Early Detection of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer - it certainly is not a death sentence! Cancer is a group of over 200 different diseases that result due to uncontrolled divisions of cells in the body. But luckily enough, breast cancer is a condition that can be easily detected at an early stage and treated adequately.

The survival rates of breast cancer are some of the best. The most commonly used term to describe survival rates is the 5-year survival rates. The 5-year survival rate refers to the percentage of patients who live for at least 5 years after their cancer is detected. Many live much beyond that. In fact, my grandmother lived for over 18 years after her breast cancer was detected and when she finally died, her death was not related to her cancer.

The 5-year survival rate for breast cancer that is detected early can be higher than 90%. Check the American Cancer Society's data on breast cancer survival.

Now, how do you detect breast cancer at the earliest? It's an easy 3-step method.

• Breast Self Exam

This is a simple technique which you can do at home. Just pay attention to any changes in your breasts. Look and feel for changes in your breasts. There are several different methods to do this. You really do not need to bother much about all the different methods. Just remember you need to look and feel for changes on the entire area of your body that contains breast tissue.

This includes an area that starts from your collar bone on top to your bra line at the bottom, from the middle of the chest to the side of your chest (including your armpit). Here's a picture that should tell you where to examine for changes.

Remember that breast tissue spreads much beyond just the protruding bulge.

When you examine just the bulging part you tend to miss out on many other areas where breast tissue is found. In fact, breast cancer is commonest in the outer upper quadrant of the breast which does not have much of a bulge.

How often should you do a self exam? Once a month should be sufficient. Start once you are 20 years of age and continue doing a self exam throughout your life. Make it a part of your regular life.

• Clinical Breast Exam

This is about getting your breasts examined by a clinician. 

Get a clinical exam done once in three years if you are less than 40 years old. Once you are above 40 years, go for an annual checkup with a clinician. 

Who should you go to? Ideally, it should be a surgeon who has been examining a lot of breasts and can detect changes early. But you can get yourself examined even by your gynecologist or your family physician. Just get yourself examined regularly. 

• Screening Mammography

This is a special x-ray of the breast. It helps detect minor changes in the architecture of the breasts. An annual screening mammography is recommended for women above 50 years of age. If your mammograms are normal, you may go for a screening mammography every two years. 

Mammography does not seem to help younger women much. However, if your clinician suspects a change in your breast, he/she may advise you to get a mammography done at a younger age. Do not defer from getting a mammography done in that case. 

Please remember to do a regular self-exam, in addition to, not in place of clinical breast exam and a mammography. When you combine all the three different methods for screening, you are more likely to detect cancer at its earliest. 

If you have never gone for a breast cancer screening. This is an excellent time to start. Get started!

.......................................................... *** ..............................................

P.S. The pictures used here are from various sites derived after a Google search. I used them because I felt they gave an apt description of what I wanted to convey. If you have any issues about my use of these pictures, please write to me.