Breasts are the symbol of women and the most important part of female sexual characteristics. Healthy and full breasts show the sex appeal of women and represent life, youth, love and power.
Breasts are sacred to every woman, and while people worship the beauty of their breasts, they have to face the reality that they may lose their beautiful breasts. According to the data, there are 1.3 million new cases of breast cancer in the world every year, that is, more than 3000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every day. In China, there are 200,000 new cases of breast cancer and 40,000 deaths each year. Breast cancer occupies the first place among malignant tumors in women.
How can we prevent breast cancer, which is the number one killer of women’s health?
In fact, breast cancer prevention is divided into three levels, just like all cancers. The first level of prevention is the prevention of the cause of the disease. The second level of prevention is early detection, early diagnosis and early treatment. Tertiary prevention is timely and effective treatment to reduce mortality and improve survival. Secondary prevention is the core of prevention, and breast self-examination is an important means of early detection, so every woman should learn breast self-examination and be persistent.
Time for breast self-examination
The best time for breast self-examination is once a month, and the best time for women with menstruation should be 9-11 days after their monthly menstruation, because at this time the breasts are softer and easier to find lesions, and women who have stopped menstruating can choose any day of the month for regular examination.
Methods of breast self-examination
1.Look
Take off your clothes and stand or sit in front of a mirror.
Carefully observe the appearance of each side of the breast, the size, skin color or nipple color changes, whether the breast is eczema, or whether the skin appears convex marks, indentations, the difference in the height of the nipples on both sides, and whether there is nipple overflow.
Lift one arm to see if the other breast lifts with it as normal.
Check for any abnormalities in the upper part of the breast where it meets the armpit.
Raise your hands above your head and turn your body to one side to repeatedly look at the side of the breast. Look at the other side in the same way.
Place your hands smoothly on your hips and press firmly to feel the muscles of the chest tense up, then observe.
Lean your upper body forward and continue to look for bumps or wrinkles in the skin, changes in the contour of the breast or retraction of the nipple.
2.Palpation
Two issues to note when palpating
(1) Palpation techniques
Palms flat, four fingers together, touch with the most sensitive index, middle and ring fingers. Touch is to touch, not to grab and pinch. Grasping and pinching often cause normal glands to be mistaken for masses.
(2) Scope of palpation
Palpation is not just an examination of the elevated area of the breast, but should include the entire anterior chest, the armpits, and the upper clavicle.
There are several options for palpation
Concentric circle palpation
Begin with a large circle along the outside of the breast, and draw small circles around the breast with your fingers, gradually moving toward the center of the breast until you reach the nipple
Radial touch
Imagine the breast as a clock in your mind. Start by touching the nipple toward 12 o’clock, then touch it toward 1, 2, 3 …… and so on. Until you have examined the entire breast.
Up and Down Touch
Imagine the breast as a series of vertical “bands” and touch your fingers up and down along each band. Draw small circles with your fingers as you touch around the breast.
Examine the armpit and the upper part of the collarbone for lumps
Finally, gently squeeze the nipple with the thumb and index finger to observe whether there is any discharge, and if there is, pay attention to the nature of the discharge, whether it is transparent or bloody.
3.Reclining
Take a flat lying position with one arm raised above the head and a small pillow under the shoulder to make this side of the breast flat. Then check this side of the breast with the above touch method. Then use the same method to check the opposite breast and compare the difference between the left and right breast.
The significance of the prone position is to flatten the fuller breasts and bring them closer to the chest wall to facilitate the detection of abnormalities.
Once we have learned to perform self-examination, if we observe abnormalities during self-examination, touch some nodules with clear or unclear borders, or squeeze nipples with overflow, we should actively consult a specialist for examination. Self-examination is not a substitute for regular professional breast examinations, but a combination of self-examination and regular professional examinations is the best way to guarantee.
Although breast self-examination itself cannot eliminate breast cancer, it is a convenient way to protect breast health as it can make you more aware of your breasts and detect any lesions early.