October is a global month for breast cancer awareness. This month aims at increasing the attention to this disease, providing the essential support to raise awareness of its seriousness and the importance of early detecting and treating, besides implementing inclusive programs to fight against it within implementing systematic national plans in this regard.
Breast cancer is one of the common malignant tumors types that develop in the breast as a result of abnormal growth of cells in this area. This disease can spread to other parts of the body as well as it is one of the main causes of cancer death in Jordan and the world. Men also can be infected by breast cancer as well. The most important cause of this disease until now is” genetics”, so the early detection of this disease is essential to receive effective treatment to heal.
In a press release in this regard, HPC noted that the council’s interest comes to meet with its vision to ensure better investment in population opportunity and achieve Jordanian prosperity. HPC stated that population enjoying good health without any diseases supports achieving the expected population opportunity and essentially reflects positively on achieving and investing its polices. Moreover, achieving high productivity of individuals is one of the population opportunity conditions that leads to generate economic growth, and contribute to the social advancement and development in all aspects. In addition to that, women empowerment in society to perform their various roles efficiently and competently requires her to be in a good reproductive health.
According to the national figures and statistics of 2016, HPC indicated that the diagnosed and recorded cases number of breast cancer in Jordan was 1670 case, including 1278 among Jordanians and 392 among non-Jordanians. Moreover, the number of cases among Jordanian females was 1262 case by 21% of all types of cancer and among males was 16 case by 0.26% of all types of cancer. When forming a diagnosis, the average age was 52,7 years and the age categories were between (22-96 years), as well as the mortality rate among the recorded cases of females caused by breast cancer was 10% and among males 7%.
HPC further emphasized the need to unify the national efforts to reduce the breast cancer that endangers women in the Jordanian society. Moreover, HPC stressed the importance of arising awareness about its symptoms, causes, and diagnosis ways, along with the need for early detection, which contributes to high the recovery rate.
The most important challenges that need to be solved are the high costs of breast cancer early detection examinations, women unreasonable fear from early detection examinations and related family, social, financial and other responsibilities, women prioritizing others at their own expenses which leads to delay in their early detection examinations, poor awareness and knowledge among women of the importance of the risks of not making early detection and risk factors and how to prevent the disease and its symptoms.
The most important risk factors that contribute to this disease are ageing, diseased close members of the family, full-term pregnancy for the first time over the age of 30 years, obesity, the absence of any physical activity, a history of infection in the ovary and auteurs, and exposing to radiation therapy in breast previously. Moreover, the treatment from breast cancer is done by many various ways for each stage as most women are exposed to surgical operations to mastectomy, besides the chemotherapy, radiotherapy or hormone therapy. Furthermore, there is a various group of experimental treatments for this type of cancer.
"Globocan Web site 2008, affiliated to the International Agency for Research International Cancer” showed that about (1.38 million) cases of breast cancer annually occur in the world and (458 thousand) deaths due to the disease. The estimations further indicated that this disease is the most common type of cancer among women in developed and developing countries, as well as there has been a steady rise in the last years in this disease in the low and middle-income countries due to increase in average age expectancy, high rates of urbanization and dependency on Western lifestyles.
