​Breast cancer: With 2.3 million new cases reported every year, know the early signs of breast cancer​

More than 2.3 million cases of breast cancer are reported every year, a report released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) says. This makes it one of the most common forms of cancer in adults. A study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer found that in 2020, of the 4.4 million women who died due to cancer in 2020, 25% of the deaths happened due to breast cancer. Female gender and older age are the most common factors for breast cancer.

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The 63-year-old, Duchess of York who was formerly married to Prince Andrew was informed about the disease during one of the regular mammogram screenings. She underwent surgery at King Edward VII Hospital in London. She has expressed "immense gratitude to all the medical staff who have supported her in recent days", her spokesman has told the media. She didn't show any symptoms of breast cancer before the screening.

Though it is difficult to identify the exact signs and symptoms of breast cancer as in many cases the initial symptom is not beyond a painless lump, paying careful attention and regular self-examination can help determine the signs of breast cancer. The common signs of breast cancer are the thickening of a lump in the breast, change in shape and size of the breast, redness on the skin of the breast, change in the appearance of the nipple, changes in the areola skin and abnormal discharge from the nipples.

Women are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer than men. The risk of breast cancer in women increases with age. Apart from these factors, other factors like obesity, alcohol consumption, family history of breast cancer, radiation exposure, tobacco use, and postmenopausal hormone therapy increase the risk of developing breast cancer in women.

A study published in the journal The Breast has estimated that the global burden of breast cancer is expected to grow up to 3 million new cases per year, which is an increase of up to 40%. The study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer has also found that deaths due to breast cancer is expected to reach up to 1 million per year.

The risk of breast cancer can be prevented by timely screening and examination. Self-examine your breasts and notice the changes. Monitor the changes over time and if you notice there is something abnormal about it please consult a doctor. "Changes in the prevalence of these risk factors coupled with increased detection through organized or opportunistic mammographic screening have been reflected in past incidence trends, most notably rapidly rising rates during the 1980s and 1990s in Northern America, Oceania and Europe," the IARC study has said.

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