By John Denny

Observer Reporter

(Pinney’s Industrial, Nevis) – Entertainment, education and dinner were all dished out in ample portions at the Pink Lily Gala fundraiser last Saturday, Feb. 28.

The Gala is part of an ongoing effort to raise $50,000 that will provide breast cancer screening for 200 women.

The fund raiser which lasted all evening provided entertainment with the Pink Lily Singers, a dance troupe, African drummers and a fashion show featuring local designers. There were also testimonials by breast cancer survivors and an educational power point presentation on “what is breast cancer.”

Local practitioner Dr. Cardell Rawlins urged those in attendance to Lobby the government to institute a universal health care system for Nevis and the Federation and that if such a system was in place, more could be done to prevent cancer or catch it earlier and thereby decrease the cost of treatment. He also said the money spent treating cancer overseas could be better spent right here.

The event ran so late, that the raffle drawing was postponed until a later date.

The Raffle draw will take place on Tuesday 17th March and winners will be announced.

Gala raffle ticket holders are advised to hold on to your tickets because you could be a lucky winner.

Pink Lily breast cancer care was founded by Lea Parris and launched in February 2008 with a vision to provide quality cancer care in Nevis.

The inspiration for the charity came following the diagnosis of breast cancer in both her mother and herself within 2 weeks of each other in April 2007 and being made aware of the lack of cancer care and treatment in Nevis, decided to use her own personal breast cancer experience, her skills and her positive attitude to set up an organization that will raise awareness of breast cancer, provide support for those and their families living with it and raise funds to provide quality cancer care and treatment for women and men living in Nevis.

Worldwide, breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer after lung cancer -10.4% of all cancer incidences, both sexes counted and the fifth most common cause of cancer death. In 2005, breast cancer caused 502,000 deaths worldwide, 7% of cancer deaths; almost 1% of all deaths.

The first symptom, or subjective sign, of breast cancer is typically a lump that feels different from the surrounding breast tissue. More than 80% of breast cancer cases are discovered when the woman feels a lump. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), the first medical sign, or objective indication of breast cancer as detected by a physician, is discovered by mammogram. Lumps found in lymph nodes located in the armpit and/or collarbone can also indicate breast cancer.

Indications of breast cancer other than a lump may include changes in breast size or shape, skin dimpling, nipple inversion, or spontaneous single-nipple discharge. Pain is an unreliable tool in determining the presence or absence of breast cancer, but may be indicative of other breast-related health issues such as mastodynia.

When breast cancer cells invade the dermal lymphatics, small lymph vessels in the skin of the breast, its presentation can resemble skin inflammation and thus is known as inflammatory breast cancer (IBC). Symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer include pain, swelling, warmth and redness throughout the breast, as well as an orange peel texture to the skin.

Another reported symptom complex of breast cancer is Paget's disease of the breast. This syndrome presents as eczematous skin changes such as redness and mild flaking of the nipple skin. As Paget's advances, symptoms may include tingling, itching, increased sensitivity, burning, and pain. There may also be discharge from the nipple. Approximately half of women diagnosed with Paget's also have a lump in the breast.

Occasionally, breast cancer presents as metastatic disease, that is, cancer that has spread beyond the original organ. Metastatic breast cancer will cause symptoms that depend on the location of metastasis. More common sites of metastasis include bone, liver, lung and brain. Unexplained weight loss can occasionally herald an occult breast cancer, as can symptoms of fevers or chills. Bone or joint pains can sometimes be manifestations of metastatic breast cancer, as can jaundice or neurological symptoms. These symptoms are "non-specific," meaning they can also be manifestations of many other illnesses.

Most symptoms of breast disorder do not turn out to represent underlying breast cancer. Benign breast diseases such as mastitis and fibroadenoma of the breast are more common causes of breast disorder symptoms. The appearance of a new symptom should be taken seriously by both patients and their doctors, because of the possibility of an underlying breast cancer at almost any age.