BREAST CANCER EDUCATION ON BREAST SELF EXAMINATION TECHNIQUE

BREAST SELF EXAMINATION

We are going to gives you the Medical Health Education on Breast Self Examination. In this post, we will let you know how you can examine your breast to check that you have breast cancer or not. In our previous articles on Breast Cancer Education, we discussed what is breast Cancer and Various Risk Factors and Symptoms. We hope that you read out those articles as well but if you did not read those articles, we are suggesting you read those articles before reading this one. You can access those articles by CLICK HERE.

Breast self-examination (BSE) is a very helpful method to detect any breast abnormality if it is done on a regular basis. Detecting breast cancer at its earlier stages is very important to seek the medical treatment as soon as possible so the main thing is to detect it by oneself own efforts so in this article of Breast Cancer education we are telling you about how to do when to do and who can do. We also use the images with each step given below on breast self-examination for the proper understanding of the viewers.

WHEN TO DO BREAST SELF EXAMINATION?

Menstruating women: A regular menstruating woman should do this exercise after menses (that is day 5 to day 7, by counting the first day of menses as day 1).

Menopausal women: Women who have stopped menses known as Menopausal women. A menopausal woman should fix a date of every month and should do it on that date.

STEPS INCLUDE IN BREAST SELF EXAMINATION (BSE)

STEP(1)

Stand in front of your mirror and observe for any discharge from the breast, any dimpling of the breast tissue.

Observe the both breasts carefully to observe the change in the shape, size & symmetry of the breast.

Look at the image shown with this step.

 STEP(2)

In this step you have to move your hands to the behind of your head and press your hands to front and then check for any change in the contour of your breast.

Also see for any change in the shape of your breasts from one another.

Take a look on the attaching image with this step for proper understanding.

STEP(3)

In this step bow slightly towards the mirror and press your hands on your hips as you pull your shoulder & elbow forward.

Here note any change in the contour of your breast.

Saw the attaching image carefully for proper understanding of this position.

STEP(4)

Raise your left arm. Then feel the left armpit with the flat parts of your right hand fingers in a circular motion then proceed feeling firstly to the outer edge of your breast then to the inner part towards nipple.

Pay more attention to the area between the armpit & breast. Feel for any unusual lump or masses in the breast tissue.

Repeat the same for right arm in the same fashion.

STEP(5)

In this step lie down on your back with your left hand under your head & keep a pillow under your shoulder. Now repeat the above steps (step-4). Also repeat same for right arm. If you notice any lump or mass in the breast then consult a gynaecologist as early as possible.

CONCLUSION

By following the above steps you can detect any breast abnormality at early stages. Breast self-examination is very easy, economic & reliable method as one can do it on her own at her home setting &at any time. So it is very important to do this. That’s it about this technique for more related information on Medical Health Education continues your visit.

By: Dr. SL Sharma.

RISK FACTORS OF BREAST CANCER ALONG WITH SIGN AND SYPTOMS

In our previous article we discussed about What is Breast Cancer and it’s classifications. If you want to read that article on “What is Breast Cancer?” than you can CLICK HERE to have a look on that article. Now in this article of Medical Education on Cancer we are going to tell you various risk factors means the factors which increases the chances to have breast Cancer.
RISK FACTORS OF BREAST CANCER: Risk factors mean the factors which increase the chances to have the breast cancer. There are a variety of factors which can lead to breast cancer, these are as follows:
1). GENETIC FACTORS: These are the factors which are related to genes and are inheritable means they can be transferred from parents to their children. These are as follows:

• GENETIC FACTORS: The BRCA1 & BRCA2 mutations are the main causes of inherited cases of the breast cancer cases.
• FAMILY HISTORY OF BREAST CANCER: The chances to have breast cancer increases to two folds if a person having first degree relative (mother, sister, daughter) breast cancer & the chances to get this problem increased to five folds if the person having two first degree relatives.
• FEMALE GENDER: 99% of the breast cancer cases occur in females as compared to males.

2). HORMONAL FACTORS: These are the factors that are directly related to the level of hormones in the body. These are as follows:

• MENSTRUATION: The women who are having their menarche (starting of menstruation) at earlier age that is before 12 years if age & late menopause (cessation of menstrual cycle) that is after 55years of age are at a greater risk of developing breast cancer.
• CHILD-BEARING FACTORS: The women who conceive after 30 years of age & the women who are not having any child including abortion are prone to have breast cancer.
• HORMONAL THERAPY: The women using oral contraceptives continuously from last 10 years & use of hormonal therapy after menopause are at a risk to develop breast cancer.

3). ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS: These are the factors that present in the environment:

• EXPOSURE TO IONIZING RADIATION: The risk is more if a girl exposed to ionizing radiation during adolescent period because at this time the breast tissues are still developing and have a greater chances of mutations.

