Breast cancer is one of the most common health problems among women around the globe. Women are facing a life time risk to develop breast cancer so they are required to be vigilant about breast health at all stages of life by staying in touch with breast by using different methods such as self examination, clinical examination and breast cancer screening.
What is Breast Cancer Screening?
Breast cancer screening is a technique to catch cancer before the symptoms come to the scene as the symptoms appear when they become large and large symptoms are not easy to manage. This method of cancer detection was introduced between 1988 to 1991 and according to various studies death rate due to cancer has fallen by almost 21.3% after the invention of screening in older women.
This technique is specifically used for older women due to certain reasons as it can cause certain health complications in younger women and breast of younger women can’t be screened accurately and false positives are expected. In this method two X-rays of each breast are captured from different angles to evaluate the whole breast and to ensure that any part of the breast is not missed.
Images of both breasts are evaluated by the expert doctors and radiologists and abnormalities are detected when they are too small to be noticed by other methods. This benefit of screening outweighs the harms caused by it so it must be practiced as women age. Generally, it is advised to women after the age of 50 but in case of high risk factors it can be started after 40 years, although it is not necessary that women with high risk factors will develop it but they are required to take special care of their breast.
What Are The Common Breast Abnormalities?
There are various breast abnormalities and they can be due to different reasons, but most of the times abnormalities are associated with cancer so are known as breast cancer symptoms.
- Change in size and shape of breast that is different from usual changes which take place before periods.
- Skin changes such as dimpling, puckering etc
- Nipple inversion and ulceration
- Nipple discharge as naturally only breast milk discharges from nipple, but if there is any bloody, greenish and yellowish it must be consulted to doctor without delay
- Pain in breast that is consistent and does not g away
- Rashes or redness on skin.
- Increased temperature of breast
- Swelling in the armpit or any other area of breast
- Lump in any area of breast whether big or small , round or wit edges should be checked by the doctor immediately.
- Stress has no direct link with the risk to develop breast cancer, but what can be done to reduce the stress is to see the positive side of life and try to stay happy and contented.
- Knowing all these factors enlightens breast cancer awareness and another thing that should be the essential part of women life is breast examination . It helps not only to enlighten awareness, but to make early detection possible as well.
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