BREASTFEEDING REDUCES RISK OF BREAST CANCER

KUALA LUMPUR, March 28 (Bernama) -- The risk of breast cancer can be reduced if a woman were to breastfeed her children.

While breastfeeding, estrogen hormones that are among causes of breast
cancer were produced in lower quantities, said Dr Komathy Thiagarajan, medical
officer at the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN).

The government's policy is to encourage mothers to breastfeed their children
for at least six months and at the longest when the child was two years old.

According to the National Cancer Council, Chinese women were the highest
sufferers of breast cancer followed by Indians and Malays

Besides that LPPKN also had a subsidy for early detection of breast cancer
through mammogram tests for women aged 40 years and above and ultrasound tests
for women below 35 year of age.

The subsidy given for the mammogram test was RM50 while for the ultrasound
test it was RM40 and these were for those whose household income was less than
RM5,000 a month.

Registration for the subsidies can be done on the website
www.mammogram.gov.my and for further information or enquiries people can call
the LPPKN client service line at 03-26938877.

--BERNAMA