Prevention

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women. Early diagnosis is the basis for successful treatment, it is ideal if the disease can be caught in the early stages.

When is it good not to postpone a visit to the doctor:

• with any change in the breast, it can be a lump, a lump or perhaps discharge from the nipple
• for example, if there is redness on the breast that does not go away
• when you feel swelling in your armpits

Breast self-examination is recommended as a preventive measure to detect breast cancer. As the rule applies, the earlier a tumor is discovered, the greater the chance of its complete cure. Self-examination of the breast should be performed at least once a month by women from the age of 20. You can examine your breasts yourself or take it during evening games with your partner. Breast self-examination should not be forgotten by women over 45, who go for a breast examination with a mammogram every two years as part of breast cancer screening.

Breast screening prevention is recommended even in younger age groups or at-risk women who regularly undergo breast ultrasound.

What should such a self-examination look like?

• The breast should also be examined lying down, when you are lying down, with your head resting on the pillow, we support our left shoulder with a folded towel and put our left hand under our head, and with our right hand we begin to examine the left breast, just as we did while standing, do not forget the armpit . We will do the same with the right breast.
  
• at the end of the examination, while sitting or standing, raise your arms slightly to relax your armpits and also feel them carefully.
• now it's time to feel.. with your right hand you will examine your left breast and with your left hand you will examine your right breast. Try to imagine the breast as four parts. Carry out the examination gradually and start in the upper inner part, lay your fingers flat and feel this part with slow circular movements with slight pressure, we proceed slowly to other parts of the breast. We monitor whether discharge, bleeding or any changes appear. This is how we examine both breasts.
• after the visual examination, put both hands above your head and look at the breasts from different angles, here we also examine if there has been any change, if, for example, discharge, bleeding or inverted nipples have appeared.
• first, the woman stands or sits in front of the mirror with her arms loosely along her body and looks at her breasts, it is important to notice changes in the size or shape of the breasts, whether there are any red spots, depressions or bulges

Not every lump you find is a tumor. When you feel a lump, don't panic right away. It can often be a cyst or a hormonal swelling and even benign tumors. However, it is always necessary to find your gynecologist or general practitioner, who will send you for a breast examination.

A screening examination can be completed even without a doctor's recommendation, either for an ultrasound examination or for a mammographic examination.

Let's summarize what symptoms to look for during a self-examination:

• Prevention is very important. And not just a breast exam. Take care of your health and prevent diseases by prevention.
  
• and last but not least, a lump in the armpit or above the collarbone
• around the nipple - discharge from the nipple, bleeding from the nipple, indentation of the nipple
• swelling of the skin, urination
• redness, stiff skin, pitting
• a painless swelling or lump with irregular edges