Although breast cancer cannot typically be prevented, there are three crucial steps you may take to aid in its earlier Detection. If you use the free tool 3 Steps to Early Detection, your chances of identifying breast cancer early are higher.
Once A Month All adult women are advised to conduct breast self-exams at least once per month. According to Johns Hopkins Medical Center, “Establishing a regular breast self-exam is particularly crucial because 40% of confirmed breast cancers are found by women who feel a lump.”
Breast self-examinations help you become familiar with how your breasts feel and appear so you can notify your healthcare provider if there are any changes. Mammograms can help you discover cancer before you can feel a lump.
How Should A Breast Self-Exam Be Performed? Here are three ways.
1. When showering Check the entire breast and armpit area by pressing down with light, medium, and firm pressure using the pads/flats of your three middle fingers. Every month, feel both breasts for any lumps, thickening, knotting that has become rigid, or other breast changes.
2. Before a mirror. With your arms on your sides, look over your breasts. Next, extend your arms far above your head.
Keep an eye out for any changes to the nipple’s shape, skin swelling or dimpling, or any changes to the contour. Next, squeeze firmly to contract your chest muscles while placing your palms on your hips. Few women’s breasts are perfectly symmetrical from left to right, so look for any dimpling, puckering, or alterations, especially on one side.
3. Laying Flat The breast tissue lines the chest wall equally while one is lying down. Your right shoulder should be supported by a pillow, as should your right arm behind your head. Gently wrap your left hand’s finger pads around your right breast, covering the entire breast and armpit region.
Use gentle, moderate, and hard pressure. Squeeze the nipple and feel for lumps and discharge. For your left breast, repeat these procedures.
Can I Ensure My Breast Cancer-Free Status Via Breast Self-Examinations Only? Screening is essential for early diagnosis of cancers since mammography can identify them before they are palpable. Breast self-examinations, however, can assist women in understanding what is normal for them so they can report any changes to their healthcare practitioner when accompanied by routine medical care and the necessary guideline-recommended mammography.
Call your doctor if you notice a lump, but don’t be alarmed—8 out of 10 nodes are not cancerous. Anytime you have doubts, call your doctor for added peace of mind.
Have Your Breasts Recently Undergone Changes? Many breast cancer signs are undetectable without a professional test, but some can be identified early with a bit of proactive breast health care. Make sure your breasts are healthy using the Know the Symptoms guide immediately.
