Screening for Cancer

c. Move in a circular motion checking the entire breast. Repeat on the left breast using your right finger pads and placing the pillow under your left shoulder.

d. Perform the above exam on both breast standing in front of the mirror with one arm behind your head while you check your left breast and left arm behind your head while checking your right breast. Also feel for lumps in your armpits.

e. Look for the following as well: dimpling, nipple changes, redness or swelling in breast or underarm, skin irritations, redness or scaliness of the nipple or breast skin or discharge. If you find any of the above, contact your physician as soon as possible.

Skin ? your skin in your first line of defense against illness and injury. It is exposed to many potentially cancer-causing agents. Here?s how to examine your skin:

a. Perform the exam in a well-lit room, standing naked in front of a mirror.

b. Slowly examine every visible inch of your skin including you back, body crevices, between your legs, under your arms and the base of your neck. Use a hand mirror for hard to see places.

c. During your self-exam, look for lesions that are asymmetrical, have irregular borders, vary in color from area to another, or have a diameter greater than one-fourth of an inch.

d. Also look for sores that have been present for more than three weeks that bleed, ooze, or crust; irritated red patches that may or may not itch or hurt; and any changes in long-standing skin markings, such as elevation, color, growth, tenderness or pain.

In addition to getting your routine tests and exams, it is important to see a doctor immediately if you experience any of the following cancer clues: a change in bowel habits or bladder function, sores that do not heal, unusual bleeding or discharge, chronic indigestion or difficulty swallowing, changes in a wart of mole, or a nagging cough or hoarseness in the absence of a cold or flu.

For more information, contact the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org.

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