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Breast Cancer Self Exam
Breast Cancer Self Exam
Author: Daniel Millions
If all women were having routine mammography, 90% of all breast cancers would be found by X ray. If you have found a lump yourself, you're in good company. It may seem startling, but most malignant lumps are still found by women themselves, either through self-examination or else by chance.
Women know how their own bodies normally feel at various times during the month. They know the contours of their own breasts, and they are therefore in the best position to notice any changes. The more familiar you are with your breasts, the better prepared you are to detect any changes.
The first step in identifying potential problems is to learn as much about your own breasts as you can. Breast self-examination is the best way to do that, though being alert to your breast contours even when you're not specifically examining them can be extremely useful. Many women have found a suspicious lump when they were washing themselves in the shower or scratching a mosquito bite. Even "accidental" discoveries such as these, however, are much more likely if you have already learned the topography of your breast through self-examination.
Sometimes, either accidentally or in deliberately examining your breasts, you may notice that there is a painful spot. This is not at all uncommon. There is an old saying, "If it hurts, it's not cancer." That's usually true, but in a very small percentage of cases, cancerous lumps do hurt. You should call the painful place to your physician's attention.
By learning the techniques of self-examination, you are not specifically learning how to discover a cancer. You are learning to spot changes in your breasts that may or may not mean trouble.
When it is done properly, breast self-examination can significantly reduce the risk of advanced-stage cancer. Unfortunately, most women do not know the proper technique. Learning it could greatly increase the possibility of detecting a cancer in its early stages.
Here are a few tips to get you started in the right direction:
1. A good time to start examinations
Estrogen for Triple Negative Breast Cancer
<b>Condition</b>: Female Breast Cancer<br/><b>Intervention</b>: Drug: Estradiol<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: University of Wisconsin, Madison<br/><b>Recruiting</b> - verified March 2010
Ixabepilone and Vorinostat in Treating Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer
<b>Conditions</b>: Male Breast Cancer; Recurrent Breast Cancer; Stage IV Breast Cancer<br/><b>Interventions</b>: Drug: vorinostat; Drug: ixabepilone<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: City of Hope Medical Center<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b> - verified March 2010
Female Cancer Patients' Preference For Sexual Health Interventions
<b>Conditions</b>: Breast Cancer; Gynecologic Cancer<br/><b>Intervention</b>: <br/><b>Sponsor</b>: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center<br/><b>Recruiting</b> - verified March 2010
Radiation Therapy in Treating Women With Locally Recurrent Breast Cancer Previously Treated With Repeat Breast-Preserving Surgery
<b>Condition</b>: Breast Cancer<br/><b>Interventions</b>: Other: laboratory biomarker analysis; Other: questionnaire administration; Procedure: adjuvant therapy; Radiation: 3-dimensional conformal accelerated partial breast irradiation<br/><b>Sponsors</b>: Radiation Therapy Oncology Group; National Cancer Institute (NCI)<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b> - verified March 2010
Study of XL147 or XL765 in Combination With Letrozole in Subjects With Breast Cancer
<b>Condition</b>: Breast Cancer<br/><b>Interventions</b>: Drug: XL147; Drug: XL765; Drug: letrozole (Femara)<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: Exelixis<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b> - verified March 2010
Survey Conducted Among Early Breast Cancer Patients Treated With Arimidex for Evaluation of Treatment Adherence
<b>Condition</b>: Breast Cancer<br/><b>Intervention</b>: <br/><b>Sponsor</b>: AstraZeneca<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b> - verified March 2010
89Zr-trastuzumab PET for Imaging the Effect of HSP90 Inhibition
<b>Condition</b>: Breast Cancer<br/><b>Intervention</b>: Other: Imaging with 89Zr-trastuzumab PET<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: University Medical Centre Groningen<br/><b>Recruiting</b> - verified February 2010
Evaluating the Age Extension of the NHS Breast Screening Programme
<b>Condition</b>: Breast Cancer Mortality<br/><b>Intervention</b>: Other: Invitation for breast screening<br/><b>Sponsors</b>: University of Oxford; Department of Health, United Kingdom<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b> - verified March 2010
Imaging HSP90 Inhibitor AUY922 on VEGF-89ZR-bevacizumab PET
<b>Condition</b>: Breast Cancer<br/><b>Intervention</b>: Other: 89Zr-bevacizumab PET imaging<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: University Medical Centre Groningen<br/><b>Recruiting</b> - verified February 2010
