T-cells of the immune system. CTLA-4 normally keeps T-cells from proliferating, but in the presence of ipilimumab, it becomes blocked, allowing T-cells to increase in numbers, so leading them to attack cancer cells.

Other drugs based on monoclonal antibodies are designed to attack tumours more directly. When they bind to a cancerous cell, it serves as a signal for other cells of the immune system to come in and sweep the cancer cells away.

The trouble is that cancer cells are notoriously mutational. Eliminating 99.9 per cent of cancer cells in a patient may be an improvement, but it still leaves 0.1 per cent that could "escape".

One hope of using T-cells, is that this possibility of escape is narrowed down, or even eliminated. Of course, these are still early days. This is only just beginning to go through the first clinical trials. It could take five or 10 years before we know whether or not they work.

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Unsung Heroes Pink Caravan Team fighting cancer and supporting patients and their families across the region - Ahlan! Live

Unsung Heroes

Pink Caravan 

Team fighting cancer and supporting patients and their families across the region

Last year alone, this pioneering team reached out to thousands of people across the UAE as it continued to raise awareness of the necessity for cancer screening. We spoke to Project Manager Lize de Jonge.

Exactly what is Pink Caravan? 
It’s an initiative of the Friends of Cancer Patients charity organisation with the aim to encourage men and women across the UAE to have medical screenings, plus instill the importance of self-examination.

How does it do that?
During our two-year campaign we’ve screened more than 16,500 people. Last year we visited 40 corporate locations providing discussion sessions and free screenings and advising, where necessary, for further check-ups. The Pink Caravan Ride is the most famous aspect of our campaign, comprising a 10-day horse trek to far-flung areas of the UAE. We ride with a qualified medical team and a mobile mammography machine and reach those with limited access to medical centres and information.

What are the challenges in this region? 
Traditions, customs and existing myths about cancer can discourage people from participating. It can also be hard to encourage people whose test results suggest there is a need for a follow-up to go to a medical centre for further examinations. In many cases, centres are not easily accessible. We provide transport and support.

In your travels, what have you learnt about life in the lesser-known areas of the region?
Life is modest compared with the urban areas in the UAE. People in these areas are extremely hospitable, with their values deeply entrenched in the Arab- Islamic culture.

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معلومات ونصائح لمرضى السرطان في رمضان

معلومات تُهم مرضى السرطان عن الصوم:

نشر موقع “ما هلث نيوز دايلي” الأمريكي نتائج تجارب أجراها علماء أمريكيون من جامعة “جنوب كاليفورنيا” على فئران حُقنت بخلايا سرطانية جلدية وثديية وأورام دماغية، خلصت الى ان العلاج الكيميائي بعد إجبار هذه الفئران على عدم تناول الغذاء يكون أكثر فعالية.

وقد دفعت هذه النتائج العلماء الى التأكيد على ان صيام المرضى المصابين بالسرطان لفترة محددة قبل تلقيهم العلاج الكيميائي يعود بنتائج أفضل، وذلك وفقاً لما أدلى به العالم المشرف على التجارب فولتر لونغو.

وقد خضع 10 مصابين بالسرطان لتجارب مماثلة حيث صاموا قبل تلقيهم العلاج الكيميائي، فاستنتج العلماء بناءً عليها ان العوارض الجانبية لدى هؤلاء أقل، مقارنة مع المرضى الذين لم يصوموا.

ويلفت العلماء الأنظار الى ان الصيام “يحرم الخلايا السرطانية” من الغذاء الكافي، مما يحول دون نموها.

كما يشير العلماء الى ان صيام الفئران وحده لمدة يومين أو ثلاثة عن الطعام دون الماء قبل الخضوع للعلاج الكيميائي، كان كفيلاً بإبطاء عملية نمو الخلايا السرطانية.

لكن ما ان أُلحق العلاج الكيميائي بالصيام حتى رصد العلماء تحسناً إضافياً من خلال تقلص انتشار المرض بلغت نسبته 40%.

من جانب آخر أشار لونغو الى ان كل مريض يعد حالة فريدة من نوعها، وان الأبحاث لا تزال جارية للتحقق مما اذا كان من الممكن تعميم هذه النتائج على جمع المرضى.

وما خلصت إليه الدراسة هو أن الصيام يكبت عملية إنقسام الخلايا الذي يتسبب في تطور وإنتشار مرض السرطان، كما أن الخلايا السرطانية وبسبب الخلل في مادتها الوراثية تكون بحاجة لكميات كبيره من السعرات الحرارية، وهكذا فالصيام يبطئ نموها بشكل كبير، كما يقوم الصيام أيضاً بتقوية جهاز المناعة في الجسم حيث تزداد قدرته للتعرف على الخلايا السرطانية وإبادتها.

