Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Matt Hepworth spoke with McGrath Breast Cancer nurse from the Alan Walker Centre & Royal Darwin Hospital Noelle O’Reilly

Transcript

Matt Hepworth spoke with McGrath Breast Cancer nurse from the Alan Walker Centre & Royal Darwin Hospital Noelle O’Reilly · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Well, we know eight women die every day in Australia
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: from breast cancer, which is why NT Health is urging
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: Territorians to learn more about this disease. October is Breast
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: Cancer Awareness Month and now is the time to learn
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: more about the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the country's
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: most diagnosed cancer. To talk more about it is the
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: McGrath Breast Cancer Nurse from the Alan Walker Center and
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: Royal Darwin Hospital. Noel O'Reilly Noel, good.
• 0:26
  Speaker 2: Morning, Good morning Matt. How are you? Yeah?
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: Well, thank you, Noel. Look, no one we know breast cancer.
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: I guess it's a disease we talk a lot about.
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: It's highly publicized, but it's not necessarily something we know
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: a lot about.
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: Well, I suppose October Resolve is the month that we
• 0:45
  Speaker 2: try and rease awareness amongst men and women about the
• 0:48
  Speaker 2: importance of checking you know, real breasts regularly. By knowing
• 0:54
  Speaker 2: what's normal for you, this will help you to text
• 0:57
  Speaker 2: any changes in the appearance or feel of the braain
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: so people know when to go and see their GP.
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: You know. I suppose checking checking the breast the most
• 1:07
  Speaker 2: important thing to do is check around the same time
• 1:10
  Speaker 2: each month and checking your breast by following three simple
• 1:13
  Speaker 2: steps of look, feel and learn or what we recommend
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: and as we say in them a graph foundation if
• 1:20
  Speaker 2: you grow them, know them. So you know, looking at
• 1:23
  Speaker 2: the shape and appearance of breasts and nipples in the
• 1:26
  Speaker 2: mirror with your hands by your sides within recommends that
• 1:30
  Speaker 2: you raise your arms above your head and have another
• 1:32
  Speaker 2: look and see if there's any change in the shape
• 1:35
  Speaker 2: and the appearance of the breasts or nipple in that position.
• 1:39
  Speaker 2: And then feeling feel all of the breast tissue and
• 1:41
  Speaker 2: the nipples, looking for anything that isn't normal for you.
• 1:45
  Speaker 2: Feel from under the collarbone to below the brawl line
• 1:48
  Speaker 2: and under the armpit as well. And then finally just
• 1:51
  Speaker 2: learn what's normal for you. You know, as we know,
• 1:54
  Speaker 2: breasts come in all different shapes and sizes, so just
• 1:57
  Speaker 2: get to know your normal and then it's your doctor
• 2:00
  Speaker 2: if you notice any changes.
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: No, well, what are some of the statistics of breast
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: cancer like in the Northern Territory and Australia.
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: Well, in the Northern Territory last year twenty nineteen, just
• 2:13
  Speaker 2: in the Royal Darwin Hospital alone, we had eighty six
• 2:18
  Speaker 2: breast cancer diagnosis and then this year in twenty twenty
• 2:22
  Speaker 2: Australia wide, it's estimated that nineteen thou eight hundred and
• 2:27
  Speaker 2: seven women and one hundred and sixty seven men are
• 2:31
  Speaker 2: estimated to be diagnosed with breast cancer in Australia this year.
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: And is that an increase or decrease on previous years?
• 2:39
  Speaker 2: So it's a it is an increase. Previously it was
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: one in eight people were women were being diagnosed with
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: breast cancer, and now it's one in seven women are
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: being diagnosed with breast cancer by the age of eighty five.
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: Well, is there a particular age group or demographic that
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: are most likely to be affected?
• 2:56
  Speaker 2: So definitely the age group that you know the screen
• 3:00
  Speaker 2: is targeted at as is age fifty to seventy four,
• 3:05
  Speaker 2: So we definitely recommend that everyone in that age group
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: get or gets go to breast screen for their two
• 3:12
  Speaker 2: yearly screening mammograms. But then outside of that, of course,
• 3:17
  Speaker 2: there are women and men that are diagnosed at a
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: younger age. So that's why we're just you know, always
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: trying to raise awareness that there are people diagnosed out
• 3:26
  Speaker 2: of those age ranges. So it just doesn't affect the
• 3:29
  Speaker 2: fifty to seventy four age group. Men and women younger
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: and older can get diagnosed.
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: And now, well you've touched on a couple of times
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: something really important there that not I guess people might know,
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: but it's not as common. But men can get breast
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: cancer as well.
• 3:43
  Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely, and you know, not a lot of men
• 3:46
  Speaker 2: are aware of that fact. And that's another thing that
• 3:49
  Speaker 2: we're trying to highlight in October. You know that the
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: I suppose the main message for the men is that
• 3:54
  Speaker 2: they need to be aware that men can be affected
• 3:56
  Speaker 2: by breast cancer too. As I said, at one hundred's
• 3:59
  Speaker 2: estimates of hundred and sixty seven men will be diagnosed
• 4:03
  Speaker 2: with breast cancer in Australia this year. And you know,
• 4:06
  Speaker 2: the men shouldn't feel embarrassed going to their GP if
• 4:11
  Speaker 2: they do find a lump or find a change in
• 4:13
  Speaker 2: their breast. You know, it's really important swallow the prize
• 4:17
  Speaker 2: go to the GP because we do know that early
• 4:20
  Speaker 2: diagnosis leads to much better outcomes.
