The disease is much more common in women, but it also occasionally affects men.
National Breast Cancer Day, held every year on October 20, aims to promote support for people with this diagnosis, including metastatic breast cancer, by emphasizing the importance of regular screening starting at age 40 or at an age that corresponds to your personal risk of developing the disease . In particular, doctors recommend that women under the age of 40 get a breast ultrasound once a year, and women over 40 get a mammogram.
Breast cancer is much more common in women, this disease also affects men. But lack of awareness and stigma can be barriers to detection and care.
Breast cancer occurs when some cells in the breast begin to grow abnormally. These cells divide faster than healthy cells and continue to accumulate, forming a lump or mass. The cells can spread (metastasize) through the breast to lymph nodes or other parts of the body.
Signs and symptoms of breast cancer may include:
Intensification or thickening of the breast gland, which is different to the touch from the surrounding tissues;
A change in the size, shape or appearance of the breast;
Peeling or crusting of the pigmented area of skin around the nipple (areola) or breast skin;
Redness or dimpling of the chest like an orange peel.
The two biggest risk factors for developing breast cancer are female gender and getting older. These factors are difficult to change, but other risk factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption and lack of regular exercise can be changed.
According to Orest Tril, Deputy General Director of the Lviv Oncology Regional Treatment and Diagnostic Center, 677 people were diagnosed with breast cancer for the first time in the Lviv region this year.
“In Lviv Oblast, in 9 months of 2023, 677 people were diagnosed with breast cancer for the first time, of which 44 people had stage IV cancer. In total, 10,967 people are registered in the region. In 2023, 2,310 people received specialized treatment, of which 48 people received surgical treatment, 288 received combined or complex treatment. For the current year, 166 deaths were registered. I would like to remind you that regular breast self-examinations, annual medical examinations and annual mammograms are important tools for detecting breast cancer, especially early detection, when the cancer is more treatable. It is important for residents to come and be examined, because early detection can save lives,” said Orest Tril.