I am a seeker, how can I detect it early?
1. Symptoms?
The cruel truth is: breast cancer is mostly asymptomatic in its early stages!
If there are symptoms, what are the real early symptoms that could be breast cancer?
No. 1: Lumps!
If you unintentionally feel a painless lump in your breast or underarm, and you are >45 years old, you need to be alert and go to the hospital for diagnosis immediately.
No. 2: Skin changes in the breast!
The localized skin of the breast is sunken, like a small dimple, especially when holding up the breast is more obvious!
No. 3: Fluid flowing from the nipple!
If the fluid is colored, such as yellowish or even bloody (brown), especially if it is overflowing from a single breast with a single orifice!
No. 4: Unfortunately, the other symptoms will not be early breast cancer anymore
2. Physical examination?
Nowadays, many organizations provide regular medical checkups, but what is the most meaningful and effective checkup for breast?
Apart from the doctor’s touch examination, what are the other important auxiliary examinations?
No. 1: Ultrasound!
Ultrasound can even do direct characterization in most breast cancer diagnoses, with >70% compliance rate with pathology. For >35 years old pre-menopausal women, once a year ultrasound is very meaningful. However, the standard of ultrasound examiners and the standardization of report descriptions still needs to be improved.
No. 2: Mammography!
Mammography can complement the diagnosis of ultrasound and make up for the lack of ultrasound. Mammography can detect calcification, a sign of very early breast cancer! It can also be more accurate for postmenopausal women.
No. 3: MRI!
MRI is used in special patients, such as those with atypical ultrasound and mammogram lesions.
No. 4: Lactoscopy!
It is used only in some patients with nipple discharge, but not all of them need it.
No. 5: In addition to the above 4 tests, there are no other effective non-invasive tests, infrared, mammography and the like should have been eliminated long ago.
3.Self-examination
Why is self-examination placed at the end? Because self-examination is not reliable! Self-examination cannot replace hospital screening!
We hope that those who have a family history of breast cancer (those who are related by blood, the closer the relatives are, the more alert they should be!) I hope women with family history of breast cancer (the closer the blood and relatives are, the more alert they should be!) and women with history of breast radiation therapy who are at high risk of breast cancer will pay more attention to early diagnosis of breast cancer!
Regular medical checkups are the prerequisite for early diagnosis of breast cancer!