Exams a Must for Detecting Breast Cancer

Do it in the shower. Do it while getting ready for bed. Just do it once a month.

Get familiar with your breasts. Look for lumps, changes in size, shape or feel, and to see if there is any fluid.

All women should know their breasts and surrounding areas so they can be aware of changes, the American Cancer Society recommends.

“I encourage all of you to become an expert about the way your breasts look and feel so you can detect any subtle changes. After all, it’s our body, and we are the ones who have to live with whatever goes wrong with it,” said Jennie Yoon Buchanan, Medical Director of Women’s Imaging Services at Florida Hospitals.

According to the Greater Atlanta affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, DeKalb is one of the counties in its service area that has the highest breast cancer mortality rate. About 36.2 percent of women over 40 in DeKalb have not received a mammogram in the past year.

In DeKalb County, women who do not have health insurance and who are not eligible for Medicare or Medicaid may receive a free mammogram through Wellness on Wheels, DeKalb Medical’s mobile health clinic.

An appointment is necessary to get a mammogram through Wellness on Wheels. To schedule appointments, call 404-501-7175.

It’s even more important that women in their 20s see a doctor for a Clinical Breast Exam every three years—and once a year after turning 40. Most doctors recommend annual mammograms for women 40 and older. Higher risk men and women should see their doctors more often.

“Many breast cancers will be found in women who never felt a lump, because on average, mammography will detect about 80 to 90 percent of the breast cancers in women without symptoms,” said Kristina Thomson, executive vice president, interim, for the American Cancer Society of New York and New Jersey.

“In New York City, more than 5,100 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year,” she said.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the idea is to educate women and men and to raise money for the cure. Sometimes women are afraid to go see their doctors, but this is the time to do it. Grab a friend and make appointments.

The American Cancer Society works closely with health departments and health care systems to provide free mammograms. Call 1-800-227-2345 for more information.

Developments in the medical field include diagnostic innovations, such as those found at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. The hospital is working on more early-detection procedures that are less invasive.

“Improvements in detection, as well as insights into surgical treatment options and their outcomes, have increasingly led to longer, improved lives for women with breast cancer,” said Dr. Andrew Seidman, who practices in New York and is part of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Leslie Johnson contributed to this report.