Breast Cancer Early Detection & Prevention

Early detection is the best way to get a cure. Most of the early cancer patients can save their breast. There are three steps to early detection of breast cancer.

  1.  Breast Self Examination: Monthly breast self examination is one of the key elements in detecting breast cancer early. This makes you aware of the consistency and feel of your breast. The examination has to be performed only once month. Seventh day after your menstrual period would be the ideal day. Menopausal women should choose any one date of a month. Also examine your armpits for any nodules. If you see any new nodule, consult your doctor. The template for self examination is given bellow.
  2.  Clinical Examination: A yearly breast examination by your doctor to look for any abnormalities would be useful in detecting any lumps that are missed by you. These lumps that are detected need further workup to understand their nature.
  3.  Mammography: Mammography is X-ray examination of breast. If this detects any defects that defect has to be investigated further to see if it is cancer. Mammography is only indicated in women older than 40. Younger women can be assessed using ultrasound scan of breast (sono-mammography) if there is a need to do so.
Bath examination for breast cancer patient

Strategies to reduce the risk of cancer:

Cancer to a certain extent is a lifestyle disease. Some recommendations that could help in reducing the risk of cancer are as follows.

Develop a healthy eating habit. Understand what is healthy diet. Diet high in vegetables and fruit and low in sugared drinks, refined carbohydrates and fatty foods are healthy for you. It is better to eat lean protein such as fish or chicken breast than eat red meat.

Watch your weight. Breast cancer is most common at the time of menopause or after that. Obesity increases the risk of breast cancer after your menopause. Control your weight and maintain it within the range considered normal for your height. Try to maintain a body-mass index under 25 (calculators can be found online).

Include some physically activity in daily routine. In this e-age most of are on desk jobs. The physical activity is nil. It has been shown that moderate exercise like a 30-minute walk five days a week reduces overall breast-cancer risk by about 10 percent to 30 percent.

Say NO to tobacco. Tobacco is one of the greatest killers. It is involved in many cancers and breast cancer also is one of them.

Say NO to alcohol. Consumption of alcohol increases the risk of breast cancer. Anything more than one drink a day has shown to increase the risk.

Breast feeding reduces the risk. Breast-feeding has dual advantage; you get a healthy baby and it reduces the risk of breast cancer. Breast feed at least till the baby is an year old.

Avoid hormone replacement therapy. Manopausal symptoms can be annoying. But, if you take hormones to manage menopausal symptoms, it increases the risk of breast cancer. If it is must to use choose the ones that contain progesterone and limit their use to less than three years.

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