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Women, did you know that breast cancer is included in the highest category of cancer in Indonesia? Therefore, don’t take this disease as trivial and immediately identify the trigger. Breast cancer often haunts women, because this is a disease that is considered very dangerous for women and their survival in the future.
Breast cancer is generally experienced by women who live unhealthy lifestyles and eating patterns. We will discuss 3 triggers for breast cancer experienced by sufferers, both in Indonesia and throughout the world, based on facts and research by experts. Read the following explanation so that you can further minimize the risk of developing breast cancer.
Symptoms of Breast Cancer Experienced by Women
Breast cancer is a cancer that appears in a woman’s breasts, which appears in the breast tissue. Breast cancer will continue to grow uncontrollably in that part of the tissue.
The symptoms will be easy to recognize, such as the appearance of a lump in the area under the armpit to the sufferer’s breast area. Other breast cancer symptoms that appear include:
- Hardening and lumps occur in the breast and breast tissue
- Feeling pain and swelling in the breast
- There is blood coming out of the nipple
- There is enlarged pores or redness in the breast area that resembles orange peel
- There is a change in the skin of the breast, such as forming a depression.
Breast cancer more often attacks women. An Indonesian Radiation Oncology Specialist Doctor, namely Prof. Dr. Dr. Soehartati Gondhowiardjo, Sp.Onk.Rad said that breast cancer is the highest cancer in Indonesia.
The risk is up to 1.5 times higher for women than for men. The risk increases especially in women who experience menstruation at an earlier age, give birth after 30 years, and have a family history of breast cancer. Breast cancer also occurs in women who have gone through menopause.
Triggers of Breast Cancer in Women
There are at least 3 things that trigger women to be at risk of developing breast cancer. These three things do not mean they can cause breast cancer directly, but they can increase the risk in women. Here’s the full review:
- Unhealthy Lifestyle
Based on data from the Global Burden of Cancer Study and WHO, the total number of breast cancer cases in Indonesia reached 65,858 or around 16.6 percent in 2020, out of a total of around 396,914 cancer cases in Indonesia with a death toll of more than 22 thousand people. Apparently, this figure is the highest when compared with cases of other types of cancer in Indonesia.
Related to this, the first trigger is an unhealthy lifestyle, such as:
- Smoking habit
- Rarely does sports activities
- Drinking alcohol excessively
- Having obesity
- Excessive fat consumption, especially saturated fat.
One of the consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle is diabetes mellitus (DM). If someone suffers from diabetes mellitus, this can further increase the risk of developing breast cancer.
According to a journal published by Cureus (2022), type 2 diabetes mellitus increases the risk of developing breast cancer because estrogen levels decrease as a result of insulin resistance that occurs. This decrease in estrogen levels in the body increases the risk of cancer in any organ that has high levels of estrogen receptors, such as the breasts, endometrium and ovaries.
- “Night Shift” Working Hours for Women
Which of you works night shifts? Several studies have proven that women who work such shifts are at risk of developing breast cancer. The first research, the Journal of Int J Environ Res Public Health, reported by the National Library of Medicine, said that working at night and exposure to light at night can cause inhibition of melatonin formation, followed by increased estrogen levels, and this incident can increase the risk of disease. breast cancer.
In this study, an analysis was carried out on 973 women who admitted they worked a lot at night and 495 (50.8 percent) of them had breast cancer, while the remaining 495 (49.2 percent) remained healthy, without breast cancer. Among the women who took part in the study, the majority (88.5 percent) had worked nights for 10 years or more.
3. Taking hormones or birth control pills
Reporting from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), several types of hormone therapy containing estrogen and progesterone consumed during menopause can increase the risk of breast cancer if consumed for more than 5 years.
Several types of birth control pills with a combination of hormones have also been found to increase the risk of breast cancer, although according to the National Cancer Institute, recent research shows this risk varies between 0-60 percent depending on the type of combined hormonal contraception used.
Women should also know that the cost of breast cancer treatment is relatively expensive in Indonesia. Without health insurance, the costs could reach billions of rupiah.
Therefore, it is important for us to have health insurance, as a step to manage the risk of breast cancer that we may be experiencing. Especially for female employees, there is no need to be confused about choosing the best health insurance, because now you can apply for health insurance online and easily, via the Good Doctor digital health service application. Download the application now!