BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (Borneo Bulletin/Asia News Network) In Brunei Darussalam, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, with more than 100 new cases detected each year.
From 2002 to 2022, the number of breast cancer cases recorded was 1,814 cases. In 2022 alone, approximately 148 women in the Sultanate were diagnosed with breast cancer, with 35 deaths from the cancer recorded in the same year.
This was highlighted by Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Mohd Isham Jaafar(pic) in conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The minister said breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in women around the world.
According to data from the World Health Organization, an estimated 2.3 million new breast cancer cases (one in four new cancer cases) and 685,000 breast cancer deaths (one in six deaths) were recorded in 2020.
A risk factor for breast cancer is having a close family member or family history of breast cancer.
Meanwhile, other risk factors include uncontrollable factors such as increasing age, female gender, having a past history of breast cancer and early menstruation.
Among the risk factors that can be controlled are being overweight, not doing physical activity, smoking and having an unhealthy diet.
Dr Mohd Isham added, “October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and this year’s theme is ‘Think Pink, Take Action’. This theme calls for taking action through monthly breast self-exams and regular mammograms.”
Dr Mohd Isham also said “knowing the state of your own breast and practising breast self-examination (BSE) every month or accompanied by mammogram breast imaging methods can help detect breast cancer at an early stage”.
He added, “If breast cancer is detected at an early stage, treatment will be more effective and it is more likely to be cured. However, if the cancer is detected at a late stage such, such as if it has spread to the lymph nodes or other organs, the treatment will be long and more complicated.”
In supporting the prevention and early detection of breast cancer, joint efforts as a community are highly encouraged and are not limited to efforts from the government alone. Private sector, schools and educational institutions and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) can also play a major role to spread awareness of breast cancer.
Dr Mohd Isham noted that in October 2019, the Ministry of Health introduced the breast cancer screening programme. Since its launch, 12 per cent, or approximately 5,445 women, who meet the criteria have undergone screening.
“With the availability of facilities, such as the breast cancer screening programme, I call on all citizens and residents of Brunei Darussalam, especially women who meet the criteria, to take the opportunity to undergo breast cancer screening for their own health,” he said.
