October is breast cancer awareness month. My mom is a 45-year survivor. I also have friends who are survivors and those who are fighting this disease.
Self Examination is a screening method used in an attempt to detect early breast cancer. The method involves the woman herself looking at and feeling each breast for possible lumps, distortions or swelling.
This is promoted as a means of finding cancer at a more curable stage, but large randomized controlled studies found that it was not effective in preventing death, and actually caused harm through needless biopsies, surgery, and anxiety. Breast awareness is an informal alternative to structured breast self-examinations.
A pictorial example of breast self-examination in six steps. Steps 1-3 involve inspection of the breast with the arms hanging next to the body, behind the head and in the side. Step 4 is palpation of the breast. Step 5 is palpation of the nipple. Step 6 is palpation of the breast while lying down.
It is important in the peri and menopausal years that we continue with regular breast self-examinations ladies and remember to schedule yearly mammograms.
This should be done monthly, not just once a year in October.
Keep Calm pic from Pinterest
Breast Self Exam Wikipedia
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