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Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Breast Cancer Awareness

The month of October is generally celebrated across the world as Breast Cancer Awareness month. Multiple organizations try and combine their resources to try and raise awareness of this dreadful disease to the masses. India reportedly has the 3^rd highest number of cancer related cases in the world. This is an unbearably high number and a lot of women among them would have been suffering from breast cancer. Only through education and sharing of knowledge will we be able to reduce the number of women suffering from various cancers and if diagnosed early then it is also possible to deal with the cancer threat more effectively. We thought this would be a perfect opportunity for us to share some knowledge about the issue so that if the problem is preventable or easily detectable then you should be able to do so.

What is Breast Cancer?

Breast Cancer is a form of Cancer that starts when the cells in the breast start to grow out of control. When this happens the cells can start to spread or metastasize to different parts of the body. If this starts to happen then you can say that the cancer cells or tumor is malignant and has become a cancer. The early signs of breast cancer are usually a lump that forms in the breast that can be felt as a semi-hard to hard substance in the breast tissue. In some cases it will be visible on an x-ray of that region. Breast Cancer will most likely occur in women, but they have been known to occur in men as well.

How to check for Breast Cancer?

We highly recommend that every women checks for lumps in her breast after her menses. Below are the steps you should follow while doing a self-breast exam:

Step 1: Begin by looking at your breasts in the mirror with your shoulders straight and your arms on your hips. You should check to see if your breasts are their usual shape, colour and size. Also make sure to check for any swelling or distortion that is easily visible. If you notice any of these symptoms you should have it looked at by a professional immediately. Soreness, Rashes or swelling of the breast should also be brought to the doctor’s attention.

Repeat the procedure above by raising your hands above your head.

Step 2: Nipple examination-Other signs include, bulging of the skin, distorted or inverted nipple, or change in the nipple position. Squeeze your nipples for any fluid release. It can be of a slightly yellow or milky or red in color. If you notice any of these you have to bring it to your doctor’s attention immediately.

Step 3: Feel your breast when you are in a sleeping position. Use your right hand on your left breast and your left hand on your right breast. Your touch should be firm but smooth. Using just your fingers you must use a circular motion to cover the area of the breast, feeling for lumps and distortions.Cover the entire breast from top to bottom, side to side — from your collarbone to the top of your abdomen, and from your armpit to your cleavage.

Step 4: Finally, feel your breasts while you are standing or sitting. Many women find that the easiest way to feel their breasts is when their skin is wet and slippery, so they like to do this step in the shower. Cover your entire breast, using the same hand movements described in step 3.

Even if none of the symptoms or issues are noticed it is pertinent that every women should consult a gynaecologist every year on her birthday for breast examination, pelvic examination and pelvic ultrasound- which takes care of 4 cancers- cervical, uterine, ovarian and breast. Remember that prevention is better than cure and although technically cancers are not preventable, but most of the cancers are definitely curable if detected at an early stage.

We hope that this blog has been educational as well as interesting. We here at Shrikhande IVF are constantly making our best efforts to ensure that we spread the word about all these terrible diseases far and wide. We have done our best to raise awareness for the breast cancer movement. What you can do to help is share this blog with your family friends and loved ones and help them get access to the latest news and in turn educate others. We hope you will do your part faithfully and help reduce the number of cancer related issues in our country.

Tags: Breast Cancer Awareness, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Breast Cancer Check, Breast Cancer Signs, How to Check for Breast Cancer, Pink Power, Power of Pink, Self Check for Breast Cancer