It’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month!
We are halfway through the month of October. Time to enjoy some of the fall weather here in Texas, Pumpkin carvings, Halloween decorations, costumes and “trick or treating”. It is my favorite time of the year. Not sure if we will do much of “Trick or treat” this year with Covid but we put up our Halloween decorations and our kids enjoy this each year. But one thing that is important to me, as a physician is creating awareness this month, for Breast Cancer.
This is an important month of the year, all over the world. Just yesterday, October 19th was the International Breast Cancer Day. For the entire month of October, charities (big and small) organized campaigns and raising funds for research into prevention, diagnosis and even cure for Breast cancer. It also offers support and information of those affected with Breast Cancer.
I know we all have known someone close to us or even family, that has been affected. Been a primary care doctor, I have diagnosed some patients with breast mass which turned out to be cancerous, either due to an abnormal mammogram or with a clinical breast exam, feeling a bump or lump which was not there before or they have been unaware how long they had it. In my personal life, as a daughter, had my mother undergone with bilateral mastectomies due been cancer, several years back and pretty soon I will go and do my very first screening mammogram.
During the month of October, the goal is to sensitize the population with a key message: the importance of early detection, in order to improve the prognosis and survival of breast cancer cases, which continues to be the cornerstone of the fight against this disease. Currently, breast cancer is the most common in women, both in developed and developing countries. Particularly, breast cancer ranks first in incidence of malignant neoplasms in women worldwide.
Creating awareness and been more proactive about it, we can detect early stages for breast cancer and treat it successfully. I see more and more women been proactive and getting their screening mammograms each year. One thing I strongly recommend to my patients, is to do their own self breast exam. Encouraging not to wait until their annual physical to do this but rather doing it at home and getting more familiar how their breast looks like and feels like.
Checking your breasts only takes a few minutes. There's no special technique and you don’t need training to check your breasts. Always check the whole breast area, including your upper chest and armpits. Do this regularly to check for changes. Your hormone levels fluctuate each month during your menstrual cycle, which causes changes in breast tissue. Swelling begins to decrease when your period starts. The best time to perform a self-exam for breast awareness is usually the week after your period ends.
By touching them, you can detect if there is a lump or anything unusual.
Is it painful or not?
Any rash or skin dimpling in your breast?
Any nipple discharge with a gentle squeeze?
And even checking in your armpits, do you feel any nodule or what we call “a lymph node”?.
If you’re not sure how to do this, ask your doctor when you go in for your annual. There are graphics and even some videos on social media which can be helpful. There is no specific technique but staying consistent is.
Don't just check once a year.
A breast self-exam isn't a substitute for a breast exam by your doctor (clinical breast exam) or a screening mammogram. Becoming familiar with the normal look and feel of your breasts can supplement breast cancer screening, but can't replace it.
If you do feel anything unusual, don't hesitate to go see your doctor. We will usually do a thorough exam and also may do additional tests that may include a mammogram and even Ultrasound or MRI of the breast depending on your risks factors.
So, get to know your breasts and Go Check Your Boobies!
If you have been doing these, encourage for you to continue and if is your first time or never done these, then start today.
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