Is a Breast Cancer Exam Necessary?
Many women know that they should do a self breast examination every month, but how many actually do it? Not nearly enough women perform the self breast exam because they are either embarrassed or do not know what they are looking for.
Self breast exams are useful in detecting changes in your breast. Women’s breasts change throughout the month due to the rise and fall of hormones during a menstrual cycle. It is best to do a self exam a few days after your period ends because your breasts are not going to be tender. If you no longer menstruating then select a date such as the first or the last day of the month so that you will remember to do it.
Did you know that most women have lumpy areas in their breasts all of the time? Statistics show that 80% of breast lumps that have been detected turn out to be non-cancerous or benign, so don’t panic if you think you have a lump in your breast.
Performing a monthly self breast exam will allow you to get to know your breasts pretty well. This is important because then it will be easy for you to detect when there is a problem. It will be easy for you to realize that something in your breast has changed since last month, and then you can bring it to the attention of your physician.
Despite your monthly breast examination, you can still miss detecting a lump. It is critical to use more than one method of screening for breast cancer. It is recommended for women to do monthly exams, physician exams, and a mammography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detect breast cancer. The earlier that breast cancer is detected, the better chance a woman has of surviving. Please visit your doctor to learn how you can properly perform your own monthly breast exams.
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How to detect breast cancer symptoms early and how to fight breast cancer. Visit http://www.breastcancerandtreatment.com/
