8th September, 2020
By Taiwo Okanlawon
Breast cancer is a disease in which abnormal breast cells grow out of control and form tumours. If left unchecked, the tumours can spread throughout the body and become fatal.
Breast cancer cells begin inside the milk ducts and/or the milk-producing lobules of the breast. The earliest form (in situ) is not life-threatening. Cancer cells can spread into nearby breast tissue (invasion). This creates tumours that cause lumps or thickening.
In 2020, there were 2.3 million women diagnosed with breast cancer and 685,000 deaths globally. As of the end of 2020, there were 7.8 million women alive who were diagnosed with breast cancer in the past 5 years, making it the world’s most prevalent cancer. Breast cancer occurs in every country of the world in women at any age after puberty but with increasing rates in later life.
Dr. Blossom Adaeze Maduafokwa is urging women to talk to their doctors about getting mammograms or other cancer screenings during October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The doctor is also urging women to consult their doctors about getting mammograms or other cancer screenings, saying in a new public service announcement for Breast Cancer Awareness Month that early detection saves lives.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and I’m asking you to put your health first,” the doctor says in 30-minute interview she had on the ARISE TV morning show.
Dr. Blossom Adaeze Maduafokwa who is a health physician and creative director of Blossom Fitness Hub, is a longtime advocate for breast cancer education and prevention dating to 2000, when four of her friends were diagnosed with the disease. Shortly afterward, she launched an initiative to teach girls/ Women about the importance of early detection.
She has traveled throughout different regions in Nigeria providing health care instruction and education and inspiring hundreds of Indigenous people with her positive messages about health, politics, and justice.
The Doctor’s advice for women to Stay Physically Active and Control Your Weight: Higher body weight and weight gain are both linked to higher rates of breast cancer. She recommends women control their weight by balancing a healthy diet with regular exercise. Exercising for even just 30 minutes a day can lower their risk of developing breast cancer.