breast angels aims to curb kenya’s top women killer
Breast cancer is now the number one killer of women of 35 to 55 in Kenya, according to the Nairobi Cancer Registry’s most recent statistics, striking now one in nine women in the country, and killing many of them, due to late diagnosis. Half a century ago, breast cancer was rare, medical experts say. But between 2000 and 2006, the Nairobi Cancer Registry recorded 10,484 cases of cancer in both men and women, with breast cancer accounting for 20.9 per cent of women’s cancer cases, closely followed by cervical cancer at 19.8 per cent. Other recent studies have shown one in nine Kenyan women as being diagnosed with breast cancer, and one per cent of Kenyan men.
Studies have also shown that those affected in Kenya are relatively younger than in developed countries. According to the Nairobi Cancer Report, since the year 2000, breast cancer has been the most diagnosed cancer among women in Nairobi, of which 51 per cent of cases were in women below the age of 50. And although incidences remain relatively low in comparison to developed countries, breast cancer mortality in Kenya is higher.
Supporting these findings, The Kenya Breast Health Program, which is working to promote breast cancer awareness this month, estimates that 80 to 90 per cent of breast cancer patients go for consultations when they are in stage 3 and stage 4 of the disease.
Indeed, some 95 per cent of women in Kenya have never had a clinical breast examination and screening mammography is not widespread in the country.
Yet when women arrive in the terminal stages of the disease, little can be done. This marks a sharp contrast to the outlook on early detection and intervention, which can typically achieve a cure rate of 95 per cent. Breast cancer screening and management could reduce breast cancer mortality in the country by 20 to 50 per cent, says the organisation.
But when detected far later, sufferers often cannot even afford to pay the bills for treatment. After surgery which removes the cancerous growths, patients go through hormonal radiotherapy or chemotherapy treatment in which cancer cells are destroyed. Currently, the cheapest drug used in chemotherapy costs nearly Sh10, 000, which is out of reach for the many Kenyans still living on little more than one dollar a day.
Yet, older women are at real risk, and especially if a woman has a mother, sister or daughter who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. About 20 to 30 per cent of women diagnosed with breast cancer, have a family history of cancer, says Breastcancer.org.
That said, some 90 per cent of breast cancers are not hereditary but are due to genetic abnormalities that happen as a result of aging.
For the 5 to 10 per cent of the population vulnerable through gene mutations inherited from parents, mutations of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are common. With such mutations, women have an 80 per cent risk of developing breast cancer during their lifetime.
However, the blame for the far greater number of non-hereditary cases has been laid at various doors. Many nutritionists blame them on poor diet and lifestyle. They say the traditional balanced diet included wholegrain foods and vegetables that boosted the immunity and which have been set aside as people have switched to eating refined or fast foods, of low nutritional value. Lack of exercise, stress, smoking and other negative lifestyle habits have also been found to contribute to cancer.Other studies have linked the surge in breast cancers to specific chemicals in anti-perspirant and deodorants. However, the cause for the increase is still largely unknown.
However, with early treatment so often effective, Kenya Breast Health has now formed a group, Breast Angels, to raise awareness on how to be alert to early symptoms of the cancer. They teach women how to perform self breast examinations in which a person feels their breasts in search of lumps, and offer a three-step self breast examination, now available in vernacular languages, including Luo, Kikuyu and Swahili.
Apart from self-examination, the cancer can be detected clinically, through x-ray mammography and breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). The importance of these examinations, according to the organisation, is their power in detecting breast cancer early, at which point it is curable.
In Kenya, the most common breast examination is the mammography, where an x-ray is done of the breast tissue. This form of examination can also pick up other breast problems that may not necessarily be cancer related, and reveals lumps before they can be felt through self examination.
Having a mammogram requires removal of upper clothing and is best done with no powders, ointments, creams, oils or deodorants on breasts and underarms.
There are 12 mammography centres in Kenya, requiring a doctor’s letter for appointments. However, many of the centers also accept self-referred patients if they are over age the age of 35, meaning women can book an appointment without a referral from a doctor.
The hospitals and centers that do mammography include: The Aga Khan University Hospital, Kenyatta National Hospital, Karen Hospital, The Nairobi Hospital, M. P. Shah Hospital, located in Nairobi apart from The Mater Hospital.
Others are the Coast Provincial General Hospital, Aga Khan Hospital (Mombasa), Mombasa Hospital while New Nyanza Provincial General Hospital is located in Kisumu. In Nakuru the available centers include Ranalo Medical Imaging Centre, Gateway House & War Memorial Hospital, and Radiology Centre while in Meru there’s the Meru Medical Centre.
The Kenya Breast Health Programme is also offering screening services during October, which is international breast cancer month.
The organization will also be conducting mammograms from January to October next year, in various hospitals including the Matter Hospital, on given dates free of charge. To raise funds for this screening, they are selling sculptures called "Zarina" , costing from Sh1, 000 (10cm in size) for individuals and Sh75,000 (50cm) for corporate buyers. They can be contacted on 020 601028/604397 or email info@kenyabreast.org for more information.
