I have to admit, i am one of those ignorant ones who never take the breast cancer awareness campaign seriously simply because it doesn't affect me. Truth is, it HASN'T affect me. However, several months ago a relative of mine got diagnose with breast cancer. Till then, i never knew anything about it except that it's a form of cancer. But what i found out is that, if the lump was detected in the earlier stages, it's curable! Too bad it wasn't the case for the relative of mine which resulted for her whole left breast to be taken out. The pain and emotional suffering really scares me because for a woman to lose half side of the breast is almost as if one have lose half of her life.
Thus in conjunction of this,
AliceWonders.com are launching an unconventional charity campaign for breast cancer awareness this October :D
So therefore, the least i could do to support this awareness is to be a part of it! Hence, the title got boobies :)

Here's a lil'
Do You Knows that will enlighten you about breast cancer. Don't be ignorant, read 'em!

Age factor- Do you know that the chances of getting breast cancer rises as a woman gets older? But at the same time, it doesn't means it won't affect the younger ones. In fact, younger woman who were affected by breast cancer will experience a more aggressive cancer and lower chance of survival.

Genes- It runs in the blood. Do you know that if you have a family history of getting breast cancer, you'll most probably be in a risk to get affected as well? Ask your family members and if there are such cases, get tested now! Waiting for tomorrow is procrastinating.
Personal factors - Do you know that if you had a beginning period of before age 12 and going through menopause after the age of 55, you're on a high risk of being diagnose with breast cancer? Go for a regular check up as early detection is the only cure!

Also, do you know that being overweight increases your chances of developing breast cancer? Not only will one have a higher risk of heart attack but also breast cancer will likely to affect those with overweight issue. So, watch the diet! Other risks includes taking birth control pills, drinking alcohol (to all the drinkers out there) or having your first child after the age of 35.

The good news is, if you found the symptoms earlier the higher chances you'll have to fight against it! Those
symptoms includes:

Feel- Feel for changes in how the breast or nipple feels. Note for the following :
- The tenderness of the nipple
- A lump in breast or armpit
- The thickening in or near the breast or underarm area.

Looks- Look for changes in how the breast or nipple looks. Note for the following :
- A change in the size or shape of the breast or a nipple that is turned slightly inward
- The skin of the breast, areola or nipple may appear scaly, red or swollen or may have ridges or pitting that resembles the skin of an orange
- Persistent pain or discomfort in or around the breast area.
- Also, look for bleeding or discharge from nipple by simply squeezing the nipple gently.
If you have the above symptoms, do go for a check up. Never take this symptoms lightly because often, people waits till it developed the final stages that by then, the chances of recovery are minimized. So start early! Many woman are alive and well today because their breast cancer are detected and treated early :)
There are
treatments available, so do not give up if you have been diagnose with the breast cancer. A strong will and a positive mind is an important factor in overcoming this issue. Among the available treatments are:

Surgery- What type of surgery depends on the size of tumor and where it is. There are two types of surgery.
i) lumpectomy or breast conserving surgery- this involves the removal of a lump and some tissue but not the whole breast.
ii) mastectomy- this involves the removal of the whole breast.
I believe every woman (actually, men as well!) should know how to do the breast self-examination. It's the first step but the most crucial and important one.

Radiotherapy- This treatment involves high powered x-rays waves which are directed to the cancer area and surrounding tissue in hopes to remove the cancer cells.

Chemotherapy- This treatment uses the help of drugs and hormonal therapy to remove the remaining of the cancer cells.
I always believe that in any disease especially the ones with the word 'cancer', early detection is the key. Learn to perform breast self -exams to look for any sign of changes. Schedule for a clinical breast exam have a baseline mammogram as you get older.