Often, breast cancer is discovered after symptoms occur, although there are no symptoms in many people with breast cancer. That is why screening for breast cancer regularly is so critical.
Breast self-examination
Frequent inspection of your breasts by your self is vital to discover breast cancer early, so it could be handled successfully. Physicians agree that women are comfortable with their own breasts, so they know what is natural and disclose changes immediately. The perfect time to do a breast sensitivity self-exam is usually the week after the period ends.
How to perform self-examination of a breast?
Use the opposite hand to inspect each breast using a small circular motion with two fingertip pads and cover the entire region of the breast from the outer armpits to the nipples, through to the area between your breasts and vertically from your collarbone to below the breasts.
You can begin at the nipple until you reach the outer edge of the breast, going in larger and larger circles. You can also vertically pass your fingers up and down in rows that you could feel all the tissue from the front to the back of your breasts. You can use gentle, medium, and firm pressure.
You can moisturize your fingertips and breasts with soap to make your fingertips slide over your skin smoothly.
Tests and techniques used for breast cancer diagnosis
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Mammograms:
It is a breast x-ray. It is normal to use mammograms to screen for breast cancer. If a screening mammogram detects an abnormality, your doctor can prescribe a diagnostic mammogram to further assess the abnormality.
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Breast ultrasound:
It uses sound waves that can create pictures for deep tissues. It is used to assess if a breast lump is a solid mass or a fluid-filled cyst.
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Breast MRI:
To produce pictures of the interior of your breasts, an MRI device uses a magnet and radio waves. You get an injection of dye before MRI. patients must lie face down on a special platform within a narrow tunnel.
Removing breast cell sample for examination (breast cell biopsy):
The only definitive way to detect breast cancer is by means of a biopsy. Your doctor will use a special needle system driven by an x-ray or other imaging test. It is used to collect a core of tissue from a suspicious area.
Biopsy samples are sent to laboratories as specialists decide whether the cells are cancerous.
Results from biopsy samples could detect which grade of cancer and could also guide experts for treatment choices.
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Lab Tests:
Hormone receptor test:
patients with breast cancer who test positive for both estrogen and progesterone receptors commonly have a better than average prognosis for survival and full recovery than those who don’t have either receptor.
HER2/neu test:
It can determine whether the sample is normal or has too much HER2/neu protein or too many copies of the gene.
Complete blood count:
It is done to ensure the bone marrow functions properly. The number of red and white blood cells could be calculated.
Chemistry of blood:
This test assesses how well the liver and kidneys function.
Hepatitis tests:
Before undergoing treatment you may need special medicine to kill the virus.
Breast cancer health professionals
You should be assigned a multidisciplinary team if you have breast cancer, which is a network of professionals who work together to offer the best treatment and care.
Breast cancer treatment
Your doctor decides the treatment choices for breast cancer based on the type of breast cancer, its stage, its grade, its duration, and whether the cancer cells are hormone-sensitive.
Your doctor also takes your general wellbeing into account and your own interests. Many women undergo breast cancer surgery and many are also given medical care, such as chemotherapy, hormone, and radiation therapy following surgery. In some cases, chemotherapy could also be used before surgery.
There are many treatment choices for breast cancer. Consider getting a decision at a breast center or clinic for a breast specialist.
The goal of treatment is to achieve remission, at which cancer shrinks, or disappears. You feel normal and enjoy your life.
For more details about breast cancer treatment, read our next article.
Our dewTreats for you today are about... breast cancer self-examination, possible diagnostic clinical and lab tools for early detection, and breast cancer treatment goals. But we have more details, advice, and knowledge tips helping you, our princess, to fight bravely and win your battle. We support you more and more.
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