Written by Stella Kabura for African Laughter…http://www.webaraza.com/webaraza2/about-us/141-breast-angels-aims-to-curb-kenyas-top-women-killer-
Studies have also shown that those affected in Kenya are relatively younger than in developed countries. According to the Nairobi Cancer Report, since the year 2000, breast cancer has been the most diagnosed cancer among women in Nairobi, of which 51 per cent of cases were in women below the age of 50. And although incidences remain relatively low in comparison to developed countries, breast cancer mortality in Kenya is higher.
Supporting these findings, The Kenya Breast Health Program, which is working to promote breast cancer awareness this month, estimates that 80 to 90 per cent of breast cancer patients go for consultations when they are in stage 3 and stage 4 of the disease.
Indeed, some 95 per cent of women in Kenya have never had a clinical breast examination and screening mammography is not widespread in the country.
Yet when women arrive in the terminal stages of the disease, little can be done. This marks a sharp contrast to the outlook on early detection and intervention, which can typically achieve a cure rate of 95 per cent. Breast cancer screening and management could reduce breast cancer mortality in the country by 20 to 50 per cent, says the organisation.
But when detected far later, sufferers often cannot even afford to pay the bills for treatment. After surgery which removes the cancerous growths, patients go through hormonal radiotherapy or chemotherapy treatment in which cancer cells are destroyed. Currently, the cheapest drug used in chemotherapy costs nearly Sh10, 000, which is out of reach for the many Kenyans still living on little more than one dollar a day.
Yet, older women are at real risk, and especially if a woman has a mother, sister or daughter who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. About 20 to 30 per cent of women diagnosed with breast cancer, have a family history of cancer, says Breastcancer.org.
That said, some 90 per cent of breast cancers are not hereditary but are due to genetic abnormalities that happen as a result of aging.
For the 5 to 10 per cent of the population vulnerable through gene mutations inherited from parents, mutations of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are common. With such mutations, women have an 80 per cent risk of developing breast cancer during their lifetime.
However, the blame for the far greater number of non-hereditary cases has been laid at various doors. Many nutritionists blame them on poor diet and lifestyle. They say the traditional balanced diet included wholegrain foods and vegetables that boosted the immunity and which have been set aside as people have switched to eating refined or fast foods, of low nutritional value. Lack of exercise, stress, smoking and other negative lifestyle habits have also been found to contribute to cancer.Other studies have linked the surge in breast cancers to specific chemicals in anti-perspirant and deodorants. However, the cause for the increase is still largely unknown.
However, with early treatment so often effective, Kenya Breast Health has now formed a group, Breast Angels, to raise awareness on how to be alert to early symptoms of the cancer. They teach women how to perform self breast examinations in which a person feels their breasts in search of lumps, and offer a three-step self breast examination, now available in vernacular languages, including Luo, Kikuyu and Swahili.
Apart from self-examination, the cancer can be detected clinically, through x-ray mammography and breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). The importance of these examinations, according to the organisation, is their power in detecting breast cancer early, at which point it is curable.
In Kenya, the most common breast examination is the mammography, where an x-ray is done of the breast tissue. This form of examination can also pick up other breast problems that may not necessarily be cancer related, and reveals lumps before they can be felt through self examination.
Having a mammogram requires removal of upper clothing and is best done with no powders, ointments, creams, oils or deodorants on breasts and underarms.
There are 12 mammography centres in Kenya, requiring a doctor’s letter for appointments. However, many of the centers also accept self-referred patients if they are over age the age of 35, meaning women can book an appointment without a referral from a doctor.
The hospitals and centers that do mammography include: The Aga Khan University Hospital, Kenyatta National Hospital, Karen Hospital, The Nairobi Hospital, M. P. Shah Hospital, located in Nairobi apart from The Mater Hospital.
Others are the Coast Provincial General Hospital, Aga Khan Hospital (Mombasa), Mombasa Hospital while New Nyanza Provincial General Hospital is located in Kisumu. In Nakuru the available centers include Ranalo Medical Imaging Centre, Gateway House & War Memorial Hospital, and Radiology Centre while in Meru there’s the Meru Medical Centre.
The Kenya Breast Health Programme is also offering screening services during October, which is international breast cancer month.
The organization will also be conducting mammograms from January to October next year, in various hospitals including the Matter Hospital, on given dates free of charge. To raise funds for this screening, they are selling sculptures called "Zarina" , costing from Sh1, 000 (10cm in size) for individuals and Sh75,000 (50cm) for corporate buyers. They can be contacted on 020 601028/604397 or email info@kenyabreast.org for more information.
Written by Stella Kabura for African Laughter…http://www.webaraza.com/webaraza2/about-us/141-breast-angels-aims-to-curb-kenyas-top-women-killer-
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