PF3 Health & Wellness

Breast Cancer Month

Early Detection Is The Key To Treatment

By Gerhardt Winkel, MD, FACS

General Surgeon, St. Luke’s Surgical Associates 

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In the United States, one in eight women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. Each year, 240,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer. Most of these cancers will be found in women over 50.  However, 10 percent of new cases will be in women under the age of 45. The best way to detect breast cancer early is by having a yearly mammogram.
This October, if you are a woman over the age of 40 or have a family history of breast cancer, you owe it to yourself and your family to talk to your doctor about scheduling a mammogram. Breast cancer is treatable, and early detection is the key to winning the battle against cancer.
Regular mammograms are the best tests doctors have to find breast cancer early, sometimes up to three years before it can be felt. However, making healthy lifestyle choices can reduce your risk of breast cancer. Maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly and limiting alcohol use can significantly reduce your risk factors for developing breast cancer. In addition, talk with your parents and grandparents about their health history. The chance of developing breast cancer increases if your mother, sister, and/or daughter have been diagnosed with the disease, especially if they were diagnosed before age 50. Having a close male blood relative with breast cancer also increases the risk of developing the disease.
Another weapon in the fight against breast cancer is knowledge of your body. Adult women of all ages are encouraged to perform breast self-exams at least once a month. Johns Hopkins Medical Center states, “Forty percent of diagnosed breast cancers are detected by women who feel a lump, so establishing a routine breast self-exam is very important.” While mammograms can help you detect cancer before you can feel a lump, breast self-exams help you become familiar with how your breasts look and feel, so you can alert your healthcare professional if there are any changes. The best time to do a monthly self–breast exam is about three to five days after your period starts. Do it at the same time every month. Your breasts are not as tender or lumpy at this time in your monthly cycle. If you have gone through menopause, do your exam on the same day every month. 

• Begin by lying on your back. It is easier to examine all breast tissue if you are lying down.
• Place your right hand behind your head. With the middle fingers of your left hand, gently yet firmly press down using small motions to examine the entire right breast. You can move up and down or in a circular pattern. The important thing is to use the same technique each month. 
• Next, sit or stand. Feel your armpit because breast tissue extends into that area.
• Gently squeeze the nipple, checking for discharge. Repeat the process on the left breast. 
• Next, stand in front of a mirror with your arms by your side.
• Look at your breasts directly and in the mirror. Look for changes in skin texture, such as dimpling, puckering, indentations or skin that looks like an orange peel.
• Also, note the shape and outline of each breast.
• Check to see if the nipple turns inward. 
• Do the same with your arms raised above your head.

Your goal is to get used to the feel of your breasts. This will help you recognize anything new or different. If you do, call your provider right away. The signs of breast cancer are not the same for everyone. Some people do not have any signs or symptoms at all. It is important to know how your breasts normally look and feel.  

Warning signs of breast cancer include:

• New lump in the breast or underarm (armpit)
• Thickening or swelling of part of the breast
• Irritation or dimpling of breast skin
• Redness or flaky skin in the nipple area or the breast
• Pulling in of the nipple or pain in the nipple area
• Nipple discharge other than breast milk, including blood
• Any change in the size or shape of the breast
• Pain in any area of the breast

For most women, the results of a mammogram will be good news. However, If your mammogram does show something abnormal, you will need follow-up tests to check whether or not the finding is breast cancer.
There are different types of follow-up tests. If you have an abnormal mammogram, the follow-up tests you’ll have depend on the recommendations of your doctor. Sometimes, a follow-up mammogram (diagnostic mammogram) or breast ultrasound is done. If the finding doesn’t look like breast cancer (for example, it’s a cyst), no further testing is needed, and you return to your regular schedule of breast cancer screening with annual mammograms.
In some cases, additional tests such as a breast MRI may be recommended. If the finding looks like it might be breast cancer, the next step is a biopsy to remove a small amount of tissue in the breast to check for cancer. If the biopsy shows no cancer, you can return to your regular schedule of yearly mammograms. Luckily, most abnormal findings are not breast cancer. If breast cancer is found, it can be treated. With standard treatment, people with breast cancer found through routine mammography have a high chance of survival.
Together, you and your healthcare provider make the best decision for your fight against cancer. Locally, St. Luke’s Hospital performs mammograms and can be reached at (828) 894-0990.

Polk Fit, Fresh and Friendly (PF3) provides The Tryon Daily Bulletin with an exclusive health and wellness column each month, written by a local healthcare provider, expert, or authority. PF3 is a nonprofit coalition of nearly every health and wellness agency and business in Polk County, NC, with the mission to promote better health and wellness to everyone. For more information about PF3, please visit online: PolkFitFreshAndFriendly.org.

 

Steve Wong