Breast Cancer Self Exam - Diagnosing Breast Cancer
An average of 1 in 12 women will develop breast cancer at some point, though the chances increase as you age. However, with medical technological advances, successful treatment for breast cancer is readily available. Successful treatment does however hinge upon diagnosing breast cancer early. One of the best ways to ensure this is to conduct a breast cancer self exam check on a regular basis.
The idea behind breast cancer self exam is to identify any changes so that these changes can be examined further, either with a clinical exam and/or another diagnostic exam. Any changes may indicate an anomaly, but to understand what is abnormal you first need to know what is normal. While ‘normal’ varies amongst individuals, there are some things that are accepted as being common.
It is important when conducting a breast cancer self exam that you know how your breasts look and feel usually. This will change subtly on a regular basis, but major changes indicate that further investigation should be sought. Changes during the menstrual cycle are often noticeable, with breasts sometimes becoming enlarged or more sensitive. To ensure your self exam is not affected by this, conduct your exam a few days after your period, making this a regular habit. Post-menopausal women should choose a particular day every month to conduct their exam.
Begin with a visual inspection, unclothed, in front of a mirror. Check for changes in size that affect only one breast. Normal, hormonally related changes will usually affect both breasts. Next, move your focus to the nipple and areola (the darker skin around the nipple), checking for changes in size or color. Look for wrinkling, or 'orange peel' appearance that cannot be contributed to the temperature. Also inspect for a lack of symmetry, as most areola are round.
Gently squeeze a nipple and be aware of any fluid that emerges. Repeat the procedure for the other nipple. While some women may produce a small amount of lactation, any yellowish fluid should be examined more carefully by your doctor. Unusual fluid can be the sign of an infection, or of tumor development.
Next, use your fingers to examine the breast area, with the arms down. Include from under the armpit, down the side and into the breastbone. Press firmly with the fingers, moving slowly across the surface area as you feel for lumps, or changes, under the surface.
It is important to remember that not all lumps indicate cancer. Often lumps turn out to be cysts, which are simply fluid filled sacs of tissue. Usually, these feel round, and can be moved. These can be removed if preferred, but are benign, so pose no health threat. Women often find that cysts will fade over time, without any medical intervention.
Lumps that are hard and of irregular shape may indicate a cancerous lump. This doesn’t mean that all hard lumps are cancerous though, so while they may be of concern, don’t panic. Hard lumps often end up being fibrodenomas, which is simply a benign mass. Medical tests will be able to confirm whether a lump is of concern, or not.
Make sure to pay attention to any lumps which begin to change in size, or shape. Cancer results from abnormal growth in tissue cells, so tumors grow in size and may begin to spread.
Once you have conducted your breast cancer self exam on diagnosing breast cancer with your arms down, repeat the procedure with your arms up.
Continue the examination by repeating the procedure while lying down, with arms lowered, and then again with the arms raised overhead. Check in particular for any tissue which feels hard, or irregular. If you find it difficult to move your fingers smoothly over the area, try using a small amount of baby oil. You can also conduct the procedure in the shower, but water pressure can make it difficult to feel for changes or lumps.
It is important for all women 20 and older to perform regular breast cancer self exam on their breasts, and women over 40 should have a minimum of one mammogram a year on diagnosing beast cancer.
Introduction to Breast Cancer
Breast Cancer Stages – Breast Cancer Survival Rates
Genetic Breast Cancer Risk Factors
Breast Cancer Diagnosis - Breast Cancer Test
Environmental and Lifestyle Breast Cancer Risk Factors
Breast Cancer Prevention – How to Prevent Breast Cancer
Breast Cancer Treatment
Breast Cancer Mammogram Diagnosis
Breast Cancer Radiation Treatment
Breast Cancer Statistics, Diagnosis and Treatments
Breast Cancer Diet Tests and Research
Breast Cancer Reconstruction Surgery Treatments
Breast Cancer Surgery Treatment
Chemotherapy Breast Cancer Medication
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