Increasing awareness and encouraging positive action amongst women towards breast cancer

Prof Norlia (front row, second from left) with the participants

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), breast cancer is the most frequent cancer among women, impacting 2.1 million women each year. It causes the greatest number of cancer-related deaths among women. In order to improve breast cancer outcomes and survival, early detection is critical. With this in mind, UTAR’s Centre for Foundation Studies of Sungai Long Campus organised a "Breast Cancer Awareness Talk", featuring National University Malaysia (PPUKM) Prof Dr Norlia Binti Abdullah on 7 February 2020 at UTAR Sungai Long Campus.

In Prof Norlia’s talk titled “Breast Cancer: What You Need to Know”, she spoke about the characteristics of cancer, common cancers in Malaysia, statistics of breast cancer, breast cancer signs and types of treatments.

Prof Norlia explaining the types of surgery treatments

Prof Norlia shared her experience as she introduced the characteristics of cancer. She said, “The early signs can be a painless breast lump, painless axillary lump, spontaneous dark nipple discharge, nipple and areola rash and nipple retraction. The late signs are ulcer in the breast or axilla, large mass in the breast, swollen arm, breathlessness, jaundice with hepatomegaly and fractures.”

She added, “Breast cancer is the most common cancer amongst women worldwide. The cancer risk varies in the different regions of the world. The statistics are one in eight women in the United States and one in nine women in the United Kingdom suffered from breast cancer. In Malaysia, the numbers are one in 16 Chinese women, one in 17 Indian women and one in 28 Malay women.

In her talk, Prof Norlia also shared about the treatments available for breast cancer. The treatments are surgery on the breast or lymph nodes while other possibly necessary modalities are chemotherapy, radiotherapy, endocrine therapy and targeted therapy. She said, “Adjuvant treatment is a surgery followed by other treatment while Neoadjuvant treatment is a treatment done before surgery.”

Aside from that, Prof Norlia spoke about ways to prevent breast cancer such as maintaining optimum body weight, eating a low-fat diet and avoiding alcohol, intake of green leafy vegetables, earlier age of childbearing and breast examination. “Breast self-examination aims to detect breast cancer at an early stage and to improve the outcome and survival of those with breast cancer. When we conduct breast self-examination, it is important to note the size, shape, colour, nipple discharge and lumps. We need to examine below collar bone till the lowest ribcage and between the chest bone till armpit fold,” said Prof Norlia.