نسأل الله أن يعافي ويشفي جميع مرضى المسلمين والمسلمات.

مجموعة من النصائح لمرضي السرطان في رمضان:

* استشارة الطبيب قبل الشروع في الصيام، وعليه يتم تحديد برنامج آمن للصيام دون التأثير السلبي على الحالة الصحية.

* لا يستحب الصيام في الأيام الأولى بعد تلقي العلاج الكيماوي. عادة يكون الجسم متعباً وضعيفاً في هذه الأيام ويجب على المريض في هذه الفتره التغذيه بشكل جيد ليسترد الجسم قواه. وكذلك فقد يصعب الصيام على المريض وذلك بسبب الآلام وحاجته للمسكنات في هذه الأيام فور تلقي العلاج الكيماوي.

لا يفضل الصيام في الأيام التالية للعلاج الكيماوي.

* يستحب الصيام في الأيام (أو الإسبوع / إسبوعين) التي تسبق العلاج الكيماوي. عادة يكون المريض في حاله صحيه جيده في هذه الفتره.

* ضرورة شرب الكثير من المياه والسوائل ما بين الإفطار والسحور

* تجنب الأطعمة التي تحتوي على نسبة عالية من الدهون،

* وتناول الكثير من الفاكهة والزبادي، والأطعمة التي تعوض السكريات في الدم، وتعطي المريض طاقة، طالما أنه ليس مصابا بـ"السكر"،

*  تناول الفيتامينات، لتعويض ما يفقده الجسم أثناء الصيام، وتقويته،

* وتجنب التعرض لأشعة الشمس، وبذل المجهود في نهار رمضان، والاهتمام بممارسة الرياضة الخفيفة داخل المنزل.

* الحرص على السحور لما فيه من بركة وصحة للجسم، لقول الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم: "تسحروا ، فإن في السحور بركة ." (عن أنس بن مالك عند البخاري وهو حديث صحيح).

* الاستعانة بالله وانتهاز فرص الدعاء بالخير في رمضان.

* الرجاء الإنتباه لرد فعل الجسم للصيام وإيقافه في حالة التعب الشديد.

* طلب العون والشفاء من الله سبحانه وتعالى عند النيه للصيام. يقول تعالى: 

"وَإِن يَمْسَسْكَ ٱللَّهُ بِضُرٍّۢ فَلَا كَاشِفَ لَهُۥٓ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ وَإِن يُرِدْكَ بِخَيْرٍۢ فَلَا رَآدَّ لِفَضْلِهِۦ ۚ يُصِيبُ بِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِۦ ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ﴿١٠٧﴾" {سورة يونس}

Cancer prevention: What is breast cancer? - The Times of India

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women with most cases occurring in women over 50. In developed countries, around one in eight women develop breast cancer at some stage in their life.

The oncologist specialist team at BNH HCG Cancer Center, a unit of HCG - Dr. Bhavana Parikh, Consultant, Medical Oncologist, Dr. Deepak Patkar, Consultant, Radiologist and Dr. Sanjay Dudhat, Consultant, Surgical Oncologist, help us understand breast cancer in detail and help prevent it.

Cancer Prevention: What is Breast Cancer?

Breast cancer develops from a cancerous cell, which develops in the lining of a milk duct or milk gland (lobule) in one of the breasts.

If you notice any lump or change to your normal breast then you should see a doctor promptly.

If breast cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, there is a good chance of a cure.

Cancer Prevention: Types of Breast cancer

Broadly, it is divided into:

1. Non-invasive and carcinoma in situ

Some people are diagnosed when the cancerous cells are still totally within a duct/lobule. These are called 'carcinoma in situ' as no cancer cells have grown out from the original site.

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is the most common type of non-invasive breast cancer.

2. Invasive cancer

Most breast cancers are diagnosed when a tumour has grown from within a duct or lobule into the surrounding breast tissue. These are called 'invasive' breast cancers.

Invasive breast cancers are also divided into those where cancer cells have invaded into local blood or lymphatic vessels and those that have not.

Cancer Prevention: Stages of Breast Cancer

This does not describe a type of cancer, but describes how much the cancer has grown and whether it has spread

Generally, the earlier the stage, the greater the chance of a cure.

