I have been off-line for a while and will continue that way. There has been, over the last year or so, some concerning good news. I want to put this in perspective and am asking the mod’s to put this on a sticky.
About a year or more ago there were world-wide news reports that self-examining breasts was having no effect on lives saved. More recently (like this week) there have been reports on a 7% decline in breast cancer diagnosis. Addressing the second point first, there has been a 3% decline in mammograms world-wide! That means that several million fewer women have been screened and that DOES make a statistical difference in diagnoses. Do not become complacent.
The first point, about self-examination, has dangers hidden in it for younger women. Last year, sixty per cent of breast tumors in women under forty were found by examination rather than mammography. Either professional exam or self-exam seems to be the way tumors are found in younger women. A case in point: A woman patient, thirty-one years old with two children had had her annual mammogram. Seven months later she was at a wedding reception. As she took a sip of red wine, a child ran into her dumping the wine all over her white jacket. She retired to the women’s room to dry and clean things off. While patting her jacket, she noticed a limp on her left breast. She saw me the next day and an oncologist the next day. The cancer had metastasized to her liver. She has just completed six months of chemo and radiation and will have a double mastectomy in three weeks. Prognosis is “guarded.”
In younger women, tumors tend to be more aggressive and faster growing. Self-examination should be a regular event (every period, for instance) for all women with breasts – roughly all of us over about twelve. It does not matter how flat-chested you are or how well endowed. Obesity does make finding lumps more difficult but otherwise the size of your breasts is irrelevant. Get to a women’s health clinic, nurse or whomever and learn to do the exam. Now!!
I cannot get a pm to those in charge. Someone else ask that this get a sticky.
I check my breasts a lot and sometimes I see black bumps and everytime I squeeze the bump to see if it's like hard it stings. it's underneath my breasts mostly.
Under your breasts would not indicate breast problems but those spots sound as though they are in a spot where your bra would constantly irritate them. Why not get soeone to check them out.
Great post Brandye, I have done self exams since I started wearing a bra.
Why don't you explain HOW to do one (positions, what to look for, etc) or shall I? :)
[quote=curious_woman;205521]Great post Brandye, I have done self exams since I started wearing a bra.
Why don't you explain HOW to do one (positions, what to look for, etc) or shall I? :)[/quote]Tough one for us who have fibrocystic breast tissue & post surgery, LOL! I recall my ex fiance finding a pea sized lump..told me after the deed...I found it & knew it was normal for me! He freaked out since his mom died of breast CA.
There should be a thread about self exams and when they should be done...and a LTR partner should be a participant...they tend to find things we do not!
Why not write it and submit to Brandye to see if you can get a stickey??? Let her add points" which may be missed & significant...and perhaps you can use it later for a paper in school....not the site but the instructions. "Reasons for increased cancer and what can be done to help reduce it..."
[QUOTE=sera300;205530]
Why not write it and submit to Brandye to see if you can get a stickey??? Let her add points" which may be missed & significant...and perhaps you can use it later for a paper in school....not the site but the instructions. "Reasons for increased cancer and what can be done to help reduce it..."[/QUOTE]
Hmm maybe in two weeks...I have some end of term paper's to write this week, and exams next week. I'm too swapped to write something thats not homework.
I have a question about my breats.
My friends complain lots about their breasts hurting or the slightest touch making them ache.
So my question is... mine don't hurt AT ALL, is this normal? I can move them, squeeze, heck probably could even punch them without any pain. The only time they ache is when I'm about to begin my period, and they slightly grow.
As with you, I have breast tenderness and "growth" a few days before my period but otherwise no pain. That is normal and the menstrual schedule has to do with fluid retention for a fewe days before the period.
You are fine. Your friends may be wearing bras that are poorly fit or their diet may contain things that keeps them "full" all month long. They are the ones who need to be asking questions.
Heh I said "breats"
Thank you Brandye. Good to know!
Turns out black spots are just pimples and it's gross. Also my breasts are so hard it's hard to know if I have something lol.
I know this is more than a couple years old, but I'm going to resurrect it and ask a couple questions. Perhaps the realization I've come to today about the necessity of self-examining can be instructive.
Is it accurate that women who do not bear children have a higher risk of malignancy? If so, is it higher rate of occurrence, or higher rate of mortality?
I do not self-exam nearly enough--until now. A coworker said something the other day about my question above, which is why I'm asking it here. It has bothered me since she said it, because I'm 32, I will not be bearing children, I have single- if not double-mastectomy (I forget which) and endometriosis on one side of my family and fibrocysticity on the other. So I did an exam this morning in the shower, but of course I don't do it enough to know what I'm supposed to feel like, and I had myself freaked for half the day because I thought I felt something. I can't find it now, so I've decided I need to stop the hypocondriasis and just self-exam like I should so I know if something changes.
Thanks, Int, this is an old post that bears minding. I first posted because the news was full of reports that medical research had discovered that "self-exam of the breasts did not add to longevity." In other words, it was questionable whether or not examining your own breasts prevented death. That irritated me highly because the vast majority of breast cancer diagnoses do not result in death and many women do, in fact, discover their own lumps. Those with the most aggressive cancers (usually younger) benefit the most. Perhaps it will not save their lives but the exam may save their breasts. The earlier treatment is begun, the better the outcome and the less aggressive the treatment needs to be.
It is accurate that women who have not borne children nor breast fed do have a higher incidence of breast cancer, usually in their late thirties and forties. Using your terminology, this would refer occurence rather than mortality. Back to the fact that most breast cancers do not lead to death. Thirty years ago this answer may have been different. And, if you are in the States, you have an advantage. As much as I have questioned the American health care system (statistically, it sucks) you are in the best place in the world to be a cancer patient. The American doctors are more diligent in both detection and treatment of cancer than any others anywhere. For anything other than cancer, I would rather be in Europe.
Most women's clinics, or practitioners of women's health, recommend some regular examination with an alarm. For instance, the first day of my period is the day for self-exam. The period is a good alarm because it is so specifically female that we all tend to remember that we are women when those spots occur in our knickers.
Given your stated history, you MUST get into this habit. You also have reason to be rather demanding of your doctor to be having an annual mammogram no matter what your national (or insurance) guidelines happen to be. You are at risk. That is not to scare you; that is to suggest that you should be taking steps to protect yourself. It is your body not the insurance plans'.
Thanks for the subject resurrection at Easter time!
Thanks Brandye, I very much appreciate the info.
At this point I'd just like to add a reiteration of a point that sera made back when this thread started--ladies, bring your LTR partner in on this. After two days of silent worry, I finally mentioned it to T. The moment my fingertip touched the spot, he interrupted and said "you've always had something there" and as we continued to talk he confirmed that "you've always been kinda lumpy". He's always known me better than I do, I should have known my breast would be no different ;)
My breast size not a fix some time goes down and some time move up. it's realty with me.
1. Wear a properly fitted bra.
2. Do a regular self-exam of your breasts - there are videos online do a search on breast health. Your doctor or nurse can also show you how.
3. Have an annual gyn exam and begin mammograms when recommended.