Breast cancer remains one of the most common cancers in SA, and cases are continuing to spike annually among both women and men, Dr Varish Ramesar, a medical officer at Cancercare at St Dominic’s Hospital in East London, says.
Ramesar told the GO! that the importance of breast cancer awareness month could not be overstated, as with all cancers, early detection was always better than treatment.
“The whole point of the month is to make women and men aware — men can get breast cancer.”
Ramesar says accessible information and regular screening could be game changers in the fight against the dread disease which is set to become a major cause of sickness and death in the coming decades, in every region of the world.
Research predicts an increase in the prevalence of all cancer cases from 12,7 million new cases in 2008 to 22,2 million by 2030. That is almost double.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for nearly 10-million deaths in 2020, or nearly one in six deaths.
Many cancers can be cured if detected early and treated effectively and the most common cancers are breast, lung, colon and rectum and prostate cancers.
Throughout this month, Cancercare employees have decorated their practice in pink and are encouraging patients and their families to see the importance of early screening.
“Early screening helps us pick up pre-malignant or very early-stage cancers, and that’s crucial. The earlier we detect cancer, the better the prognosis for the patient,” Ramesar said.
“We’ve been encouraging not just our patients, but also their families who accompany them for treatment and consultations, to take part in screening programmes such as mammograms, ultrasounds and clinical examinations,” Ramesar said.
One of the simplest but most important preventative steps, he added, was self-examination.
“It’s a simple process that healthcare workers can teach women — to examine themselves regularly and, if they feel a lump or a gland under the armpit, to see a doctor immediately. That way, they can be referred for proper investigation and specialist care at an early stage,” he said.
Ramesar says it is vital for all women to be aware of the risks breast cancer posed, and to know that screening and medical care are available.
“We’re also planning to visit other hospitals such as Royal Buffalo Hospital to engage with nurses, doctors and patients — to share information about breast cancer,” he said.
Ramesar says awareness at primary healthcare level was critical to ensure patients were informed about the disease.
Over the years, Cancercare has seen an increase in breast cancer among younger patients, prompting Ramesar to advise women in their 30s to start screening early.
“A large proportion of the patients I treat are being managed for breast cancer — about 30%. Most cases are sporadic, but certain percentages are due to genetic factors, which can cause breast cancer to develop at a younger age.”
He urged young women with a family history of breast cancer to start screening sooner.
“Breast cancer is a curable malignancy, especially when detected early. If symptoms are ignored for too long, by the time the disease is diagnosed it may already be locally advanced or metastatic, which severely affects the prognosis.
“The earlier it’s detected, the better the outcome — because breast cancer is treatable and often curable when found at an early stage.”
It’s a simple process that healthcare workers can teach women — to examine themselves regularly and, if they feel a lump or a gland under the armpit, to see a doctor immediately. That way, they can be referred for proper investigation and specialist care at an early stage
