October National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer among women. About 1 out of 8 women born today in the United States are getting breast cancer.
The good news is that most women can survive breast cancer if it is found and treated early. A mammography - the screening test for breast cancer - can help find breast cancer early if it is easier to treat.
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month is an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of early detection of breast cancer. Make a difference! Spread the word about mammograms and encourage communities, organizations, families, and individuals to get involved.How can National Breast Cancer Awareness Month make a difference?
We can take this opportunity to spread the word about the steps women can take to recognize breast cancer at an early stage.
Here are just a few ideas:
Ask physicians and nurses to talk with women about the importance of meeting for breast cancer.Encourage women aged 40 to 49 to talk with their doctors about when to start getting mammograms.Organize an event to talk with women aged 50 to 74 in your community about mammography every 2 years.

There are about 1.38 million new cases and 458,000 deaths from breast cancer each year (IARC Globocan, 2008). Breast cancer is by far the most common cancer in women worldwide, both in the developed and developing countries. In low- and middle-income countries the incidence has been steadily in the last few years due to an increase in life expectancy, increasing urbanization and adoption of western lifestyles.
Currently, there is not enough knowledge on the causes of breast cancer, therefore, early detection of the disease. When breast cancer is diagnosed early, and if adequate diagnosis and treatment are available, there is a good chance that breast cancer can be cured. If this is not the case, In search case, palliative care to help the patients and their families is needed.
The majority of deaths (269,000) occur in low- and middle-income countries, where most women with breast cancer are diagnosed in late stages due to a lack of awareness on early detection and barriers to health services. Maria's story (see below) illustrates this dramatic situation. A situation that can be reverted if adequate public health programs are put in place.
WHO promotes comprehensive breast cancer control programs as part of national cancer control plans. The early detection strategies for low- and middle-income countries are the most important criteria for the diagnosis of breast cancer. Mammography screening is very costly and is only available in countries with good health infrastructure that can afford a long-term program.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and this Sunday a wonderful event is taking place on the River Nore.

The Paddleathon is being organized by the Nore Dragon Paddlers and it is a two-fold event - to celebrate life and to remember those no longer with us.

People can duck and dive and try to avoid cancer but it is impossible. One in ten women in Ireland will be diagnosed with breast cancer and by 2020 one out of two of us will get a cancer diagnosis in our lifetime.

So it is essential that as a community and a society we get busy supporting people living with cancer. Fortunately for the vast majority of people who get a cancer diagnosis, the future is bright.

Research, clinical trials, and radical surgery are all helping to pave the path to a better prognosis for people living with a cancer diagnosis.

What is often forgotten about when it comes to supporting and providing services for people with cancer is the aftermath.

Long after the surgery is over, the chemotherapy ended and the radiotherapy finished there is a condition that unfortunately can rear its ugly head. Its name is lymphedema and it is a common secondary condition of cancer after lymph nodes have been removed during surgery. It is a lifelong condition for which there is no cure.

There are however many treatments which can help - manual lymphatic drainage, compression garments, and exercise. When it comes to upper arm lymphedema research has shown that paddling is an excellent way of helping to reduce and manage lymphedema.

Dragon boating can help with complications that arise post-breast cancer surgery. Often after surgery, lymph nodes are removed which causes lymphedema. This can cause the affected arm to swell up and become extremely uncomfortable.

Research has shown that repetitive upper body exercise such as paddling helps control lymphedema in women who have had breast cancer.

The Nore Dragon Paddlers in Kilkenny provide an excellent support for women living with a breast cancer diagnosis. Paddling is a fun, healthy way of passing a few hours and there is a wonderful s