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Breast Cancer Screening

© Bobbi Jones

Breast Cancer is a fast growing disease among women. Thank goodness with the technology today the cancer can be found and taken care of before it becomes life threatening. I will add more information on a weekly basis to help you understand the processes of finding cancer and the treatments involved in curing cancer. I will also include some reconstruction options you have if you require or have already had surgery as part of the treatment process.

The first thing we need to address about cancer is diagnosing it. There are several different ways you and your physician can locate cancer. The first and most importantly is a self-breast exam, which you should perform on a monthly basis. You should wait until 2-3 days after your menstrual cycle. Some women have swelling during their cycle and might feel lumps that are normally not there. The second way to find breast cancer is having your physician do a professional breast exam. It is recommended you have this every other year during your annual visit. And third have a mammogram. See the chart below to see how often this is recommended. As a breast cancer patient myself, it is not written in stone that this is when you can have your first mammogram. Please use your judgement as to when you feel you need to have these tests or exams performed. You are the only one in control of your body. If you do not agree with your physician, do not hesitate to seek other medical advice.

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Mammogram Schedule: Age Self-Exam Professional Exam Mammogram 20 - 39 Monthly Every 2 years --- 40 - 49 Monthly Every Year Every Year* 50+ Monthly Every Year Every Year

*Note: The new guidelines of the National Cancer Institute recommend mammograms every 1 to 2 years for women between 40 and 49 with no unusual risk factor. Women in any high-risk group should have annual mammograms.

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How to Do Breast Self-Exam

1. Lie down. Flatten your right breast by placing a pillow under your right shoulder. Place your right arm behind your head.

2. Use the sensitive finger pads (where your fingerprints are, not the tips) of the middle three fingers on your left hand. Feel for lumps using a circular, rubbing motion in small, dime-sized circles without lifting the fingers. Powder, oil or lotion can be applied to the breast to make it easier for the fingers to glide over the surface and feel changes.

3. Press firmly enough to feel different breast tissues, using three different pressures. First, light pressure to just move the skin without jostling the tissue beneath, then medium pressure pressing midway into the tissue, and finally deep pressure to probe more deeply down to the ribs or to the point just short of discomfort..

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