Breast cancer facts

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Nigerian women. One in every eight women in the Nigeria develops breast cancer. There are many types of breast cancer that differ in their capability of spreading (metastasize) to other body tissues. The causes of breast cancer are not yet fully known, although a number of risk factors have been identified. Click read more to continue...


There are many different types of breast cancer.

• Breast cancer symptoms and signs include
• a lump in the breast or armpit,
• bloody nipple discharge,
• inverted nipple,
• orange-peel texture or dimpling of the breast's skin,
• breast pain or sore nipple,
• swollen lymph nodes in the neck or armpit,
• change in the size or shape of the breast or nipple.
• Breast cancer is diagnosed during a physical exam, by self-examination of the breasts, mammography, ultrasound testing, and biopsy.
• Treatment of breast cancer depends on the type of cancer and its stage (0-IV) and may involve surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy.

According to the Nigerian Cancer society:

• over 200,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer are diagnosed each year in women and over 2,000 in men;
• approximately 40,000 women and 400 men died of breast cancer in 2011;
• there are over 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the United States;
• although breast cancer survival and awareness has increased significantly in the Nigeria for all races, several studies have cited a significantly worse survival rate for African-American women compared to white women;
• guidelines for mammography differ depending on the organization making recommendations. Currently, the American Cancer Society recommends yearly mammograms starting at age 40 for women at average risk for breast cancer.

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