Every time a life is lost to breast cancer, it is a family and friends who grieve, it is a person who lost years of life and the opportunity to continue to be useful to society. In a general sense, it is an irreparable loss for someone who will no longer be physically.
On the occasion of the World Breast Cancer Prevention Day, this October 19, it is worthwhile to know more about this oncological disease that has a high incidence in the province of Holguin and in Cuba, thus the need to take into account some elements, especially for women, in order to prevent this scourge.
This cancer in Cuba is historically one of the most frequent, after skin cancer, which is usually the most common one. However, by the end of year 2022 in Holguín, breast cancer turned into the most common type of cancer, followed by trachea, bronchus and lung cancer, respectively.
This is a very recurrent disease in postmenopausal women, so the higher the age, the higher the risk of suffering from it, which does not mean that premenopausal or younger patients may not suffer from it. Hence the value of screening programs in the health areas, reinforced by oncologists who go to the different polyclinics and municipalities.
In Primary Health Care (PHC), all cases evaluated by family doctors or by the by family physicians or by the Basic Work Group (GBT), as established by this program, are interconsulted with the oncologists. If any case requires secondary care, they are referred to the classification phase, where a mastologist does the work. That is where the cases are defined, and returned to the health area or referred to the Territorial Oncology Center, if any diagnostic procedure or surgery is necessary.
Historically, the municipalities of Antilla, Gibara and the provincial capital city have the highest number of cases, with a significant percentage of new diagnoses each year.
Although about 75 to 80 percent of patients with this cancer do not have an apparent risk factor, there is a genetic factor that accounts for about 10 percent, especially in those with a first-line history of this cancer.
Although about 75 to 80 percent of patients with this cancer do not have an apparent risk factor, there is a genetic factor that accounts for about 10 percent, especially in those with a first-line history of this cancer. The risk factors also include women who have never given birth, since their breasts have not undergone the protective effect of breastfeeding, for which the risk increases the possibility of the disease. Even experts in the field state that one of the most important risk factors are age and the fact of being women, since for every 100 women diagnosed, one man is diagnosed as suffering from it.
It is also unfortunate that cases are diagnosed in advanced stages of the disease, especially since this stage is easily detectable, as cases these cases present alterations and retraction of the skin, aureola and nipple, with edema. On the other hand, there are cases where only a palpable nodule is detected and does not necessarily show all the clinical evidence or clinical symptoms of breast cancer. This means that in the presence of a palpable lesion of the breast, it is necessary to see a physician because it may be a malignant disease.
It is important to recognize that the diagnosis of breast cancer does not necessarily mean death because today there are a number of therapeutic of therapeutic tools, including Chemotherapy, Surgery, Radiotherapy, Hormonal treatments, vaccine components and immunotherapy that provide a better prognosis to those affected.
Disease control or cure will always depend on the clinical stage of the case, where those with advanced stages tend to relapse more frequently. There are two critical
critical periods for the disease: the first two years and then the first five years, which does not mean that there are those who respond adequately to chemotherapy, systemic and local control of the disease is achieved, with surgery and radiotherapy, a prolonged survival period is achieved in the initial stages, several experts consider that carcinomas can even be cured in citu. Hence the recommendation to women over 20 years of age to perform a self-examination of their breast every month, one week after menstruation.
The difference between life or death related to this disease may be due to this self-examination. Its systematic practice can put a stop to a scourge that has claimed more than a million lives in on average every year in Holguín.
Among the main achievements of the program is the integrated work in the care of patients by a multidisciplinary team made up of health professionals from different fields, including mastologists, pathologists, imaging specialists, psychologists, nurses, radiotherapists and radiotherapists, and chemotherapists.
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