Dosage19:22What can I do to reduce my risk of breast cancer?
For years, doctors have recommended that women perform monthly self-examinations to look for possible cancerous lumps in the breast.
The research, however, suggests that breast self-examinations have no measurable impact on breast cancer survival rates and groups such as the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Healthcare strongly recommend against asking women to perform regular breast self-examinations because they can give lead to unnecessary biopsies.
“We know there is no data to show that when it comes to breast cancer, it changes outcomes,” said Dr. Mojola Omole, president of the Ontario Black Doctors Association and surgical oncologist at Scarborough Health Network. with Dosage Presenter Dr. Brian Goldman.
However, Omole says that in addition to understanding your risks and getting regular mammograms once they are available in your area, self-examinations can still be helpful. This is because it provides women with important information about their bodies by making them aware of what looks normal.
“People are getting checkups to make sure their blood pressure is normal,” he said. “You should also check if your breasts are normal.”
Breast cancer is The second most common type of cancer in Canada.Approximately one in eight women is expected to be diagnosed with this disease in her lifetime.
What is a breast self-examination?
The change in thinking about breast self-examination is part of a growing movement in medicine toward the idea Breast self-awareness To monitor changes over time or during the month.
Breast self-examination is a physical process in which the breasts are touched and palpated to look for lumps, skin abnormalities, discoloration, or swelling.
“This is done by examining the breast tissue, but also by examining the armpit area,” Omole said, since breast cancer can also spread under the armpit.
People can perform a breast self-exam by standing in front of a mirror with one hand on their head and the other hand placed on the breast next to their raised arm.
Imagine that the breast is a clock, start the scan at 12:00 noon, and slowly turn it inward to check for abnormalities.
View | How to perform a breast self-exam:
“You should also check for any changes in the skin,” Omole said, including signs of redness and changes in skin color, as well as unusual dimpling in the skin.
“If you're someone who has larger breasts… that hang a little more, make sure you lift them up from the bottom to check.”
If you are menstruating, Omole says you should do a self-examination after your period ends. Otherwise, he recommends choosing an appointment and doing a self-exam every month on the same date.
He also warns that not all lumps mean cancer.
“Many people have cysts, fibroadenomas and other benign things in their breasts,” Omole said, referring to non-cancerous cysts and fluid lumps that generally do not require medical intervention.
If you find something, she recommends seeing your primary care doctor or going to a clinic or the emergency department of a hospital with a breast cancer center.
Mammograms are part of early detection
While breast self-examination has not been shown to help reduce breast cancer deaths, screening has the potential to do so. Detecting cancer early is a challenge for doctorsOmole says the early detection tool could be useful for certain demographic groups, including younger women in their 30s or 40s and women who experience racism.
“For this population, I think this is very important because we know that when you get breast cancer at a younger age, you tend to develop more aggressive tumors,” she said.
However, mammograms provide more accurate detection, according to the Canadian Cancer Society.
Mammograms are used to detect breast cancer if there are no other symptoms. Diagnostic mammograms are used after a mammogram reveals signs of cancer, or if there are other symptoms that suggest breast cancer.
A group of cancer experts says Canada's national screening guidelines are out of date by a decade, leading to people being diagnosed later when they are more difficult to treat.
It is worth noting that mammograms can misdiagnose breast cancer, as one study indicates that almost half of women will be exposed to the disease. At least one false positive result More than 10 years of annual examination.
The age at which women in Canada can be screened for breast cancer with annual mammograms varies from province to province.
ontario It recently changed its guidelines.allowing women aged 40 and over to self-refer for mammograms, reducing the age to 50.
“Many of the patients that I see, and I deal with a younger population and a racialized population, have discovered breast cancer themselves,” Omole said.
Genetic cancer screening is increasing in Canada, but participation among black women remains low despite the increased risk of breast cancer. A Toronto hospital wants to enable genetic testing and the ability to detect cancer earlier.
Data of United States and United Kingdom It shows that women from the African diaspora, as well as Hispanic, Asian and indigenous women, tend to develop breast cancer before the age of 50.
However, Omole says anyone with breasts, including cisgender men, can do a self-exam.
“If you have a family history of breast cancer, ovarian cancer or prostate cancer, there may be a gene that increases your risk,” he said.
“Therefore, all these people should also do a breast self-examination.”
Learn about the three B's
For his part, medical director and surgeon at the Winnipeg Center for Breast Health, Dr. Duncan Inglis, says he does not recommend breast self-examinations and instead talks to patients about how the “three Cs” can help reduce the risk of breast cancer. cancer:
- Be healthy.
- Please note.
- Be informed.
“We encourage women to maintain a healthy lifestyle and a healthy weight,” Inglis said.
This includes the following Guidelines for alcohol consumption.Also stop smoking or at least reduce it.
“We ask patients to be aware of what is normal for them… and then we talk about informing people about specific things, such as screening programs available for their age and location.”
Inglis adds that significant advances have been made in the treatment of breast cancer, including better chemotherapy and hormone therapy.
“Women do well with breast cancer,” Inglis said.