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: What are some of those signs and symptoms both men
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: and women should be looking for.
• 4:28
  Speaker 2: So generally, when you're checking your breasts, you know you're
• 4:31
  Speaker 2: looking out for a general change in the size or
• 4:35
  Speaker 2: shape that's unusual for you a lump, or even a
• 4:39
  Speaker 2: change in the appearance of the breast such as dimpling
• 4:42
  Speaker 2: or redness, any area that feels different to the rest
• 4:46
  Speaker 2: of the breast, or any pain, any change in the
• 4:49
  Speaker 2: shape or the appearance of the nipples, which as the
• 4:52
  Speaker 2: nipple being pulled inwards, or the development of a rash
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: and discharge coming from the nipple, particularly if it's a
• 4:59
  Speaker 2: bloody charge. And then finally, we should all be you know,
• 5:03
  Speaker 2: feeling under the arm as well and around the color
• 5:06
  Speaker 2: bone to check for any swelling or lumps in those areas.
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: And what should people be doing if they are showing
• 5:13
  Speaker 1: any of these signs or symptoms.
• 5:15
  Speaker 2: Well, first of all, I would say, don't panic, but
• 5:18
  Speaker 2: I know that's easier said than done. Most changes in
• 5:22
  Speaker 2: the breast aren't related to breast cancer at all, so
• 5:24
  Speaker 2: the chances are most people will be fine. And however,
• 5:28
  Speaker 2: you know, if you do find a lumper, notice any
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: change in the breast, it's important to go to the
• 5:34
  Speaker 2: GP immediately. And again, you know, in October, with it
• 5:39
  Speaker 2: being Breast cancer Awareness months, we're you know, trying to
• 5:42
  Speaker 2: emphasize that the sooner you see your GP after finding
• 5:46
  Speaker 2: a change in your breast the better and the outcomes
• 5:48
  Speaker 2: are much better. Now.
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: Well, just finally, there's some anecdotal evidence to suggest that
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: Aussies have been more reluctant to have medical tests and
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: exams during COVID nineteen. Is that a worry for you?
• 6:04
  Speaker 2: Well, it is, it is, and I suppose it is
• 6:07
  Speaker 2: understandable when I think of, you know, the states and
• 6:11
  Speaker 2: the cities that have been harder with COVID nineteen. It's
• 6:15
  Speaker 2: a frightening disease. So I can understand why men and
• 6:19
  Speaker 2: women are more reluctant to get out and go to
• 6:22
  Speaker 2: their GP to get checked out because they've got the
• 6:25
  Speaker 2: fear contracting COVID nineteen. But you know, all these health centers,
• 6:31
  Speaker 2: hospitals GP practices have got you know, measures in place
• 6:36
  Speaker 2: to screen everybody and protect the general public from getting
• 6:42
  Speaker 2: COVID nineteen when they go to a GP practice, So
• 6:45
  Speaker 2: they shouldn't let that stop them from getting checked out.
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: Yeah, as I understand it, in some cases there were
• 6:51
  Speaker 1: people who couldn't get certain checks during COVID. Just finally, know, well,
• 6:56
  Speaker 1: if people, as you mentioned, it is October espress can
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: Awareness month, what can people do and where can they
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: go to get more information?
• 7:06
  Speaker 2: So we'll definitely go to the McGrath foundation website or
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: Cancer Australia website and also be CNA website. I've got
• 7:12
  Speaker 2: very good information on breast awareness and guide you into
• 7:18
  Speaker 2: what to do if you do find a lump here
• 7:21
  Speaker 2: in Darwin more locally, of course, if anybody is worried,
• 7:25
  Speaker 2: they are free to go onto the McGrath Foundation website
• 7:29
  Speaker 2: and get my phone number, my colleagues, Indy's phone Umbroun
• 7:33
  Speaker 2: and give us a call. It's people can sell for fur,
• 7:36
  Speaker 2: sell for fir and they can just give us a
• 7:38
  Speaker 2: call if they're worried about something and we can guide
• 7:40
  Speaker 2: them into what they should do, whether they should go
• 7:42
  Speaker 2: to their GP or they need to do anything else.
• 7:44
  Speaker 2: So we're very happy to take holds from men and
• 7:48
  Speaker 2: women that are concerned, but usually the first stop would
• 7:51
  Speaker 2: be the GP practice.
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: Absolutely good on your note, Noel, thank you so much
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: for your time this morning.
• 7:57
  Speaker 2: No problem, Thank you so much much less.
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: Thank you you too. That is Noel O'Reilly, a McGrath
• 8:03
  Speaker 1: breast cancer nurse from the Allan Walker Center and Royal
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: Dawen Hospital