Photo by Angiola Harry on Unsplash
Here’s the honest truth -- I don’t actually know what I’m supposed to be checking for when I do a breast self-exam.
That’s my most vulnerable admission to date and, somehow, it makes me feel like I have failed as a woman.
Pre-pandemic I would go for my physical every two years and hold my breath as my doctor felt around my chest and armpits. I would pray she didn’t stay in one place too long or feel the need to revisit an already covered area. And when she asked about breast self-exams, I didn’t consider it a complete lie that yes, I did them regularly (even if I left out the part about not knowing what I was looking for).
I can’t say I blame anyone in particular for my lack of knowledge but growing up in a Pakistani Muslim household, breasts, and breast health was never a topic of conversation. I never asked my mom, and she never told me anything about it.
This may not have been the same in all households but the South Asian friends I’ve asked, agree that there was never this type of conversation.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the perfect time to have this discussion. Why? Because according to a 2020 Global Cancer Statistics report, “female breast cancer has surpassed lung cancer as the most commonly diagnosed cancer, with an estimated 2.3 million new cases.”
That means that breast cancer accounts for 1 in 4 cancer cases in women and 1 in 6 cancer deaths.
What is breast cancer?
As the name implies, breast cancer starts in the cells of the breast. A group of cancer cells grow into a cancerous tumour and start to destroy nearby tissue which can also spread to other parts of the body.
Although rare, men can also develop breast cancer.
Breast Self-Examination:
Going back to my admission on lack of knowledge, I still don’t know what I’m supposed to be looking for, however, I do know my body enough to know that something feels not normal. So, every month around the same date, I do a self-exam. Here’s a detailed guide if you’re unsure of how to perform one on yourself.
To do a breast self-examination:
Remove all your clothes above the waist. Lie down. Lying down spreads your breasts evenly over your chest and makes it easier to feel lumps or changes. Check your entire breast by feeling all of the tissue from the collarbone to the bottom of the bra line and from the armpit to the breastbone.
Use the pads of your three middle fingers—not your fingertips. Use the middle fingers of your left hand to check your right breast. Use the middle fingers of your right hand to check your left breast. You can use an up-and-down pattern or a spiral pattern Move your fingers slowly in small coin-sized circles.
Use three different levels of pressure to feel all of your breast tissue. Light pressure is needed to feel the tissue close to the skin surface. Medium pressure is used to feel a little deeper, and firm pressure is used to feel your tissue close to your breastbone and ribs. Avoid lifting your fingers away from the skin as you feel for lumps, unusual thicknesses, or changes of any kind.
What if you find something?
The most important thing to remember is not to panic. If you notice a change in your breast, check the other side to see if there are any similarities to what you might be feeling on the one side. Cells in the breasts can sometimes change and/or grow differently. In most cases, these are known as benign (non-cancerous) cells.
If you are concerned, book an appointment with your doctor and he/she will take the necessary steps to follow up based on their findings.
Remember, with almost any type of cancer, early detection is always the key.
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