A self-examination or a mammogram can help to attack the disease in time and increase the chances of a cure.
The obstetrician and mastologist at the Maternity Institute, Ruth Vanessa Diaz, stressed that in order to detect it in time it is important that patients become aware of breast self-examination, which can be applied at any age.
Breast cancer is a pathology that, if diagnosed early, has a cure rate that can reach 90 percent. Screening is done through a mammogram, which is an X-ray of the breasts. With this study it is possible to find the lesion when it is very small and not yet palpable. This allows for a better chance of cure.
On the occasion, the professional explained that the breast self-examination serves to know the state of the breasts. For this inspection, the eyes and hands are used to determine if there is any change in its appearance and composition. “The best time to do a breast self-exam is after your period. The breasts are not as tender or lumpy at that time in your menstrual cycle. And in the case that she does not menstruate, the exam must be done the same day every month ”, he explained.
How to do it
Lie on your back. It is easier to examine all of your breast tissue if you are lying down.
• Place the right hand behind the head. With the middle fingers of the left hand, press gently but firmly in small movements to examine the entire right breast.
• Then, while sitting or standing, palpate the armpit, since the breast tissue extends to this area.
• Gently press on the nipples, checking for discharge. Repeat the process on the left breast.
Then, stand in front of a mirror with your arms at your sides.
• Look at the breasts directly and in the mirror. Look for changes in skin texture, such as dimples, wrinkles, dents, or skin that looks like orange peel.
• Also observe the shape and contour of each breast.
• Check to see if the nipple is sunken.
Do the same with your arms raised above your head. Most women have some bumps. The goal is to find any new or different details.
In addition, the professional indicated that usually in patients under 40 years of age a breast ultrasound is requested as a diagnostic method, because the characteristics of the breast are not the same in a young patient as in an older one.
“Asking for a mammogram is not very helpful in a minor patient because it will not be seen clearly in the image. What we must highlight is that patients often delay the consultation for fear of the diagnosis, and they arrive when the disease is advanced and the treatment is sometimes aggressive. The earlier the consultation, the less treatment is because the lesion is smaller. Cancers detected early are cured ”.
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