It is very important to insist on monthly breast self-examination for early detection of breast cancer. Of course, you must learn the correct method of self-examination. In order to memorize and master it, we have made up a “recipe”: Breast self-examination recipe (one look, two touches, three passes). It is best to insist on doing this once a month, 2-3 days after menstruation, because at this time the breasts are very soft and easy to detect problems; for menopausal women, you can choose any day of the month if it is convenient. When touching, use the end of the palm of the finger to slowly pan and gently touch the breast in order, not missing any area, paying special attention to the upper outer part of the breast and the armpit. Steps of self-examination: 1. Observe your breasts in front of the mirror for any abnormal changes and compare them with the last examination for any differences. 2.Fold your arms and make your breast and pectoral muscles relaxed and observe carefully. 3, arms raised, and then repeat the observation as above. 4.Lying on your back on a hard bed, imagine that your breasts are divided into four parts, massage them one by one with your hands and notice if there are any lumps. 5.Place a pillow or bath towel under the left shoulder, place the left hand under the head, and stretch the fingers of the right hand close together, massage around the left breast with flat pressure, and check around the nipple, paying special attention to the upper outer area of the breast and the armpit. 6.Hang your left hand down and lean it close to your side, and check the upper part of the outer left breast in the same way, from the outer part of the left breast inward to the nipple. 7. Then examine the lower outer part of the breast, outside to the nipple. 8.Check between the breast and the armpit with the same position and flattened fingers, and finally check the left armpit. 9.Repeat the above process to examine the right breast. Breast examination is considered to be one of the effective means to prevent and treat breast cancer. Method 1:Self-examination Note: Once a month, the most suitable time is one week after menstruation, and women can do it from the age of 20. Self-examination should be done one week after menstruation because before menstruation, the breast tissue is engorged with blood, which can swell the entire breast and make it easy to misjudge. Tip: Self-examination is to familiarize yourself with the normal bulges, lumps and bumps of the breast so that you will be sensitive to notice when it changes. The examination should pay particular attention to all those lumps that actually appear and have persisted in the same location for a month or two of the cycle. However, about 90% of breast lumps are benign. The difference between benign and malignant lumps is that benign lumps can appear at any time in response to hormones and are especially noticeable around the time of menstruation. Method 2: Doctor’s palpation Note: Women after the age of 30 can have this done once a year as the first step in a professional mammogram. The examination includes: whether the nipples are sunken, elevated, or overflowing; whether there are lumps and dimples in the breasts; whether both breasts are in the same position and whether there is any change in color. Tip: On the day of the examination, it is best to wear cardigans to facilitate the examination. During the examination, face the doctor, either in a standing or sitting position, and try to relax so that the doctor can come up with an accurate result. The doctor usually uses the middle 3 fingers to touch and expand in a spiral clockwise direction starting from around the areola to the entire breast tissue. If a lump is found while breastfeeding, wait until after weaning for further examination. Method 3: Infrared scan Note: Infrared scan is particularly suitable for screening women during pregnancy and lactation. This test mainly uses the difference in infrared absorption between normal and diseased tissues to diagnose breast diseases by displaying different grayscale images such as translucency and darkness. Tip: Because this test is fast and non-radioactive, it is often used as a primary screening test for breast disease in medical examinations. Although this test is not a specialized breast exam, it can still be used as a form of examination for breast lesions. Method 4: Ultrasound Note: When a lump is suspected in the breast, an ultrasound is a must. It is an initial screening test for hard lumps in the breast and can be used to determine the nature and location of the lump. However, it is less able to identify lumps less than 1 cm in diameter, and smaller lumps may be missed if this test is done alone. Tip: For microscopic breast cancer, the examination procedure is: breast ultrasound – if a lump is found – then mammogram – if dense calcified spots are found –and finally a pathological section. Method 5:Mammogram Note: Women should have a mammogram every year after the age of 40. This exam is performed by clamping the breast to the pallet of the mammography machine in order to hold the breast in place to get a clear image, and can detect small