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Unhealthy lifestyle, diet can trigger breast cancer
Revived debate: A radiologist (photo above) uses a magnifying glass to check mammograms for breast cancer in Los Angeles
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Revived debate: A radiologist (photo above) uses a magnifying glass to check mammograms for breast cancer in Los Angeles.
The 38-year-old was diagnosed with breast cancer, having first come across an irregularity in her right breast during self-examination when she was 30.
'To make sure, I went to the doctor and he said that I had active, early-stage breast cancer,' Dinda said during a breast cancer workshop at the Mayapada Hospital in South Jakarta.
'The doctor asked about my lifestyle during the previous 10 years, and then told me my lifestyle had likely caused my cancer.'
Dinda loved eating fast food, rarely exercised, worked late hours and often lacked sleep. Her condition was exacerbated by stress from her work at a law firm.
After being diagnosed, Dinda quit her job and then went to Singapore in 2006 for reconstructive surgery ' paid for by her brother.
Breast-reconstruction surgery is the process of replacing the removed breast for women who have had a single or double mastectomy. It can be achieved by using either breast implants or tissue that taken from other parts of the woman's body.
Dinda also underwent eight sessions of chemotherapy and had 21 Herceptin treatments.
It was between treatments in 2007 that Dinda established Pink Shimmer Inc. ' a community that supports women living with breast cancer.
Breast cancer accounts for 23 percent of all cancer cases in Indonesia and has a mortality rate of 14 percent.
The Health Ministry and the Indonesia Cancer Foundation (YKI) placed breast cancer as one of the most common cancers nationwide in 2012, just behind cervical cancer.
According to Bayu Brahma, surgical oncologist at Mayapada Hospital, non-genetic factors such as lifestyle were the most common causes of breast cancer.
Bayu said many breast cancer cases were detected with no symptoms, so women should use early-detection methods.
'The earlier cancer is detected, the higher the chances of survival and the lower the costs of treatment,' he said.
Besides carrying out self-examinations, women can also have their breasts checked via ultrasonography (USG) and mammogram tests.
A mammogram is ideal for women over 40 and at a higher risk, while USG is for teenage women, pregnant women and nursing mothers.
'Unlike other types of cancer, breasts are located on the outside of the body, making it easier to detect any irregularity. So, get yourself checked,' the hospital's radiology specialist, Nina Supit, said.
Mayapada Hospital nutritionist Ekky M. Rahardja said a healthy diet could help protect women against breast cancer.
Women, he said, should not eat too much red meat, especially that cooked at high temperatures, such as pan fried or charcoal grilled, as it could lead to a buildup of Heterocyclic amine (HCA), the chemical compound that can cause cancer.
'It is much better if the meat is boiled or cooked in a slow cooker,' Ekky said.
He also suggested that women should regularly eat cruciferous vegetables ' antioxidant-rich 'cancer blasters' ' as they contained vitamins, minerals and other nutrients and chemicals known as glucosinolates, which contained anti-carcinogenic elements.
'Cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower are among cruciferous vegetables. The best way to eat them is raw after cleaning them thoroughly,' Ekky said.
Adopting a vegetarian diet, however, does not guarantee that a woman runs no risk of contracting breast cancer. Ekky said a number of studies showed that breast cancer mortality rates among vegetarians were also quite high.
'There remain many controversies regarding breast cancer and its relation to food. But a healthy diet can at least help us reduce the risks,' he said.
