In a nationwide awareness program to reduce the incidence of breast cancer, the Ministry of Health launched a program entitled “Tell me your health” in Riyadh.

The countrywide campaign was flagged off by Deputy Health Minister Dr. Mansour Al-Hawasi on behalf of Acting Health Minister Adel Fakeih at the Hayatt Mall here.

“The national campaign against breast cancer is being launched to reduce the incidence of cancer in the breast by raising awareness about its causes, preventive methods, and helping women to avail themselves of early detection through a mammogram,” Al -Hawasi said, pointing out that the campaign targets women over 40 or those who have a family history of the disease.

General Director of public administration to combat genetic and chronic diseases, Dr. Muhammed Saeedi said that the awareness campaign at the Hayat Mall commercial center is part of a chain of activities across all the cities and provinces in the Kingdom.

He said that the ministry has also launched a phone in-service to help women know about the disease and to get any information pertaining to breast cancer on a toll free phone 8002494444.

He pointed out that early detection will have 97 percent of chances for a complete recovery.

He advised that mammograms would help women detect any changes in their body. He also told women to have regular physical exercises daily for a period of 30 minutes to keep them fit and healthy. “Taking hormone treatment after menopause, consuming fatty foods and getting stressed unnecessarily are factors that would contribute to ill-health.”

He said plans are underway to conduct research on breast cancer in certain areas. The term “breast cancer” refers to a malignant tumor that has developed from cells in the breast. Usually breast cancer either begins in the cells of the lobules, which are the milk-producing glands, or the ducts, the passages that drain milk from the lobules to the nipple. Less commonly, breast cancer can begin in the stromal tissues, which include the fatty and fibrous connective tissues of the breast.

Initially, breast cancer may not cause any symptoms. A lump may be too small for one to feel or to cause any unusual or noticeable changes. Often, an abnormal area turns up on a screening mammogram (x-ray of the breast), which leads to further testing.

In some cases, however, the first sign of breast cancer is a new lump or mass in the breast that can be felt by touch.

A lump that is painless, hard, and has uneven edges is more likely to be cancer. But sometimes cancers can be tender, soft, and rounded. So it’s important to have anything unusual checked by the doctor.

According to the American Cancer Society, any of the following unusual changes in the breast can be a symptom of breast cancer: Swelling of all or part of the breast, skin irritation or dimpling, breast pain, nipple pain or the nipple turning inward, redness, scaliness, thickening of the nipple or breast skin, a nipple discharge other than breast milk or a lump in the underarm area.

These changes can also be signs of less serious conditions that are not cancerous, such as an infection or a cyst. It’s important to get any breast changes checked out promptly by a doctor.