tumor sprouts that are not palpable by hand. If these examinations are performed annually, the mortality rate of patients can be reduced to 30-40%. Breast examinations must be done regularly. The breast is the focal point of a woman’s body, but it is also an accident-prone area, and breast cancer has become the “pain” that hurts women the most. We need to be familiar with our breasts, just like we are familiar with our face, and new changes in our breasts are as important as new wrinkles on our face. If you have a regular mammogram, you will be able to detect and solve the safety risks of your curves early. One week after your period is the best time to have a mammogram. This is the time when estrogen has less effect on the breast and the breast is softer, making it easier to detect lesions. No special preparation is needed for this exam, but you need to explain to the doctor any previous abnormalities in the breast, history of childbirth, history of oral contraceptives, family history of breast cancer, etc. It is also a good idea to bring your previous examinations if you have any, so that your doctor can more easily detect potential breast lesions. The high incidence of breast cancer is between 35 and 70 years old, but experts suggest that women who really love themselves should preferably have a mammogram every 18 months starting from the age of 30. The following risk markers need to be taken extra seriously: (1) age of menarche <12, or age of amenorrhea >55 (2) mother’s family history of breast or ovarian cancer (3) celibacy, or not having children after marriage, or not breastfeeding after childbirth (4) history of breast enlargement (5) common use of hormonal drugs or cosmetics (6) obesity, or excessive fat intake, addiction to smoking and alcohol (7) depression, anxiety, stressful work, and frequent anger (7) Mental depression, anxiety, stressful work, frequent anger Doctor’s palpation: This examination can be done as part of a routine physical examination for women after the age of 20. It is also the first step in a professional mammogram, and can detect lumps that can already be touched. The examination includes: whether there is nipple depression, elevation, overflow; whether there are lumps and dimple signs in the breast; whether both breasts are in the same position and whether there is any change in color. The examination is performed with the patient in either sitting or standing position, with the underwear undone and the doctor seated, using the middle 3 fingers to touch. The breast tissue is gently pressed against the chest wall with the fingertips and expanded in a spiral clockwise direction starting around the areola and ending with the entire breast tissue. If a lump is found during breastfeeding, wait until after weaning for further examination. It is best to wear an open shirt on the day of the examination to make it easier. When facing the doctor during the examination, either in a standing or sitting position, try to relax so that the doctor can have more accurate results. Infrared scan: This test is often used as a primary screening test for breast disease during physical exams because it is fast and non-radioactive, and is especially suitable for women during pregnancy and breastfeeding. It takes advantage of the different absorption rates of infrared light by normal and diseased tissues to show different grayscale images such as translucent and dark, and thus diagnose breast diseases. Although it is not a specialized test for breast cancer, it can be used as a screening test for breast lesions. Mammography After the age of 30, women should have regular professional mammograms. This is the most authoritative and reliable way to detect various diseases of the breast at an early stage. During the examination, the patient stands in front of the mammography machine, places the breast on the pallet, and then the pressure plate above slowly descends, pinning the breast in the middle in order to fix the breast to get a clear image. One picture is taken on each side in the orthogonal and oblique positions, respectively, and four pictures are taken in total, which can be obtained after 3 minutes. The patient may feel a slight pain during the examination, which is caused by the pressure of the splint on the breast. However, each time is short and can be relieved by adjusting the position and staying as close to the mammography machine as possible. If you do experience discomfort, be sure to tell your doctor to adjust the splint to the proper position before you start taking pictures and when you adjust the splint position. Ultrasound This is a mandatory test when a lump is suspected. It shows the various layers of the breast to identify the presence of a lesion. Ultrasound is better at determining the nature and location of lumps than mammograms, but it is less able to identify lumps less than 1 cm in diameter and may miss smaller lumps if this is the only test performed. No prior preparation is required for this exam. During the examination, the patient usually lies on his or her back with the breast and armpit fully exposed. The doctor holds the probe and examines both breasts in turn.