Cancer Prevention: Causes of Breast Cancer

A cancerous tumour starts from one abnormal cell and multiplies 'out of control'

The exact reason why a cell becomes cancerous is unclear

Cancer Prevention: Risk Factors of Breast Cancer

Although breast cancer can develop for no apparent reason, there are certain 'risk factors' which increase the chance that breast cancer will develop.

Ageing: The risk of developing breast cancer roughly doubles for every 10 years of age.

Where you live: The rate of breast cancer varies between countries, possible due to environmental factors

Family history: This means if you have close relatives who have or have had breast cancer

Being childless or if you had your first child after the age of thirty

Cancer Prevention: Risk Factors of Breast Cancer

Early age of starting periods

Having no menopause over the age of 55

Taking HRT ( Hormone Replacement Therapy) for several years leads to a slightly increased risk

Having dense breast

A past history of some benign breast diseases

Lifestyle factors: little exercise; obesity after the menopause: excess alcohol

Cancer Prevention: Family history and genetic testing

About 1-2 in 20 cases of breast cancer are caused by a 'faulty gene' which can be inherited

Breast cancer which is linked to a faulty gene most commonly affects women in their 30s and 40s

The genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 are the common faulty genes

If you have any of the following in your family, you might want to see your doctor:

1. Three close blood relatives who developed breast or ovarian cancer at any age

2. Two close relatives who developed breast or ovarian cancer under the age of 60

3. A close relative, under 40, who developed breast cancer

4. A case of breast cancer in a male relative

Note: Most cases of breast cancer are not due to an inherited faulty gene.

Cancer Prevention: Symptoms of Breast cancer

A breast lump

The usual first symptom is a painless lump in the breast

Note:

Most breast lumps are not cancerous

Most breast lumps are fluid-filled cysts or fibroadenomas, which are benign

However, you should always see a doctor if a lump develops as the breast lump may be cancerous

Cancer Prevention: Other symptoms

Other symptoms, which may be noticed in the affected breast, include:

Changes in the size or shape of a breast

Dimpling or thickening of the skin on a part of a breast

The nipple becomes inverted or retracted

Rarely, a discharge from a nipple occurs (which may be bloodstained)

A rare type of breast cancer cause a rash around the nipple which can look similar to a small patch of eczema

Rarely, pain in the breast

The first place that beats cancer usually spreads to is the lymph nodes (glands) in the armpit. If this occurs, you may develop a swelling or lump in an armpit. If the cancer spreads to other parts of the body then various other symptoms can develop.

Cancer Prevention: Diagnosis of breast cancer

1. Initial assessment

If you develop a lump or symptoms which may be breast cancer, a doctor will usually examine your breast and armpits to look for any lumps or other changes

You will normally be referred to be a specialist

Sometime a biopsy of an obvious lump is arranged, but other tests may be done first such as:

Digital Mammogram: this is a special X-ray of the breast tissue, which can detect changes in the density of breast tissue, which may indicate tumours

Ultrasound scan of the breast

MRI scan of the breast: this is more commonly performed on younger women, especially those with a strong family history of breast cancer

Biopsy - to confirm the diagnosis

A biopsy is a small sample of tissue that is removed from a part of the body

The sample is examined under the microscope to look for abnormal cells

A specialist may take a biopsy with a needle which is inserted into the lump and some cells are withdrawn (FNAC - Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology)

Sometimes the doctor may be guided as to where to insert the needle with the help of a mammogram or ultrasound scan

Sometimes a small operation is needed to obtain a biopsy sample

The biopsy sample can confirm or rule out breast cancer. Also the cells from a tumour can be assessed and tested to determine their grade and receptor status

3. Assessing the extent and spread (Staging)

If you are confirmed to have breast cancer, further tests may be needed to assess if it has spread

For example, blood tests, an ultrasound scan of the liver, chest X-ray, a bone scan or other types of scan. This assessment is called 'staging' of the cancer

The aim of staging is to find out

How large the tumour has grown, if the cancer has spread to local lymph nodes in the armpit or other areas of the body.

The grade of the cells and the receptor status of the cancer help doctors to advice on the best treatment options.

Cancer Prevention: The Treatment for Breast Cancer

Treatment options, which may be considered, include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone treatment

The treatments used depend on:

1. The cancer itself:

Its size and stage (whether it has spread) the grade of the cancer cells

Whether it is hormone responsive or expresses HER2 receptors

2. The woman with the cancer:

Her age

Whether or not she has achieved menopause

Her general health and personal preferences for treatment

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