October was Breast Cancer Awareness month all around the world and Uzbekistan is no exception. Daryo invited Dr. Maksud Mallaev to discuss some of the common questions regarding this disease.
Dr. Maksud Mallev is an oncologist with 20 years of experience in the field, currently working as an oncologist at the National Oncology Scientific Center, head of the international onco-team at Citymed Hospital, head of the oncology department at AKFA Medline and teacher at Tashkent Medical Academy.
"Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women," says Dr. Mallaev adding that one in eight women get affected by this disease. However, he adds that one in 1,000 men also have breast cancer.
There are several symptoms of the disease such as new lumps or thickening in the breast, changes in the skin texture, and discharges from nipples. Notably, not always all these symptoms come together, the combinations are different for every patient. The symptoms and treatment are the same for both sexes.
Dr. Mallaev says that seeing male patients with breast cancer is a rare occasion, usually, there are two or three such patients in a year, while the same number of women with newly detected cancer approach him every day.
Breast cancer has four stages like all other types of cancer, but this particular type of cancer is the best studied one. So, there are high chances of survivability even in the last stage. In the initial stage, cancer can be controlled and kept mild for decades, but even in the last stage, people still have several years ahead of them.
"Our responsibility is to control the cancer, not to treat it," explains the doctor, as he adds that eradicating cancer from an individual's body is impossible. Cancer is a type of disease like diabetes, if all the requirements are met, pills are taken, and diet is kept, then the chance of a patient's survivability is much higher. Patients even in the last stage of cancer can live up to ten years.
"You shouldn't be afraid of your disease. Disease is a problem. If you're afraid of it, the problem will be getting worse and worse," says the doctor, encouraging everyone to go for regular check-ups and treatment.
Five years ago, Dr. Mallaev received only one or two patients with breast cancer in the age range of 20 to 30 years old. Now, there are three or more patients of the same age range coming with this disease in a month, "cancer is getting younger and younger year by year." The same statistics apply to the whole world.
However, the risky age is still 40 years old, because women experience hormonal changes in their body at this age, which ramps up the chances of being affected by this disease.
So, the doctor recommends everyone, especially women in their 40s and above to go for check-ups at least once a year, and do self-examination every month, to stay safe and healthy.
Reported by Nigora Umarova
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