4). PERSONAL FACTORS: These factors are related to a person’s own life-style. These are as follows:

• OBESITY: More weight that is overweight women are prone to have breast cancer because the fat tissue can increase the hormone (estrogen) production which is the main cause of developing breast cancer.
• ALCOHOL INTAKE: Daily two or three drinks also increase the risk to develop breast cancer.

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SIGN AND SYMPTOM OF BREAST CANCER:

1. On physical self-examination a mass that is almost non-tender (painless), fixed not mobile, hard with irregular border is felt.
2. Discharge from nipple.
3. Breast pain associated with menstruation is also common in this.
4. Irregularity in the shape, size & symmetry of both breasts.
5. Breast skin dimpling.
6. Mammographic results shows abnormality in the anatomy (internal structure) of the breast.

These sign & symptoms may be confused with the normalcy of breast structure and sometimes may be ignored so it is very important to consult a doctor as soon as you notice any of these signs for confirmation and to have your mammography regularly.
Mammography is the best method to diagnose the breast cancer earlier. One should undergo mammography every 3 yearly, it is very important for the women in their 20s & 30s to undergo mammography every 3 yearly & yearly for elderly women.
Doing breast self examination is also an important method to prevent breast cancer chances. So in our next article we will tell you how one can do her breast examination by her own that is called Breast Self Examination (BSE). So have a watch on our articles on “Cancer Health Education”.
Wrote By: Dr. Naina Sharma.

WHAT IS BREAST CANCER? CLASSIFICATION OF BREAST CANCER

                                WHAT IS BREAST CANCER?

INTRODUCTION: Breast cancer is a major health problem in the people especially in the elderly women. It is the cancer of breast tissue which developed due to alteration in the genes. A cancer can be defined as the changes that take place in the genes which leads to uncontrolled proliferation (enhancement) of that tissue means too much immature tissue development is there. Breast cancer is a type of cancer that develop from the inner milk ducts or the lobules that supply the milk. Various researches shows that breast cancer is more prevalent in developed countries than developing countries and more in the women of high socio economic status. Life expectancy rate depend upon the type, stage, Treatment & self adherence of the patient.

Be Aware: Breast cancer is a type of malignant tumor (can spread from one organ to another) of the breast tissue.

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CLASSIFICATION OF BREAST CANCER:

Breast cancer is of different types. The type of breast cancer depends upon the site of cancerous tissue whether it is in the ducts of breast or in the lobules. Mainly it is of following types:
1). DUCTAL CARCINOMA IN SITU
2). INVASIVE CARCINOMA

Description of these types is as follow: 1). DUCTAL CARCINOMA IN SITU (DCIS): DCIS is a type of cancer which is limited only to the milk ducts & not spreaded to the surrounding tissues that’s why it is called as “non-invasive cancer”. If it is diagnosed by Mammogram then it is consider as the cancer stage 0. If it is left untreated then it can lead to invasive cancer so early identification & treatment is very much important. 2). INVASIVE CARCINOMA (CANCER): When the caner spread to the surrounding breast tissue then it is called invasive cancer. Depending upon the site of invasion it is of following types:

• INFILTRATING DUCTAL CARCINOMA: This is the most common type of invasive cancer accounting for approximately for 80% cases. This type of cancer firstly starts in the ducts of the breast then spread to the surrounding tissues. They form a solid irregular mass in the breast.
• INFILTRATING LOBULAR CARCINOMA: This type of cancer accounts for 10-15% of cases. This type of breast cancer starts in the milk producing glands & then invades the surrounding tissues. This type of cancer that arises as ill defined thickening in the breast.
• MEDULLARY CARCINOMA: This type of cancer accounts for 5% of breast cancer & arises from the capsule inside the ducts then invades the surrounding tissues.
• MUCINOUS CARCINOMA: This type accounts for 3% breast cancer cases & mostly occurs in the elderly women. This grows from the mucin producing cancer cells & is slow growing that’s why its prognosis is good.
• TUBULAR DUCTAL CARCINOMA: This type of cancer accounts for 2% of breast cancer cases & the prognosis of this type is excellent because the chances of invasion are very less.
• INFLAMMATORY CARCINOMA: This is a peculiar type of breast cancer because the sign & symptoms are very unique. This type of breast cancer is very rare. This is characterized by edema (swelling) & brawny erythema resembling to orange peel. This is caused by the malignant cells blocking the lymph channels in the skin.
• PAGET’SDISEASE: This accounts for 1% of cases. This is similar as ductal carcinoma of nipple but can invade to surrounding tissues. This is characterized by scaly, erythematous, pruritic (pus) lesions of the nipple.

In the Next Topic of our Health Education we will Post about Various Risk Factors related to the Skin Cancer. So continue your visit with us For a Healthy Life ahead..

Risk Factors And Symptoms Those Lead to Breast Cancer(CLICK HERE)