Breast Cancer Awareness Month: What you need to know

Cancer is a leading cause of death all over the world and one thing that can help change that is awareness.

People are encouraged to look out for the signs and educate themselves more on the different types of cancer, hence the promotion of months like Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month gives us a chance to learn different facts about breast cancer and some of the ways we can show support.

Here is what you need to know about this year's theme:

Breast cancer is still one of the most common types of cancer in Kenya

Kenya, like other third-world nations, struggles with cancer control. Thousands of cases of cancers like prostate, colorectal and cervical cancer come up every year and there is still a lot to be done to create more awareness.

2020 statistics highlighted in The ASCO post showed that breast cancer is among the top, if not the leading type of cancer in the country. There are many cases spread across different counties and in places like Western Kenya, there is an aggressive form of breast cancer according to research highlighted by BMC Cancer.

Older women have a higher risk

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As we age, our bodies start to break down. And when it comes to breast cancer, the older you are, the higher the risk.

The breakdown and mutation of our genes expose us to a higher breast cancer risk. Certainly, younger women can also get breast cancer as well but if you are older, around 50 years and above, you should go for screenings often.

Men can also develop breast cancer

Breast cancer is mainly connected to women and that is because women are the ones who are more at risk due to hormonal fluctuations.

At the same time, men can also develop breast cancer. Although rare, men should also be aware of common symptoms like lumps, discharge and skin discolouration around the breast area.

You can contribute to a cause

In the spirit of breast cancer awareness, you have a chance to donate to patients across the country. Foundations like Africa Cancer Foundation help to donate foodstuffs to cancer patients and, you can even sign up as a volunteer for their projects.

There are also other platforms like Cancer Free Women where you can sponsor a patient's mammogram.

You have a part to play

The government has started many cancer awareness initiatives and is working to increase the number of screening and chemotherapy centres. This is good news but Breast Cancer Awareness Month needs all of us to do our part as well in creating awareness.

Something as simple as helping people be more aware of self-tests and the importance of going for screening can save someone's life.

There are many people who have heard of breast cancer but have never understood some of the risk factors and signs to look out for so, this is something that we all can help others learn even within our own families.

So, talk about it more often.