Be Informed, be Aware Breast Cancer Awareness
Breast cancer is one of the common causes of death, talking about cancer in women. It is highly recommended that every woman should regularly check their breasts for some changes.
When checking out your breasts (only in the way that is comfortable to you, here’s what you should keep an eye for:
• A new lump or hard knot found in your breast or armpit
• Dimpling, puckering or indention in your breast or nipple
• Change in the size, shape or symmetry of your breast
• Swelling or thickening of the breast
• Redness or scaliness of the nipple or breast skin
• Nipple discharge, especially any that is bloody, clear and sticky, dark or occurs without squeezing your nipple
• Changes in your nipple such as tenderness, pain, turning or drawing inward, or pointing in a new direction
• Any suspicious changes in your breasts
Breast examination – this is essential for early breast cancer detection. Here is the proper way of checking your breasts:
• First, look closely at your breasts. Stand in front of a mirror with your hands on the side.
• Facing forward, look for dimpling, puckering and any changes in size or shape.
• See if your nipples are inverted.
• Check your breasts with your arms in two other positions – hands raised overhead and hand on hips.
There are 3 types of breast-exam patterns – the clock pattern, sweeping pattern and the wedge pattern.
It is recommended to start breast examinations when women reach the age 20. It is also advisable to have their breast exam by a health professional every 3 years. Always remember that the best time to perform you breast exam is 1 week after the start of your monthly period.
But even if you regularly check your breasts doesn’t mean you are safe from breast cancer. In fact it doesn’t reduce the number of deaths caused by breast cancer. However, this can help every woman to detect the early stages of breast cancer and help them avoid it as soon as possible before it is too late. Self and clinical breast exams as well as mammography will help you increase your chances of detecting and finding breast cancer at an early and treatable stage.
MRF and Melanoma Awareness Month
As part of Melanoma Awareness Month this May, the Melanoma Research Foundation (MRF) is launching three new resources to reach the online community. Now digital users can learn more about melanoma and access tools to fight this deadly disease through Facebook, Twitter and the MRF Melanoma Messengers programs. “Melanoma Awareness Month exists because this disease is not sufficiently in the public’s mind. If we are going to stop melanoma, we need to extend our reach to include young people, who have the fastest rising incidence rates,” says Tim Turnham, executive director of the MRF. “We are really excited about the potential of these online programs to reach Americans where they live, work and play.” Created as a grassroots, volunteer program, the MRF Melanoma Messengers tool kit will enable individuals to join a national network dedicated to supporting medical research, educating patients and physicians, and acting as an advocate for the melanoma community. The additional social networking sites, including Facebook and Twitter, will enable volunteers to stay connected, share tips and offer support to others. “Our Facebook, Twitter and MRF Melanoma Messengers programs give people the tools and resources they need to raise awareness in their local and online communities,” continued Turnham. “Whether you are a fan, a tweeter or a volunteer, it’s now easier than ever before to show your support for those affected by this deadly disease.” “This month, the MRF’s Messengers will be involved in nearly 30 different fundraising events and activities throughout the country to raise money to find a cure, including our first ‘Melanoma Tweetments’ fundraiser,” says C. Randy Lomax, chairman of the MRF’s board of directors. “Individual Twitter users can make a difference by sending tweets about melanoma to their followers and donating a few dollars to fund melanoma research.” Melanoma, the most deadly type of skin cancer, claims the life of approximately one American every hour and is the fastest-growing cancer in the United States and worldwide. It strikes women and men of all ages, all races and all skin types. In its early stages, melanoma can be successfully removed and monitored by regular skin screenings. However, the disease is deadly in its most advanced stages, as few treatment options exist. The median life expectancy for patients with advanced melanoma is less than one year and existing therapies have not improved survival in more than a decade.
