I have noticed there are several patterns for performing a self breast exam. This is but one.
Breast Cancer in Iraq leads to Gulf War Veteran News Alert and Rep Boswell Legislation
March 18, 2010 by Denise Nichols – Veterans Today
Gulf War Veterans need to be made aware of the following articles. Alert for all female veterans you know the drill! Self Breast Checks often and Mammograms. VA does provide this, so make use of that service!
Male Veterans yes you too can get breast cancer. Again our females will have to teach you the principles of breast self exams. Basically you work in a clockwise pattern and outward and inner in direction from the clock face. If you palpate any lumps or bumps under the skin GET IN TO A DOCTOR for further Assessment!
Also checks should also extend to lymph nodes in the arm pits.
I already know quite a few female gulf war veterans that have had breast cancers. I would also recommend that all print this out and provide to health care providers, fellow veterans, etc. Also I would recommend sharing on facebook pages personal and veteran groups facebook pages and specific gulf war veteran unit facebook pages. I would also reccommend we use all social networks ie Twitter information.
We need mass communications. Also try to get your local media and newspapers to cover the issues. Email media contacts in your area. I also recommend you get in touch with your US Representatives and Senators and get their staffer’s email and keep them in the flow of information. VSO’s should also get this information for their post newsletters and magazines. Each Veteran can do their part! Each citizen should be helping!
Here are the stories about Breast Cancer in Iraq from the American Association for Cancer Research
Breast cancer continues to rise in Iraq, and scientists have established the Iraqi National Cancer Research Program to better understand the underlying molecular and environmental causes in an effort to curb the incidence of cancer.
“Breast cancer is the most common type of malignancy recorded in the cancer registries of almost all countries within the Eastern Mediterranean Region. In Iraq, the continuous rise in the incidence rate is associated with an obvious trend to affect pre-menopausal women,” said Nada A.S. Alwan, M.D., Ph.D., director of the National Breast Cancer Research Unit at Baghdad University Medical College and the executive director of the newly established Iraqi National Cancer Research Program.
Alwan presented early data at the second AACR Dead Sea International Conference on Advances in Cancer Research: From the Laboratory to the Clinic, held March 7-10, 2010.
The Iraqi National Cancer Research Program was organized by the Iraqi minister of higher education and scientific research in 2009 in collaboration with the common secretariat for the Council of Ministers and the Iraqi Parliament.
“This project includes within its objectives comprehensive epidemiologic studies on risk factors of the main encountered cancers in Iraq, with a focus on the characteristics and behaviors of cancer in patients inhabiting different geographic areas,” said Alwan.
The current study focused on 721 of 5,044 women who complained of breast lumps later diagnosed as cancer. Approximately one-third of the diagnosed patients were between 40 and 49 years old; 71.9 percent came from urban areas and 75 percent were married.
History of lactation was reported in 63.1 percent of the women and 29 percent had taken hormone therapy. A family history of breast cancer was reported in 16.2 percent of cases.
Although 90.6 percent of women detected a lump on self-examination, only 32 percent sought medical advice within the first month. Because of this, 47 percent of them presented with advanced stage breast cancer, either stage III or IV cancer. The main histological type was invasive ductal carcinoma of grade 2 in 56.6 percent and grade 3 in 39.9 percent. Estrogen-receptor positive tumors were noted in 65.1 percent of the cases and progesterone-receptor positive tumors were noted in 45.1 percent of the cases.
“We are currently planning to use this information to compare the demographic characteristics, clinicopathological presentations and management outcomes of breast cancer patients within selected countries in the Middle East,” said Alwan. (click HERE for the original article)
For more information about Breast Cancer and Self Breast Exams (SBE) go to BreastCancer.org and the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Go to this link for more information on Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC).
I just can’t harp enough that all women should be performing SBE’s every month and should have a mammogram at least every year after age 50 for sure and after age 30 if your insurance will pay for it. It takes five minutes and yes it is a little uncomfortable but not nearly as uncomfortable as a mastectomy and chemotherapy.
JUST DO IT!!
Ms Sparky
Here is another great post on Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC). Have you heard about that one? No? Me either and I thought I was all up to date and educated about breast cancer.
Hello men….this means you too.
http://bluebehindbars.com/2009/03/inflammatory-breast-cancer-ibc-the-silent-killer/
This is serious business – all contractor personnel – especially females – who were ever at a former Soviet Base need to get continuous screening.
I was a contract employee in both the Balkans and the Middle East. Last year I was diagnosed with Inflammatory Breast Cancer HER2+ – this is a particularly insidious disease. It presents at Stage III and rapidly progresses.
For the last 10 months I have been undergoing Chemo, Surgery and Radiation. Total Mastectomy is not an option it is a requirement because the cancer grows so fast. It was only 3 months between my initial symptoms and Stage III diagnosis.
I will be undergoing Chemo for another 7 months.
This cancer is NOT hereditary, and presents usually in otherwise healthy individuals.
Am I convinced that it was caused by the toxic chemicals that the Soviets left behind. YES.
Why – of the 9 women that were at one base with me for over a year 6 have been diagnosed with this non hereditary cancer.
To all women who have been employed by contractors on overseas bases that may have been former Soviet Bases – please see your Doctor regularly and have a mammogram. If you see any changes especially in the size of one breast – go to the doctor immediately – even if you think it is just normal swelling – it may not be – that’s what I thought – boy was I wrong. And it changed my life.
Thank you very much for sharing your personal story. You may very well be saving the life. The Soviets were big on using sodium dichromate or hexavalent chromium too. You will find it at former Soviet air bases.
To all female contract workers who have worked in the Balkans, Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan or any third world country please get checked regurally.