Bangkok Hospital Pattaya educated area women on breast cancer surgery and treatment, as well as how to detect it early.
Dr. Tapanutt Likhitmaskul, a breast cancer surgeon, provided basic knowledge on treatment including self-checks and new technology used in treatment at the March28 seminar.
Tapanutt said most cancer cases are genetic or related to hormone levels. Patients most at risk are over age 45 and have family members who also had breast cancer.
Women who took hormones, including those in birth control pills, also are at risk, as are women who are childless, never breast-fed or went into menopause later than average.
Chonburi, Tapanutt noted, has the highest breast cancer rate of any province. He attributed that to the large population of Russians and westerners, who suffer breast cancer at 10 times the rate of Asian women. Also, the doctor said, Chonburi, Bangkok and Rayong – the top three provinces for breast cancer – are all heavily-populated, urban and industrialized areas with the greatest amount of pollution and carcinogens in the environment.
Possible symptoms of breast cancer include a lump in the breast, liquid or blood oozing from the nipple, changes in individual breast size or pain lasting more than two weeks. In such cases, women should contact a doctor immediately.
