Every October brings an entire month dedicated to raising awareness about breast cancer, and the risk factors and lifestyle activities that can increase your overall chance of developing this type of cancer. The American Cancer Society, along with numerous other cancer-related agencies and groups across America come together to raise funds, awareness and relight the hope for a cure.
Women and men both have breasts and breast tissue. This means that anyone, male or female, can be stricken with breast cancer at any time. This is why doing breast self-examinations is very important to know how to do it. These are the basic steps for breast self-examination.
Step 1: Begin by looking at your breasts in the mirror with your shoulders straight and your arms on your hips.
This is what you should look for:
- Breasts that are their usual size, shape, and color
- Breasts that are evenly shaped without visible distortion or swelling
If you see any of the following changes, bring them to your doctor’s attention right away:
- Dimpling, puckering, or bulging of the skin
- A nipple that has changed position or an inverted nipple, which means that the nipple pushes inward or outward
- Redness, soreness, rash, or swelling
Step 2: Now, raise your arms and look for the same changes.
Step 3: While you are in the mirror, look for any signs of fluid coming out of one or both nipples. This could be watery, milky, or yellow fluid or blood.
Step 4: Next, feel your breasts while lying down, using your right hand to feel your left breast and then your left hand to feel your right breast. Use a firm, smooth touch with the first few finger pads of your hand, keeping the fingers flat and together. Use a circular motion, about the size of a quarter.
Cover the entire breast from top to bottom, side to side — from your collarbone to the top of your abdomen, and from your armpit to your cleavage.
Follow a pattern to be sure that you cover the whole breast. You can begin at the nipple, moving in larger and larger circles until you reach the outer edge of the breast. You can also move your fingers up and down vertically, in rows, as if you were mowing a lawn. This up-and-down approach seems to work best for most women. Be sure to feel all the tissue from the front to the back of your breasts: for the skin and tissue just beneath, use light pressure; use medium pressure for tissue in the middle of your breasts; use firm pressure for the deep tissue in the back. When you’ve reached the deep tissue, you should be able to feel down to your ribcage.
Step 5: Finally, feel your breasts while you are standing or sitting. Many women find that the easiest way to feel their breasts is when their skin is wet and slippery, so they like to do this step in the shower. Cover your entire breast, using the same hand movements described in the previous step.
Along with breast self-checks, these tips may help you to avoid increasing your overall risk for breast cancer. These were compiled by some of the nation’s top oncologists that deal with breast cancer at the forefront of their practices.
- Avoid becoming overweight. Obesity raises the risk of breast cancer after menopause, the time of life when breast cancer most often occurs. Avoid gaining weight over time and try to maintain a body-mass index under twenty-five. If you are unsure of your BMI, simply look up an online calculator to figure it out yourself or check in with your doctor to get your stats.
- Eat healthy to avoid tipping the scale. Embrace a diet high in vegetables and fruit and low in sugary drinks, refined carbohydrates and fatty foods. Eat lean protein such as fish or chicken breast and eat red meat in moderation, if at all. Eat whole grains. Choose vegetable oils over animal fats.
- Keep physically active. Research suggests that increased physical activity, even when begun later in life, reduces overall breast-cancer risk by about ten percent to thirty percent. All it takes is moderate exercise like thirty-minute walk five days a week to get this protective effect.
- Drink little or no alcohol. Alcohol use is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer as well as other types of cancer. Women should limit intake to no more than one drink per day, regardless of the type of alcohol.
- Avoid certain hormone replacement therapies. Menopausal hormone therapy increases the risk for breast cancer. If you must take hormones to manage menopausal symptoms, avoid those that contain progesterone and limit their use to less than three years. “Bioidentical hormones” and hormonal creams and gels are no safer than prescription hormones and should also be avoided.
- Consider taking an estrogen-blocking drug. Women with a family history of breast cancer or who are over age sixty should talk to their doctor about the pros and cons of estrogen-blocking drugs such as tamoxifen and raloxifene.
- Do not smoke. Research suggests that long-term smoking is associated with increased risk of breast cancer in some women. Need help quitting? There are numerous methods from pills and prescriptions, to patches and specialized mental treatments. If you are unsure of which smoking cessation method would be best for you and your circumstances, simply check in with your doctor.
- Participate in a research study. The Hutchinson Center is home to several studies that are looking at ways to reduce the risk for breast cancer. Check their website periodically for studies that might be appropriate for you and check in with your doctor to see if they are aware of any research studies that might benefit you.
- Get fit and support breast cancer research at the same time. Regular physical activity is associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer. Getting up and moving each day helps to keep your body strong. Even if you cannot go to the gym, or run miles at a time, even the short walks and simply in-chair exercises all count!
If at any time during your breast examination you feel something abnormal, be sure to let your medical care team know right away. Early detection of any cancer is key in ensuring your treatment and recovery will be successful. If you have further questions about breast cancer, reach out to your doctor or nursing staff to get your questions answered.
Citations:
American Cancer Society
National Institutes of Health and Human Services
Hutchinson Center