Breast cancer: detection and diagnosis

Early detection

Early detection is a key factor that can boost your chances of surviving breast cancer. If a cancer is detected while still localised in the breast, your chances of 5-year survival are often higher than 90 per cent.
To aid your chances of early detection, be aware of changes in your breasts, such as changes to the shape of the breast or a nipple, scaly skin around the nipple, swelling, puckering or dimpling, discharge or a lump. Make sure you visit your doctor as soon as possible if you detect changes like these. However, try not to worry if you do detect a change as breast changes are common, and in most cases will not be due to breast cancer

Breast self-examination

Some doctors believe that monthly breast self-examinations may not be as useful as previously thought. Some studies have shown that routine, systematic breast self-examination does not lead to fewer deaths from breast cancer and, in fact, may lead to unnecessary biopsies and concern. Cancer associations differ in their positions on whether women should do breast self-exams. One thing is for sure — doing breast self-exams makes you familiar with how your breasts normally feel.
The Cancer Council Australia recommends ‘breast awareness’ — being familiar with the normal look and feel of your breasts, and reporting any unusual breast changes to your doctor immediately.

Mammograms

BreastScreen Australia and the Cancer Council Australia recommend 2-yearly mammograms for all women aged 50-69. Mammograms (a procedure that uses low-level X-rays to detect abnormal areas in the breast) are one of the best methods of detecting breast cancer at an early stage.
BreastScreen Australia states that women aged 50-69 who have regular 2-yearly mammograms can reduce their risk of dying from breast cancer. So, BreastScreen Australia provides free screening mammograms to women aged 50-69 years. There are more than 500 screening locations around the country including mobile units.
Although the scientific evidence is not strong enough to recommend regular screening mammograms for women aged 40-49 (unless they have a family history of breast cancer) they may request a free screening mammogram at BreastScreen Australia.
Women over 70 are also eligible for free screening mammograms through BreastScreen Australia.
The breast tissue in women before the menopause is dense and makes mammograms difficult to read, so women under 40 do not usually have regular screening mammograms.
There are other screening mammogram services apart from BreastScreen Australia, so talk to your doctor if you think you need a mammogram.

Breast cancer explaination vedio

HEALTHY BREASTS

Firstly, and most importantly, you need to understand that every change and every lump found in your breasts does not mean you have Breast Cancer, especially as your breasts are growing and changing, they'll have lumps and bumps anyway

IMPORTANT FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW

• On average, the final stage of puberty is around 15 years of age and at this time, you are physically an adult.
• In your late teens and early twenties you have more lumps, bumps and pain in your breasts that seem to come about just because your body is growing.
• Lumps can form in your breasts due to hormonal changes during your period cycle and they usually go away at the end of that time of the month.
• In your late teens and early twenties you sometimes can have round rubbery types of tumors called Fibroadenomas and these are not cancerous.
• Fat Necrosis is a firm lump that can be formed by damaged fatty tissue and develops from a bruise from a hit or bump to the ches

BREAST CANCER You may have heard a fair bit about Breast Cancer but really haven't taken much notice as everyone always seems to be saying that breast cancer only affects women 40 years and older. Young women are being diagnosed in their teens, twenties and thirties. Even if the percentage is very low compared to that of older women aged 40 years and older, the point is it does happen. Would you also believe that 1% of all diagnosed breast cancers are in men?

If Breast Cancer is detected early, chances of survival are very high. Treatment now is so much improved and getting better results. It helps if you can understand what to look out for and also how to check your own breasts and take ownership of the health of your breasts. It's not really such a big deal and it's easy to do and gives you peace of mind as you grow older.