How To Check For Breast Cancer – TheNigerialawyer

* Breast Self-Exam

In celebration of the #nobraday, here is a pictorial guide on
how to examine the breast for any lumps; either cancerous or
non-cancerous, it is important to report any growth, pain or odour
emanating from the breasts, as early detection is key to defeating
cancer.

Happy breast cancer awareness month.

Breast self-exam, or regularly examining your breasts on your
own, can be an important way to find a breast cancer early, when
it’s more likely to be treated successfully. While no single test
can detect all breast cancers early, Breastcancer.org believes that
performing breast self-exam in combination with other screening
methods can increase the odds of early detection.

Over the years, there has been some debate over just how
valuable breast self-examination is in detecting breast cancer
early and increasing the likelihood of survival. For example, a
2008 study of nearly 400,000 women in Russia and China reported
that breast self-examination does not have a meaningful impact on
breast cancer survival rates and may even cause harm by prompting
unnecessary biopsies (removal and examination of suspicious
tissue). Because of the ongoing uncertainty raised by this and
other studies, the American Cancer Society no longer recommends
breast self-exam as a screening tool for women with an average risk
of breast cancer.

Breastcancer.org still believes that breast self-examination is
a useful and important screening tool, especially when used in
combination with regular physical exams by a doctor, mammography,
and in some cases ultrasound and/or MRI. Each of these screening
tools works in a different way and has strengths and weaknesses.
Breast self-exam is a convenient, no-cost tool that you can use on
a regular basis and at any age. We recommend that all women
routinely perform breast self-exams as part of their overall breast
cancer screening strategy.

How to do a breast self-exam: The five steps

Step 1: Begin by looking at your breasts in the mirror with your
shoulders straight and your arms on your hips.

Here’s what you should look for:

Breasts that are their usual size, shape, and color
Breasts that are evenly shaped without visible distortion or
swelling
If you see any of the following changes, bring them to your
doctor’s attention:

Dimpling, puckering, or bulging of the skin
A nipple that has changed position or an inverted nipple (pushed
inward instead of sticking out)
Redness, soreness, rash, or swelling

Step 2: Now, raise your arms and look for the
same changes.

Step 3: While you’re at the mirror, look for
any signs of fluid coming out of one or both nipples (this could be
a watery, milky, or yellow fluid or blood).

Step 4: Next, feel your breasts while lying
down, using your right hand to feel your left breast and then your
left hand to feel your right breast. Use a firm, smooth touch with
the first few finger pads of your hand, keeping the fingers flat
and together. Use a circular motion, about the size of a
quarter.

Cover the entire breast from top to bottom, side to side — from
your collarbone to the top of your abdomen, and from your armpit to
your cleavage.

Follow a pattern to be sure that you cover the whole breast. You
can begin at the nipple, moving in larger and larger circles until
you reach the outer edge of the breast. You can also move your
fingers up and down vertically, in rows, as if you were mowing a
lawn. This up-and-down approach seems to work best for most women.
Be sure to feel all the tissue from the front to the back of your
breasts: for the skin and tissue just beneath, use light pressure;
use medium pressure for tissue in the middle of your breasts; use
firm pressure for the deep tissue in the back. When you’ve reached
the deep tissue, you should be able to feel down to your
ribcage.

Step 5: Finally, feel your breasts while you
are standing or sitting. Many women find that the easiest way to
feel their breasts is when their skin is wet and slippery, so they
like to do this step in the shower. Cover your entire breast, using
the same hand movements described in step 4.

What to do if you find a lump
Don’t panic if you think you feel a lump in your breast. Most women
have some lumps or lumpy areas in their breasts all the time, and
most breast lumps turn out to be benign (not cancer). There are a
number of possible causes of non-cancerous breast lumps, including
normal hormonal changes, a benign breast condition, or an
injury.

Don’t hesitate to call your doctor if you’ve noticed a lump or
other breast change that is new and worrisome. This is especially
true for changes that last more than one full menstrual cycle or
seem to get bigger or more prominent in some way. If you
menstruate, you may want to wait until after your period to see if
the lump or other breast change disappears on its own before
calling your doctor. The best healthcare provider to call would be
one who knows you and has done a breast exam on you before — for
example, your gynecologist, primary care doctor, or a nurse
practitioner who works with your gynecologist or primary care
doctor.

Know what to expect. At an appointment to evaluate a breast
lump, your doctor will take a health history and do a physical exam
of the breast, and will most likely order breast imaging tests.
Ultrasound is often the first or only imaging test used to evaluate
a lump in women who are under age 30 or are pregnant or
breastfeeding. Both an ultrasound and a mammogram are typically
recommended to evaluate a lump in women who are over age 30 and not
pregnant or breastfeeding. If further testing is needed, your
doctor may recommend additional imaging with MRI (magnetic
resonance imaging), MBI (molecular breast imaging), and/or a
biopsy. He or she may also refer you to a breast specialist
(typically, a breast surgeon) for further evaluation.

Make sure you get answers. It’s important that your doctor gives
you an explanation of the cause of the lump or other breast change
and, if necessary, a plan for monitoring it or treating it. If
you’re not comfortable with the advice of the first doctor you see,
don’t hesitate to get a second opinion.

How to make breast self-exam part of your breast cancer
screening strategy
Make it routine. The more you examine your breasts, the more you
will learn about them and the easier it will become for you to tell
if something has changed. Try to get in the habit of doing a breast
self-examination once a month to familiarize yourself with how your
breasts normally look and feel. Examine yourself several days after
your period ends, when your breasts are least likely to be swollen
and tender. If you are no longer having periods, choose a day
that’s easy to remember, such as the first or last day of the
month.

Get to know your breasts’ different “neighborhoods.” The upper,
outer area — near your armpit — tends to have the most prominent
lumps and bumps. The lower half of your breast can feel like a
sandy or pebbly beach. The area under the nipple can feel like a
collection of large grains. Another part might feel like a lumpy
bowl of oatmeal.

Start a journal where you record the findings of your breast
self-exams. This can be like a small map of your breasts, with
notes about where you feel lumps or irregularities. Especially in
the beginning, this may help you remember, from month to month,
what is “normal” for your breasts. It is not unusual for lumps to
appear at certain times of the month, but then disappear, as your
body changes with the menstrual cycle (if you are still
menstruating).

Culled from breastcancer.org

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