The Pink Diaries: Dedicated To All Women ...

This post is dedicated to all women out there. One of the biggest risk factors for breast cancer is being a woman. The ugly truth is that 1 in 8 of you out there will develop breast cancer at some point in your lives, and this number has been rising at an alarming rate over the past few decades. The scary part is that we don't know why. The good news is that survival rates for this disease are higher than they ever were and there is a good chance that if breast cancer is detected early it can be overcome. Because of this, it is extremely important that all women (especially young women) learn the importance of self breast exams so that we can arm and protect ourselves against this near-epidemic disease and nip cancer in the bud before it has a chance to potentially take our lives. If it weren't for my taking an active role in my health, I would likely still be walking around with cancer growing like wildfire within me and not even know it.

Back in late July, as I discussed quite a while back, I went to my family doctor in preparation for my travels to South Korea to get my yearly 'women's exam' and some vaccinations. I received a pap test and a breast exam (after my doctor asked if I would "like" a breast exam) and was sent on my merry way, not even considering that something was wrong with me. Just one month later, it was while performing a self breast exam (in South Korea) that I discovered the lump that changed my life.

There are a few things you can take from this. The first is that young people aren't expected to get breast cancer or other kinds of cancers, but they do. Although it is not AS common, it happens, and it is not as rare as you may think. So, young women beware. Be sure you go get a yearly exam no matter how horrible it may be. And, if your doctor does not offer a breast exam, ASK for one. Your yearly exam could save you not only from breast cancer, but also from cervical, uterine, and ovarian cancers, which are also quite common among us women (I recently learned of a 20 year old in my area diagnosed with uterine cancer!).

The second thing you can take from this is that my cancer was found through a self breast exam, and by doing this frequently, I managed to catch my breast cancer in its earliest stage, which heavily increased my chances of survival. Self breast exams could SAVE YOUR LIFE. And they only take a few minutes.

The final thing you may take from this is that at the end of July I received a self breast exam from my doctor. She did not feel a lump, which meant it was probably too small to be felt or to be noticed as anything abnormal. By the end of August, the lump was almost 1 cm in size, or approx. this big: (-----). Thus, within a month the lump grew from an insignificant size that could not be felt, to an easily distinguishable bump that could easily be felt. Thus, it is important to do exams frequently (at least monthly) to check for changes.

I know a lot of women are unsure about self breast exams. They aren't sure what to be looking for--what's normal and what's not. They aren't sure exactly how it's done. I found a very helpful 3 minute video on how to perform a self breast exam that can be viewed by click the following link: Self Breast Examination

For further information on self-breast exams, visit the following websites:

And ... Some personal tips:

Become familiar with the feeling of your breasts and look for changes. If you do self-exams regularly you will come to know the natural feeling of your breasts, which may include some normal lumpiness or bumps. Many women say "But mine feel lumpy anyway, so how do you know?" You are looking for changes in the normal feeling of your breasts, which will become more distinguishable if you know how they normally look and feel.
A cancerous lump will be a hard bump within the tissue that is fixed in one spot. Cysts (non-cancerous lumps) can often be moved.
Painful lumps are less likely to be cancerous. Cancerous breast lumps are usually not painful at all.
Examine your breasts just after your period, when they are less likly to be swollen or tender from hormonal changes.
Do the exam at the same time every month.
If you are over 40, use mammography to your advantage. Mammography is still the best way to detect breast cancer and it is a service you are lucky to have available to you. Younger women need to rely on clinical and self-exams, but women over 40 can use a combination of mammogram, clinical exam, and self-exam to detect breast cancer as early as possible.
If you find a lump, don't panic. Most of the time lumps are benign, cystic, or the result of natural changes in breast tissue or hormonal changes. But also be proactive and be sure to discuss any changes with your doctor.

I hope you found this post useful. Remember, know your breasts. It could save your life!