Breast Self -Examination: Can it Be More Reliable than a Mammogram?
Working for a major healthcare organization, I recently did elbow to elbow, end user support for the release of one of our new products. In doing, that I had the opportunity to interface with many staff members from all different levels. One staff member, a middle aged woman, who I engaged conversation with, told me that she was a Breast Cancer Survivor, which I had a difficult time believing because she looked to be the picture of health, not to mention the fact that she was very positive, friendly, and a seemingly happy woman, who always greeted you with a smile. She stated that she had been in remission for 4 years and that if she stayed in remission for just one more year that she would be considered "Cancer Free". As the conversation continued, she told me that prior to discovering that her cancer was in already in stage 2, she had a mammogram in which the cancer went undetected. She had in actuality discovered the cancer herself, all because she dropped the soap in the shower! As she reached down to pick up the soap and held her breast with the opposite hand, she felt a mass that she knew had not been there previously. Her next trip to physician led to a breast biopsy which then led to a diagnosis of stage 2 cancer. She said she could not believe how the Mammogram that she had just two months earlier had missed the lump in her breast. Soon afterwards, she had surgery in which 23 lymph nodes were removed, followed by radiation therapy, and finally chemotherapy. Now, she is winning her battle with every year that goes by! However, she didn't hesitate to mention that if she had relied on the mammogram, SHE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ALIVE TODAY!
This is just one story that I was blessed enough to hear, and I want to pass this information on to all women, because it could save lives. I am forever changed by her story, because I, like many other women thought that a mammogram's accuracy would surpass that of a breast self -examination. However, this couldn't be further from the truth. Mammograms should never replace monthly self-examinations. After all mammograms are only recommended every 1-2 years. Anything could happen during the time of one Mammogram until the next. Furthermore, in many Pre-menopausal women such as myself, our breasts are so dense, it can make a mammogram difficult to read. The same holds true to Post-menapausal who may be estrogen replacement therapy, which can also cause breast densities, which in turn could also make a mammogram difficult to read. Some cancers are so aggressive, that they can double within the time period of one month. Therefore, if the patient had her annual mammogram that was negative, she would not be likely to look for any further evidence of a breast mass.
I am absolutely not saying that women should refrain from having thier annual mammograms, but what I am saying is that Breast-self examiniations should be done in conjunction with them. In 2009 a study done by the American Society of Breast Surgeons discovered that BSE (Breast Self Examinations) were just as accurate as mammograms. After all, who knows your body better than yourself? In addition to that, I want to emphasize the fact that young women, who it has not yet recommended to as needing a mammogram, should absolutely use BSE's as a screening tool for early detection of breast cancer. It's all about awareness.
You may be asking yourself, what is the proper way to conduct a BSE? This Web MD link will give it to you in 11 easy steps. http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/guide/breast-self-exam . There is nothing like taking control over your own health and well being, not mention having piece of mind. This information also needs to passed on to our daughters so that they too can be familiar with themselves and make it a ritual of doing BSE's.
Together we can change the patterns of survival when it comes to breast cancer.
Thanks for Reading.
Many Blessings,
Angel-ahhh
Health is a large word. It embraces not the body only, but the mind and spirit as well;... and not today's pain or pleasure alone, but the whole being and outlook of a man.
~James H. West
This is just one story that I was blessed enough to hear, and I want to pass this information on to all women, because it could save lives. I am forever changed by her story, because I, like many other women thought that a mammogram's accuracy would surpass that of a breast self -examination. However, this couldn't be further from the truth. Mammograms should never replace monthly self-examinations. After all mammograms are only recommended every 1-2 years. Anything could happen during the time of one Mammogram until the next. Furthermore, in many Pre-menopausal women such as myself, our breasts are so dense, it can make a mammogram difficult to read. The same holds true to Post-menapausal who may be estrogen replacement therapy, which can also cause breast densities, which in turn could also make a mammogram difficult to read. Some cancers are so aggressive, that they can double within the time period of one month. Therefore, if the patient had her annual mammogram that was negative, she would not be likely to look for any further evidence of a breast mass.
I am absolutely not saying that women should refrain from having thier annual mammograms, but what I am saying is that Breast-self examiniations should be done in conjunction with them. In 2009 a study done by the American Society of Breast Surgeons discovered that BSE (Breast Self Examinations) were just as accurate as mammograms. After all, who knows your body better than yourself? In addition to that, I want to emphasize the fact that young women, who it has not yet recommended to as needing a mammogram, should absolutely use BSE's as a screening tool for early detection of breast cancer. It's all about awareness.
You may be asking yourself, what is the proper way to conduct a BSE? This Web MD link will give it to you in 11 easy steps. http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/guide/breast-self-exam . There is nothing like taking control over your own health and well being, not mention having piece of mind. This information also needs to passed on to our daughters so that they too can be familiar with themselves and make it a ritual of doing BSE's.
Together we can change the patterns of survival when it comes to breast cancer.
Thanks for Reading.
Many Blessings,
Angel-ahhh
Health is a large word. It embraces not the body only, but the mind and spirit as well;... and not today's pain or pleasure alone, but the whole being and outlook of a man.
~James H. West
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