Thousands of women go through the devastating experience of having breast cancer. Breast cancer, like most cancers, can be cured if detected early enough. Henrietta van Kramberg of Centurion, Pretoria, can attest to this. The 38 year-old says breast cancer had never crossed her mind when she discovered a lump in her left breast in 2009. Because she didn’€™t think much of it, she was slow in going for a check-up. Eventually, she did in October last year – several months later.   After consultation with a doctor, van Kramberg was advised to go for a mammogram and ultrasound.

‘€œThe mammogram did not pick up much, but the ultrasound picked up activity in my left breast, which was a bad thing because it meant that there were cells that are busy mutating, and that is not good. Activity means it is moving. It is growing, and that’€™s bad’€, van Kramberg says.

Following that, a biopsy was done, where a sample of tissue from the breast was withdrawn. Van Kramberg had to wait two days for her doctor to get back to her with the results.

‘€œOn the 26 of October I was waiting for that call. I was sitting there doing my work but all I wanted was that call. She then called me and said it is, in fact, carcinoma and positive for cancer’€.

‘€œYoh! I had some friends and my cousins with me, but what do I say? I couldn’€™t freak them out.   But, I must say I wasn’€™t that surprised because having the lumps for that long I did suspect and also thought it can’€™t be that bad. So, I said to the doctor, ‘€˜what is the very next step’€™?’€

In January this year, Van Kramberg had to undergo surgery to have her whole left breast removed because the cancer cells were slowly beginning to spread to other parts of her body. Two months later, she began her chemotherapy. She says till now she wonders how she got breast cancer. But Van Kramberg is aware that many factors can contribute to its development.

‘€œThe way we live and the foods we eat. But I gym and eat healthy. I breast-fed my son. Perhaps the only thing which counted against me was that I got my baby too late – after 30. Having children earlier prevents breast cancer. I got my period very late. That was a contributing factor. My cancer was an oestrogen-receptor cancer, which means oestrogen feeds the cancer. I was never on hormone therapy, but our contraceptives contain hormone therapies. So, it could have been that’€, she says.

 Growing evidence shows that men are also at risk of developing this type of cancer. About 1% of South Africans diagnosed with breast cancer are men. Johan Basson, a 62 year-old man is a survivor of breast cancer. His feelings were characterised by shock when he was diagnosed.

‘€œI thought this just cannot be… I was shocked because I never knew that men could have it. ‘€˜Since when do men get breast cancer?’€™ That is the first thing I asked the surgeon. And he said, ‘€˜it is not common because we don’€™t see it often’€™. But he assured me that I was not the first and will certainly not be the last.

Basson had the lump removed and went through chemotherapy and radiology. Much like Van Kramberg, Basson says practising a healthy lifestyle lessens your chances of developing breast cancer. Having a positive attitude also pulled him through.

‘€œIt was a wake-up call. Life is a precious gift. I will set objectives positive to my life. I would rather focus on the positives because I still have a life that is pretty normal. I haven’€™t compromised or given up on anything. I am trying to live healthier, get stress out of my life… less business pressure. I eat healthy, do exercise in the morning. Cancer is not a death sentence. It can be beaten with positive attitude, humour, support structure and faith’€, says Basson.

Fortunately for Van Kramberg and Basson, their cancers were detected early. The Chief Executive of Profmed Medical Scheme, Graham Anderson, says this is important, especially because breast cancer spreads rapidly.

‘€œEvery cancer spreads, but breast cancer tends to spread faster than others. It goes from the breast into the endocrine system, which spreads into the liver, the stomach, and the lungs and, sometimes, into the brain. If you pick it up as a lump early and you treat it and have it removed with whatever treatment is appropriate, you stop all the other things from coming on later’€.

 Anderson encourages people to do self-examinations to check for any abnormalities in their breasts. He advises, however, that they should seek coaching from a trained health care worker.

‘€œThe best is to go to a doctor to help you do it and show you how because you need to raise your arm and feel your breast in certain places. My advice is they should go to their clinic or doctor to show them. I think it is that important’€, says Anderson.