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Early breast cancer isn't usually detected by pain. In fact, when breast cancer first develops, there may be no symptoms at all. That is why regular exams are important. If you have anything that makes you suspect breast cancer, contact your doctor immediately. Don't wait around to see what happens. Let the professional decide. Some symptoms that may indicate breast cancer include, but are not limited to, the following:
Nipple discharge or tenderness
Lumps in breast and/or underarm area
Visual changes which include: size of breast including swelling; inverted nipple; and pitting. Pitting means the skin looks like the skin of an orange. Scaling of the breast skin could also be a symptom.
Early detection of breast cancer is important. There is a 97% five-year survival rate when breast cancer is detected early since this can help prevent it from spreading. Below are some guidelines to early detection. I hope they help save someone's life.
Get a Mammogram
A mammogram is a specialized x-ray of the breast to help detect cancers which cannot be detected by feel. Some women are confused as to how often they should get a mammogram. Here is what the professionals say about mammograms.
At age 40 begin getting annual mammograms by a licensed technician. A mammogram will take about twenty minutes. When getting a mammogram avoid wearing deodorant, powders, or cream under your arms. Sometimes they can interfere with the results. Make sure to contact the center if they do not inform you of the results within thirty days. It is very important that results are compared from one year to the next. Hence, be sure you know where your mammogram film is being held.
Clinical Breast Exam
This is an exam by a health care professional. Women in their 20s and 30s should have a clinical breast exam at least every three years and women 40 or older should have an exam each year.
Self-Examination
Starting at age 20 women should begin doing a self-exam. Ask your doctor if you are not exactly sure how to do this or if you are not sure you are doing it correctly. Here are a few guides to follow: Lie down and place one arm behind your head. Using your three middle finger pads press firmly across your breast in overlapping dime-size circular motions. Use three different levels of pressure: light, medium, and firm. This allows you to feel the tissue close to your skin, to feel a little deeper, and to feel the tissue closest to your chest and ribs.
Move across your breast in an up and down pattern, starting from the underarm and moving across the breast to the middle of the chest bone, repeating the pressure.
Stand in front of a mirror with your hands pressing down on your hips and look at your breasts for any changes in size, shape, contour, or dimpling. Also, do this with your arms slightly raised. Make sure you check under your breasts as well.
I hope that this information proves helpful to you. I am not a health care provider and by no means a professional on breast cancer. I am simply sharing with every woman possible the importance of detecting breast cancer early and some simple guidelines that might save a life.
If you are a woman, there is one kind of cancer that you always have to be on the look out for, and that is breast cancer. No matter what age you are, you can still get breast cancer. Although it is more common in women that are 40 years of age or older, you should start doing breast exams as soon as you can. This is because you can actually help to prevent breast cancer with early detection.
If you are not able to prevent it, you are going to be able to have a better chance of getting rid of it the sooner that you do find it. They recommended doing breast cancer exams every 3 years. This is after you reach your late 20's and 30's. However, keep in mind that breast cancer is something that you are able to detect yourself.
It is always good to keep a close watch on your breasts. Every few days, you should feel them while you are in the shower to check for lumps. These lumps could be signs of breast cancer. The lumps will usually be hard and noticeable.
When it comes to doing breast self-examination, there are a few times of the month that are the best time to check for breast cancer. This is a good way to do early breast screening detection to help you prevent getting it. Although some people still think that you should check for breast cancer every few days, you are really only suppose to check it about once a month. However, do keep in mind that doing it more than once a month is not bad.
The best time a month to check for breast cancer is the day after your period. This is the best time to perform a self-examination, because your breasts are likely to be less tender and sore. If you are a person that has irregular periods, then you can check your beast any time of the month. You will still get the same effect. Just remember, try to do a self-examination when your breasts are not sore. This way you can do a much better job examining without worrying about your breasts being too sore to touch.
If you do not think that self-examinations are the best way to go, for early detection of breast cancer you can always go in and have mammograms. This is a breast X-ray that is able to see the smallest breast tumors. Now the question is, when and how often should you go in for a mammogram? The truth is, it is really going to depend on your age. Not only that, but it is going to have a lot to do with your family history as well.
If breast cancer is something that runs in your family, then you are going to want to do mammograms more often than other people. Breast cancer is something that kind of runs in families. Although it is unknown why it does this, it does not change the fact that it does run in family trees.
As you can see, there are a few things that you can do to help you with early detection of breast cancer. Early detection is, of course, the best shot you have at getting rid of breast cancer before it starts and spreads to the rest of your body.
Also, breast cancer is not that common in men, but it can happen, thus, men should check themselves as well from time to time with a self-examination. However, they should do this far less often than women.