Pink October: prevention!

Soft Paris fights for women’s empowerment and well-being. For Pink October, the month dedicated to breast cancer prevention, we would like to increase awareness among our public on this delicate topic, which affects both women and men.

The importance of breast cancer prevention

Nowadays, 1 in 8 women will suffer from breast cancer. The sooner it gets discovered, the more chances you have to fight it and the less invasive the treatments are. Therefore, it is extremely important to be well informed: knowledge could save your life. Here are few things you should do:

• Get regularly checked by a doctor, a gynecologist or an obstetrician.
• After turning 30, that procedure is to be done every 6 months or at least every year.
• Perform a breast self-exam once a month, during the week before period: this will allow you to detect any anomaly and report it to those concerned asap.

The NHS offers breast screenings every 3 years to women aged between 50 and 70 and registered with a GP.

Ovarian cancer prevention

Tumorous mass can develop inside ovaries too. Generally benign (like cysts), they can sometimes be malignant. The pelvic exam is the easiest way for your gynecologist to detect an abnormally big ovary. A once-a-year frequency is recommended for this kind of exam too. Here's what you need to know on this topic:

• Ovarian cancer is less frequent than the breast one, but its mortality rate is higher, the reason being that its symptoms only appear when the disease is advanced.
• If discovered in time, life expectancy reaches a solid 95%.
• Even though ovarian cancer can occur at any age, the risk is higher after turning 50.
• If a member of your family has ovarian cancer, it becomes even more important to get regularly checked. The pelvic exam would be then coupled with a series of other exams with the aim of ruling out any suspect.

Cervical cancer prevention

Cervical cancer is generally caused by some strains of HPV (Human PapillomaVirus). Generally transmitted during unprotected intercourse, HPV cannot be cured and it is usually asymptomatic. Nevertheless, when it causes lesions to the cervix, it can evolve into cancer. There are two COMPLEMENTARY ways to prevent it:

• A regular Pap Smear between the ages of 25 and 26.
• Condoms, they will definitely help limit the odds of getting infected.
• Ask your GP about the risks of getting a vaccine against HPV, this can be done after turning 1.

The sooner you discover it, the better. It is good practice for women aged between 25 and 65 to get tested on a regular basis. Pregnancy, menopause or abstinence are not good enough excuses to avoid prevention! Regardless of which kind of cancer, precaution and prevention are key in staying healthy. Medicine has made great strides in detecting malignant situations before it’s too late! Do not hesitate... ask for help, especially to your gynecologist, he/she will know how to best counsel you. Pay attention, don’t forget prevention! If you need more information, consult National Breast Cancer Foundation's website.