Early Breast Cancer Detection Is Critical

Early breast cancer detection is extremely crucial so women must under no circumstances take breast examination for granted. As reported by the American Cancer Society, early breast cancer detection will markedly enhance the odds of survival of the affected individual. If you're one of those people with a record of breast cancer in the family, you need to have frequent self examinations and clinical examinations while you're still in your twenties and thirties.

Breast Self Examination (BSE)

BSE is one of the most basic strategies of tracking important changes in the breast tissues. To monitor changes in your breasts, stand in front of the mirror and check each breast for dimpling or discolorations 3 to 5 days following the last day of your monthly period. Take note of any kind of suspicious looking discoloration and dimples which were not there when you last screened yourself.

After carrying out an ocular inspection of your breasts, you need to carry out a physical examination. In order to get a lot more accurate results, you should perform the self exam while you are lying down with your arm placed at the back of your head. This particular position allows the breast tissues to flatten and spread evenly above the chest bones. To help identify lumps, systematically run the finger pads of 3 middle fingers of the hand over your breast. Apply several levels of pressure as you move your fingers in slow circular motions from the top of your breast downward. Employ light pressure to feel lumps near the skin surface and medium to firm pressure to feel for lumps deep underneath the tissues.

If you find any lumps or mass in your breasts while conducting the self examination, do not panic. Even if you have lumps that doesn't imply that you have cancer. Bear in mind that not all lumps are cancerous so you should not jump to any conclusions. To know if the lumps are cancerous or otherwise, it is advisable to pay a visit to your doctor and request a clinical examination without delay. Keep in mind that early breast cancer detection can save your life so see your doctor to get some tests.

Clinical Breast Examination (CBE) and Mammogram

If you're in your thirties and forties, it is advisable to get routine CBEs from health specialists. In the CBE, your health care provider will examine your breasts for any indications of abnormalities by feeling the skin and tissues around this area. When you get to your forties, you'll need to undergo regular screening mammograms. If your doctor notices some abnormalities in the examinations, he or she might ask you to undergo more testing to establish the nature of the abnormality. He or she might suggest biopsy of suspicious lumps in your breast.