October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
How often do you check your breast -- daily, weekly or once a month? According to The National Breast Cancer Foundation, every woman above 20 years of age should do a breast self-examination every month, a week or so after your periods. Because, frequent breast self-examination helps in detecting any lump in the breast (either in one or both), which is one of the most common symptoms of breast cancer. Here are 6 symptoms of breast cancer every woman must know.
In some cases, it is not possible to distinguish between a clear lump and a normal breast tissue, but a lump is usually harder. In such cases, examine the other breast as well. If you feel that both the areas feel different or experience any hard tissues in one area, then you ought to consult a gynaecologist at the earliest. Most women tend to ignore slight changes in the breast, which could be an early sign of breast cancer and thus, getting a mammogram is not a bad idea if you feel a lump in the breast.
Breast cancer lumps are usually painless, but can also be painful. While in some cases, a lump in the breast might appear/disappear during periods, if you feel that a lump has been present since long, it should ring a warning bell. With early detection of breast cancer, you can increase your chances of better treatment. Also, read about deodorants, cell phones and 9 other things that put you at risk of breast cancer.
With inputs from Dr Sumeet Shah, onco-surgeon, Tata Memorial Hospital.
Image Source: Shutterstock
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For more articles on cancer, visit our diseases section. For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter. For disease related queries, visit our forum.