A proactive approach to your health makes it easier to manage or delay the onset of conditions and even prevent them from occurring by assisting in the early detection of potential health issues.
Reducing the need for expensive hospital intervention while saving lives and money.
October is hailed as breast cancer awareness month, and this awareness is aimed at women, as well as men.
Regular breast self-examination and breast screening with mammograms are essential to ensure the greatest chance of survival from breast cancer, which accounted for more than 25% of new cancer cases in South African women in 2020, and 8% of cancer deaths.
Despite its rarity, men account for less than 1% of all breast cancer cases. Although breast cancer is much more common in women, men can develop the disease.
As such cancer organisations like the Cancer Association of South Africa advise men to be proactive about their health and recognise warning signs.
It encourages them to do monthly testicular self-examinations, annual medical check-ups, and cancer screening. Moreover, men must also live a balanced lifestyle, avoiding risk factors for cancer.
A sub-speciality group within the Radiological Society of South Africa (RSSA), the Breast Imaging Society of South Africa (Bissa) encourages everyone to regularly self-examine their breasts, rather than waiting for a partner or a medical professional to notice a lump or changes in the breast.
By screening regularly, you are more likely to catch breast cancer while it is still small and limited to the breast. The size and extent of the spread play an important role in predicting the outcome of a breast cancer diagnosis for successful treatment and survival.
Professor Jackie Smilg, chair of the Breast Imaging Society of South Africa (Bissa), says: “Early detection of breast cancer can lead to effective treatment and dramatically improves the chances of survival.
“It’s important for everyone to become familiar with one’s breasts to understand what is normal and consult a doctor if one sees any changes. There are many breast changes detected during self-examination that will be benign and of no concern, but in some cases, the changes may signal something serious.”
She points out that while advances in breast cancer treatment have certainly improved survival rates and enabled less aggressive and invasive treatment, the foundation is still early detection through regular screening.
How to do a self-examination
Due to fluctuations in hormone levels during the menstrual cycle, Smilg suggests self-examination at the same time of the month, usually after your period, when your breasts are less tender.
Visual examination – sit or stand, without clothing, in front of a mirror with your arms to your side and look for changes in size, shape, symmetry, puckering, and dimpling.
Physical examination – lying down so that your breast tissue spreads out making it easier to feel, or in the shower using soap to glide more easily over your breasts:
- To examine, use the pads of your three middle fingers rather than your fingertips.
- Use different pressure levels: light for the breast tissue closest to the skin, medium for deeper feeling, and firm for the tissue closest to the chest and ribs.
- Use a methodical technique, such as starting near the collarbone and moving clockwise towards the nipples.
- Allow enough time for the exam and don't rush it.
Signs to look out for
The signs and symptoms for men and women are the same. Visit your healthcare provider if you notice any of these changes:
- swelling of all or part of the breast
- skin irritation, dimpling or ridges on the skin
- nipple pain or the nipple turning inward
- redness, scaliness, or thickening of the nipple or breast skin
- a nipple discharge other than breast milk, or
- a lump or knot near the underarm area
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