All-Ukrainian Day against Breast Cancer (20/10)

The annual observance of the All-Ukrainian Day against Breast Cancer on October 20 was introduced in the country by Decree of the President of Ukraine № 42/2005 of January 17, 2005.

Any woman can get breast cancer, however, some have a high risk of the disease, while others have a low —. Men are not without this risk; however, over 99% of all patients with breast cancer — are women. Factors that increase the risk of the disease are the following: age over 40 years; hereditary and family tendency; late menopause; early onset of menstruation (up to 12 years); late first birth (over 30 years of age) or absence; termination of pregnancy; fibrocystic mastopathy; obesity; smoking.

As throughout the world, the incidence of breast cancer in Ukraine is growing — by an average of 1-2% per year — and currently ranks one of the first places in the structure of cancer pathology in women.

Unfortunately, it is the late detection of this disease that is one of the main reasons that (although there is a noticeable trend in the world towards a decrease in mortality — by an average of 1% per year) in Ukraine, the increase in incidence is accompanied by a high mortality rate. Breast cancer is diagnosed in advanced stages in a quarter of Ukrainian patients, and half of them die within the first year after detection.

Not the least role in late visits to doctors is played by public ignorance about the current state of the problem of breast cancer, the uncontrolled spontaneous flourishing of self-promotion of «people's healers», incompetent and, usually, dishonest people, and not professional doctors. Due to improper treatment, patients are wasting time, and the disease is gaining momentum.

It should be noted that the normal life expectancy of patients with breast cancer after diagnosis in the initial stages of the disease (the so-called zero, first and maximum second — and there are five stages of all stages) and correctly carried out treatment — over 25 years. That is, the prognosis of the disease depends on how timely the disease was diagnosed!

The main methods that allow timely detection of this disease are self-examination of the mammary glands; clinical examination of the mammary glands; mammography. In order to clarify the diagnosis, the doctor may also prescribe some other examinations.

462