Breast cancer and breast self-exam

Stating that a number of screening methods, including mammograms in women, can help find and diagnose breast cancer, Lect. Sibel Haklı said, "The decision to have a mammogram or to use another screening method can be a difficult decision for some women. While breast cancer screening is often recommended, it is not mandatory. How to be screened, the facts and myths about screening tests, how to protect your breast health and make an informed decision. Many breast problems are first discovered by women themselves, often by chance. Breast self-exam includes checking for changes in your breasts. Breast masses can be non-cancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant). "Breast cancer can occur at any age, but it is most common in women older than 50. Differences in the breast can be signs of other breast conditions such as mastitis or fibroadenoma," she said.
HOW TO DO BREAST SELF EXAMINATION?

He went on to explain his justification: "The best time to examine your breasts is usually 1 week after your period when breast tenderness is least likely to begin. Examining your breasts at other times of your menstrual cycle can make it difficult to compare the results of one exam with another. Breast self-exam is normally It does not cause any discomfort. If your breasts are sensitive because your period is about to begin, you may feel a slight discomfort when you press on your breasts.

Right explained how the breast self-examination should be done in articles:
Remove all clothing above your waist. Lying down spreads your breasts evenly across your chest, making it easier to feel any lumps or changes.
Check your entire breast by feeling all the tissue from the collarbone to below the bra line and from the armpit to the breastbone.
Use the tips of your three middle fingers, not your fingertips.
Use the middle fingers of your left hand to control your right breast.
You can use the middle fingers of your right hand in an up and down spiral pattern to control your left breast. Slowly move your fingers in small coin-sized circles.
Use three different pressure levels to feel your entire breast tissue.
Gentle pressure is required to feel the tissue close to the skin surface. Moderate pressure is used to feel a little deeper, and firm pressure is used to feel the tissue close to your breastbone and ribs.
Avoid moving your fingers away from your skin when you feel lumps, unusual thickness, or any changes. When in doubt about a particular lump, check your other breast.
If you find a lump of the same type in the same area on the other breast, both breasts are probably normal.
In addition to examining your breasts while lying down, you can also check them in the shower.
Soapy fingers glide easily across the breast and can make it easier to feel the changes. While in the shower, put one arm over your head and lightly soap your chest on that side. Then, using the flat surface of your fingers, not your fingertips, gently move your hand over your chest, being careful for lumps or thickened areas.
Consult your doctor if you have any new lumps (which may or may not be painful to touch), unusually thick areas, sticky or bloody discharge from your nipples, any change in the skin of your breasts or nipples such as puckering or pitting, an unusual increase in the size of a breast. "Remember that most breast problems or changes are caused by something other than cancer," she advised.