IN light of breast cancer awareness month, Tidy Up, a company that refills a line of cleaning agents, on Friday hosted an outreach for the community in Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD) where one of their branches is located, to teach women how to self-examine for breast cancer.

Loreann Baptiste, Administrative Manager with responsibility for Marketing, Human Resources, and Public Relations, said that early detection of breast cancer can lead to a possible remission of it.
“The idea was to have a doctor on board to talk with patients; any questions they may have about breast cancer; how to detect healthy foods, and the process of helping you deal with or cope with breast cancer,” she said.

Niketa Barker, a family physician of the Grove Health Centre, said that as October is breast cancer awareness month and it is acknowledged globally, there are always breast cancer awareness campaigns that encourage screening for women of all ages, especially women who have high-risk factors for breast cancer.

“The main risk factors for breast cancer are having a first-degree relative with a history of breast cancer, sometimes even a history of ovarian cancer in a first-degree relative can also be a major risk factor,” she said.
Barker explained, “There is modifiable, and you have non-modifiable risk factors. So, the non-modifiable ones would be like your age. As you get older, the risk increases. If you have a family history, that means whether you have a gene mutation or just a family history of cancers, that would increase your risk.”

Some modifiable things, she said, are being overweight, smoking, and regular use of alcohol, which all increase the risk of getting breast cancer.
“I am teaching them to do this breast self-exam; so, if you go to see your primary care provider, they will conduct a clinical exam, which is a more in-depth form of the self-breast exam.

“Not every woman will be able to perceive or be able to pick up an abnormality, so, it’s important to speak with your primary care provider to know your level of risk, and how often you should be screened for breast cancer,” she explained.

Barker related that, usually, the recommendation is that women begin screening at the age of 50, which can be done by the use of mammograms every two years. It can also be done even more frequently, depending on their risk factors.