By HLUPEKILE NKUNIKA –
MUTINTA Muchimba (not real name) has been suffering from breast cancer for two years.
She shares her story about how she has been suffering with a wound in her armpit which led to a discharge from her left breast.
“My journey with breast cancer started this year when I turned 42 years old. I remember seeing what started as a simple, painless lump in my armpit grow into a painful boil,” Ms Muchimba narrated.
She developed a rash on the area surrounding her nipple and the swelling in her armpit worsened.
Overtime, Ms Muchimba developed a bloodlike discharge from her nipple.
It was then  that she went to Chipata General Hospital where examinations were carried out and she was told that the lump in her armpit was possibly breast cancer.
“I remember having sleepless nights as I was haunted by this incurable disease,” she said.
On September 5, 2015, the hospital confirmed that Ms Muchimba had breast cancer.
“The thought that this wound would never heal was the worst thing that I had to deal with, though doctors assured me that there was a possibility that it would heal once the lump was removed.
“I immediately started researching about breast cancer; causes, symptoms and treatment. I also researched about patients and survivors,” Ms Muchimba said.
Ms Muchimba,  a retired business executive, spent most of her time surfing the Internet where she looked for answers to her predicament.
Having been scheduled for surgery, Ms Muchimba believes she is ready for the operation which she hopes and prays would end her pain that she has suffered from for a long time.
Ms Muchimba is just one of the many women suffering from breast cancer and fortunately for her, she went for screening in good time.
Ms Muchimba, who is on treatment, is expected to fully recover after surgery in which doctors will remove the cancerous tumor in her armpit.
Breast cancer is the most common invasive cancer in females worldwide.
It accounts for 16 per cent of all cancers in females and 22.9 per cent of invasive cancers in women.
About 18.2 per cent of all cancer deaths worldwide are reported to be breast cancer.
It is the second most common cancer among women in Zambia.
According to the United Nations (UN), 10 per cent of the women that are reported to have cancer in the country are infected with breast cancer.
The Cancer Disease Hospital notes that cancer claims more lives than HIV, TB and malaria combined.
To this effect, the Ministry of Health conducted free breast cancer screening and awareness activities from October 1, to 31, 2015.
The screening and awareness activities whose theme was ‘Bring it on –fight against breast cancer’, was used to scale up efforts aimed at encouraging women to seek screening services for early detection and treatment.
During this period, women were educated about cancer and the importance of going for screening.
Chipata General Hospital Medical Superintendent Daniel Makawa observed that breast cancer is usually ignored as it presents itself as a painless lump in a woman.
He said women must  take breast cancer as an emergency.
Dr Makawa said breast cancer is a malignant tumor that starts in the cells of the breast.
“A malignant tumor is a group of cells that can grow into surrounding tissues or spread to distant areas of the body.
“Breast cancer usually starts off in the inner lining of milk ducts which supplies the breast with milk. It occurs almost entirely in women but men can get it too,” he said.
Dr Makawa noted that due to ignorance, most women seek medical attention late after the disease has spread to other parts of the body.
He said seeking medication late has makes it difficult for the cancer to be treated.
He said it is important to sensitise the people on the dangers of delays in seeking medical attention.
“It all starts with self examination; we are sensitising our women to be aware of this disease. We have used the platform of cervical cancer screening to integrate breast cancer screening because it is easy to teach our women to examine themselves for any lump in their breast and for them to be examined further and know whether or not they have cancer,” he said.
He stressed the need to heighten sensitisation aimed at increasing screening among those at a high risk.
“The women at higher risk are those that are over forty years of age with breast lumps or those who have some form of combined contraceptive or those who have been on some form of hormonal
replacement therapy as well as those who have not had children,” he said.
He explained that even women who have had ovarian cancer were at a higher risk of contracting breast cancer.
Dr Makawa said the Ministry of Health developed an integrated approach where over fifty women were screened for both breast and cervical cancer in October.
“Those that were found to have suspicious masses were about three and were taken for further management and the results are not yet out.
“We also heightened the sensitisation to the public and we camped at Shoprite where we brought up different experts from our departments to showcase the importance of screening, and we taught our women how to examine themselves. Five women were taken for further screening,” he said.
Dr Makawa said all the women that were suspected to have cancerous lesions were screened further at the radiography unit with the use of a mamograpghy.
Dr Makawa explained that breast cancer may not initially cause any symptoms as the lump may be too small to feel or too small to cause noticeable changes to the breast.
“The lump is usually painless, hard and has uneven edges, but the cancer can also be tender, soft, and rounded. It is important that anything unusual is checked by a doctor,” he said.
He identified some of the changes as swelling of part of or all of the breast, skin irritation or dimpling, breast pain, nipple pain or nipple turning inward and nipple discharge other than breast milk.
He also said a lump in the underarm can be cancerous.
Radiographer Trywell Mwinga said mammography is an x-ray machine that uses low energy to look at breast tissue.
The machine is ideal to detecting breast cancer at an early stage.
Mr Mwinga said only women over forty years of age undergo screening with the use of this machine.
“The other patients who come are those with clinical indication such as a lump or discharge where we do not consider age,” he said.
Mr Mwinga observed that there was an increase in women seeking screening services with the use of the mammography during the breast cancer month due to sensitisation that was carried out in Chipata District.
He said there is need for all women in Eastern Province to have access to breast screening cancer facilities.
He advised workers in other health facilities to refer patients in need of breast cancer screening to Chipata General Hospital where the cancer can easily be detected.- ZANIS.