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STAYING IN THE BREAST OF HEALTH …
Miss Anne Tansley , Consultant Oncoplastic and Reconstructive Breast Surgeon at Spire Murrayfield Hospital Wirral
Early detection of breast cancer can make all the difference to levels of treatment , and there are some simple health checks you can do to stay aware of what ’ s happening in your body .
Miss Anne Tansley is a Consultant Oncoplastic and Reconstructive Breast Surgeon at Spire Murrayfield Hospital Wirral , and one of the country ’ s leading breast surgeons . We asked her what we can do to help ourselves ;
Talk us through how we should self-examine our breasts I always think it ’ s a good idea to do it in front of a mirror as you can immediately see any changes . Look at whether there are any differences between them , check the nipples aren ’ t inverted , there ’ s no discharge , whether there ’ s any redness to the skin , or any areas of the skin where there ’ s an ‘ orange peel ’ like texture .
I ’ d also suggest lifting your arms above your head so you can see if there ’ s any puckering of the skin or any changes in the shape of the breasts . It ’ s much easier to see these things if you ’ re looking in the mirror .
Once you ’ ve looked for any outside changes , check the breast itself using the flat of your fingers . Pressing quite firmly in a circular motion , think of yourself as working your way around the hours of a clock , then check under the nipple and up into the armpit .
What you ’ re looking for is anything that feels different , firm , or like a marble . If you do find something then don ’ t panic , women do experience hormonal changes to breast tissue as part of their monthly cycle ; but don ’ t ignore it . Check again a week later and if it ’ s still there , talk to your GP or a specialist breast consultant .
It ’ s also worth mentioning that if you have breast implants , it can be a bit tricky sometimes to ascertain what is implant and what is breast tissue , so if you ’ re unsure , check with your GP or specialist so you know what ’ s normal for you .
How frequently should we be checking ourselves ? You should check your breasts once a month . The best time to do it is about a week after your period or , if you don ’ t have periods , then pick a date in the month and set yourself a reminder .
What about painful breasts ? Breast pain is very common and is not a sign of breast cancer . Breast pain can cause a lot of anxiety , but the underlying cause is usually the breast tissue reacting to hormonal changes which can be caused by your menstrual cycle , menopause , or peri-menopause .
Can painful breasts be worse during menopause or perimenopause ? Menopause is a very difficult time for any woman and the symptoms and the effect this has on a woman ’ s life is wholly underestimated . The impact on women ’ s physical and mental health is great . There are a lot of changes and hormonal responses . You may have swelling , tenderness , or heaviness in the breasts . Lumps can come and go ; pain can be indicative of cysts . It ’ s a difficult time particularly because the most common age to develop breast cancer is late 50 ’ s to early 60 ’ s when often women are still dealing with the menopause , so I would always advise getting anything you ’ re worried about checked out by your doctor .
How does breast screening fit into this ? Mammograms or other investigations like ultrasound pick up breast changes at a very early stage . We can find issues before you can even feel them in the breast . This means that treatment is less invasive , more effective and the chance to recovering completely is much higher .
The screening age group begins in your late 40s and you ’ ll be called up every three years . I would say treat them like your cervical smear which is also every three years . Consider them a health check-up .
1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime and if we can move more , keep our weight at a healthy BMI level and don ’ t drink too much alcohol then this all minimises our risk .
Early breast cancer diagnosis can help improve the chances of successful treatment . If you ' ve noticed a breast lump or changes to your breast which cause concern , our compassionate , efficient team of specialists work together to help give you a diagnosis with minimal waiting for results .
We run several one-stop breast clinics each week in our relaxed , clean and friendly premises giving you rapid and accurate diagnosis .
Spire Murrayfield Hospital Wirral offers prompt diagnosis and treatment of breast lumps . For more information , search Spire Wirral One Stop Breast Clinic or call and speak to one of our friendly advisors on 0151 929 5408 .
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