The Effect of Aromatase Inhibitors on Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Women With Breast Cancer
<b>Condition</b>: Breast Cancer<br/><b>Intervention</b>: <br/><b>Sponsors</b>: University of Pittsburgh; National Center for Research Resources (NCRR)<br/><b>Recruiting</b> - verified March 2010
A Non-inferiority Study Comparing Two Filgrastim Preparations in Breast Cancer
<b>Condition</b>: Neutropenia in Breast Cancer<br/><b>Interventions</b>: Drug: Filgrastim (Eurofarma); Drug: Filgrastim (Granulokine, Amgen)<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: Eurofarma Laboratorios Ltda<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b> - verified March 2010
Letrozole in Treating Healthy Postmenopausal Women at High Risk for Breast Cancer
<b>Condition</b>: Breast Cancer<br/><b>Intervention</b>: Drug: letrozole<br/><b>Sponsors</b>: University of Arizona; National Cancer Institute (NCI)<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b> - verified February 2010
Brain Metastasis in Breast Cancer Patients
<b>Condition</b>: Breast Cancer<br/><b>Intervention</b>: Drug: Trastuzumab or Lapatinib<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: GlaxoSmithKline<br/><b>Active, not recruiting</b> - verified February 2010
Study of Tamoxifen Dose Escalation in Breast Cancer Patients With CYP2D6 Polymorphisms
<b>Conditions</b>: Breast Cancer; CYP2D6 Polymorphism<br/><b>Intervention</b>: Drug: Tamoxifen<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: Sydney West Area Health Service<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b> - verified February 2010
Prevention of Capsular Contracture Using Trental and Vitamin E
<b>Condition</b>: Capsular Contractures<br/><b>Intervention</b>: Drug: Trental<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: Legacy Health System<br/><b>Recruiting</b> - verified March 2010
Lymph Fluid and Blood Collection for Identification of Novel Biomarkers
<b>Condition</b>: Adenocarcinoma of the Breast<br/><b>Intervention</b>: <br/><b>Sponsor</b>: Indiana University<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b> - verified February 2010
Open Label Study to Assess Efficacy and Safety of Olaparib in Confirmed Genetic BRCA1 or BRCA2 Mutation Pats
<b>Conditions</b>: Ovarian; Breast; Prostate; Pancreatic; Advanced Tumours<br/><b>Intervention</b>: Drug: olaparib<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: AstraZeneca<br/><b>Recruiting</b> - verified March 2010
Carcinogenicity Study of Bupropion
<b>Conditions</b>: Depressive Disorder; Cancer<br/><b>Interventions</b>: Drug: Regular bupropion use; Drug: Regular SSRI (Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) use; Drug: Regular use of any other antidepressant; Drug: Regular TCA (Tricyclic antidepressants) use<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: GlaxoSmithKline<br/><b>Active, not recruiting</b> - verified February 2010
Pilot Pharmacokinetic Study of Daily Versus Monthly High-Dose Cholecalciferol Supplementation
<b>Condition</b>: Healthy Volunteers<br/><b>Interventions</b>: Dietary Supplement: Single High Dose Cholecalciferol; Dietary Supplement: Daily Dose Cholecalciferol<br/><b>Sponsor</b>: Mayo Clinic<br/><b>Recruiting</b> - verified March 2010
for lumps is in the late teens or early twenties. That's usually when women first visit a gynecologist or a women's health facility, and this is a convenient opportunity to begin to learn how to perform self-examination and to incorporate the habit into your life.
2. Never stop giving yourself self-examinations! It is an easy thing to do, and you should continue the procedure throughout your life, especially since becomes more common as you get older.
3. You must examine your breasts, carefully and thoroughly, once a month. In addition to this scheduled, thorough examination, however, you'll find that as you become familiar with the appearance and contours of your breasts, you'll also be a more alert observer of any changes that may take place between examinations.
4. You should schedule the timing of self examination to the menstrual cycle because the breast's texture and contour often change during the month. You may have noticed that a few days before you get your period, the breasts become firmer and fuller. They also can become tender - in some women slightly so, in others quite painfully. The breasts may feel lumpy at that time of the month. This is a natural result of premenstrual engorgement. It does not indicate a cyst or a cancerous lump.
The swelling, tenderness, and lumpiness will almost certainly disappear after you menstruate. For these reasons, you should not perform your regular breast self-examination just before
your menstrual period.
5. Examine your breasts every month, ten days after the start of your period. If you miss the tenth day, do your examination as soon afterward as you can. Do not wait until the next month to "catch up."
Post-menopausal women should examine their breasts on the first day of every month; this makes it easy to remember.
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About the Author:
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Daniel Millions
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