Save yourself from breast cancer: Make breast self-examination part of your life
Breast cancer is a preventable disease. Perform breast self-examination regularly to bring down your risk of this disease. Read on to know more.
Breast cancer is a leading cause of death among women. Despite advancements made in the field of medical science, this is still the case. Mammograms are routinely used to detect breast cancer. But this also gives many false alarms. The sad thing is that this disease is preventable if detected on time. Now Google has come with an AI model that can spot breast cancer in de-identified screening mammograms with greater accuracy. It does so by just scanning the X-ray results. This brings hope to many women who go for digital mammography despite not so accurate results. Google tied up with Cancer Research UK Imperial Centre, Northwestern University and Royal Surrey County Hospital to see if AI could support radiologists to spot the signs of breast cancer more accurately. The journal Nature published the results.
You can also save yourself from the pain of breast cancer by doing a self-examination from time to time.
BREAST SELF-EXAMINATION
Here, you check for signs of cancer on your own in the comfort of your home. Regular practice of this can significantly reduce your risk of breast cancer. All you have to do is follow the five steps of the examination process.
Step 1
Stand facing the mirror. Place your hands on your hips and look at your breasts in the mirror. Look for any changes in size, shape and colour. Your breasts must be evenly shaped without visible distortion or swelling. There should be no dimpling, puckering or bulging of the skin. A nipple that has changed position is not a good sign nor are any redness, soreness, rash or swelling.
If you see any changes, consult your doctor.
Step 2
Remaining where you are, raise your arms and see if you notice any of the changes mentioned above.
Step 3
Gently squeeze your nipples to see if fluid is coming out of one or both nipples. This fluid may be watery, milky or yellow.
Step 4
Lie down on your bed and with your right hand feel your left breast and with your left hand feel your right breast. Make a circular motion, and cover the entire breast from top to bottom, side to side. You must cover the area from your collarbone to the top of your abdomen, and from your armpit to your cleavage.
Step 5
Now feel your breasts while standing or sitting. Use the same method described in step 4.
If you feel any abnormalities, consult a doctor immediately.
