Claire’s Story
Some of us can only imagine the moment of unexpectedly finding a breast lump. A moment when reality seems to stop. But this is the experience shared by Claire, a 23-year old woman, on the CoppaFeel! website.1
As Claire recounts, she was no stranger to self-exams for breast cancer, having checked herself in the shower regularly for years. However, for the first time, she felt a lump that was hard and small in one of her breasts. Upon feeling this new lump, she suddenly recalled the subtle breast pain she had been feeling for the past couple of weeks, which she dismissed as a hormonal reaction.
“At that point, my knowledge of breast cancer was very limited,” Claire recalled. “I knew that it could affect people in their 20s sometimes, but it wasn’t common - I just assumed it only affected people in the later stages of life… I was a bit sceptical [and didn’t want] to make a GP appointment but luckily my boyfriend’s support and persistence pushed me to make that call.”
After a few rounds of hospital visits and testing, Claire was officially diagnosed with breast cancer. Luckily, she caught it early enough that it did not metastasise or affect her lymph nodes. She had a successful mastectomy and completed a five-year course of treatment. Claire's regular self-checks allowed her to detect the cancer early, while many other patients often do not notice any irregularities until the cancer spreads.1
Self-Exams: A Critical Part of Cancer Prevention
Regularly examining your breasts is an important way to find breast cancer early, when it is more likely to be treated successfully. While self-exams cannot detect every breast cancer case, many researchers report that performing a breast self-exam can significantly increase the odds of early detection. These odds can be increased even further when combined with other screening methods, such as regular physical exams by a doctor, mammograms, ultrasounds, and MRIs.2 Breast self-exams also help patients know what is normal for them so they can report any changes to their doctor.3
Breast self-exams are a convenient, no-cost method that can be conducted regularly and at any age as part of your overall breast cancer screening strategy.2 Though other screening methods are necessary, visiting your doctor or getting tested at a clinic can sometimes cause anxiety and feelings of intrusion. On the contrary, self-exams can be done privately in the comfort of your own home without the assistance of medical professionals.4 Considering how low-maintenance, cost-effective, and potentially life-saving self-exams are, there are no large downsides to incorporating them into your regular routine.
How to Perform a Self-Exam
There are multiple ways to perform a self-exam, and it is important to note that men should conduct these exams as well. The first method can be done in the shower. With the flats of your three middle fingers, check both breasts and armpit areas by pressing down with light, medium, and firm pressures. Conduct this exam monthly, feeling for any new lumps, thickening, hardened knots, or any other breast changes.3 A cancerous lump will typically feel hard as opposed to soft and squishy, and often has angular, irregular, asymmetrical edges, as opposed to being smooth.5
Another method can be performed in front of the mirror. With your arms at your sides, visually inspect your breasts and look for any changes in contour or shape of the breasts, dimpling, swelling, changes in the nipple texture or feel (i.e. if the nipple becomes inverted, a rash develops, or dimpling occurs), or other skin irregularities. Next, rest your hands on your hips and firmly press to flex your chest muscles. Look for any puckering, dimpling, or any irregularities on either side. Also, squeeze the nipple to check for discharge. Keep in mind that the left and right breasts will not exactly match as very few people have perfectly symmetrical breasts. Similarly, this can be performed when lying down. Using the same range in pressure, look for any changes. Be sure to repeat these steps for your left breast.3
If you do find a lump, be sure to schedule an appointment with your doctor to have it professionally examined. For additional peace of mind, call your doctor if you have any concerns. Though finding a lump can be shocking or worrying, it is best not to panic as most lumps are not cancerous.
Stay Safe: Schedule your Self-Exams
“Having breast cancer has made me realise how quickly things can change, but it’s also allowed me to realise how much I love my life” Claire states. “With this habit of self-checking, I have become super confident in knowing what looks and feels normal to me.”1
Claire’s story highlights the benefits of being diligent, consistent, and thorough in conducting self-exams and she encourages everyone to take the same approach.1 To hold yourself accountable, put a reminder on your phone or a Post-it note on the bathroom mirror. Having a physical reminder can encourage you to quickly perform a self-exam when in the shower or while lying in bed. It can also be helpful to text your friends and remind them that they should be performing these checks as well.
As a healthcare communications agency, we understand the importance of each person knowing their own body and taking an active role in their health. We hope the guidance above gives you the knowledge and confidence to perform these self-exams, to help keep yourself safe.
Click here to read Claire's full story on the CoppaFeel! website.
By Brianna Borrego
REFERENCES:
- https://coppafeel.org/claires-story/#:~:text=Claire%20was%2023%20when%20she,in%20their%20own%20individual%20way.
- https://www.breastcancer.org/screening-testing/breast-self-exam-bse
- https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-self-exam/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK565846/
- https://www.massgeneralbrigham.org/en/about/newsroom/articles/what-does-a-breast-cancer-lump-feel-like#:~:text=A%20cancerous%20lump%20is%20usually,the%20surface%20of%20the%20skin.
