Breast cancer can be a killer disease if it is not treated early. Often though, patients can survive the condition but the key to a higher survival rate is early detection. How do you check if you have breast cancer?

Know Yourself

The first step does not have to be going immediately to a doctor. From the late teen years onwards, you should have developed a habit of observing your breasts. This is important because breasts normally do undergo changes when a woman has her period or becomes pregnant. These changes though do not always mean that you have breast cancer. Your first task should be to determine the usual, normal changes that your breast goes through.

Examining Yourself

Females should start self breast examination at the age of twenty and should do it every month. Examine both the appearance and feel of your breasts. Stand in front of a mirror and put your arms behind your head. Look for anything unusual in your breasts such as dimpling skin, blood discharge and uncharacteristic change in shape.

After visual examination lie down flat with one hand and arm under your head. With the forefinger, middle finger and ring finger of the other hand, touch your breast moving from the outside to the inside until you reach the nipple area. Touch the arm pit area too. This method will allow you to detect if your breasts or arm pit have lumps.

If you do find a lump, you should consult a doctor. In some cases, breast lumps may be just benign cysts but tests have to be performed on that lump before your doctor can form any conclusions.

Letting Your Doctor Check

There are times when you may not be able to detect lumps or changes in your breast by yourself. It is therefore advisable to have regular doctor visits. Women who are 40 years old and above should have their breasts checked by a doctor every year. Depending on your age or doctor observations, you may be asked to undergo a mammogram.

A mammogram is essentially a form of x-ray. The breasts are compressed between plates so that a wider x-ray image of the breasts can be taken. Although mammograms are not always accurate, they may be able to detect lumps that may not even be obvious to the touch. The key to having a good mammogram that will show your true condition is an expert radiologist.

Biopsy

Once a lump is detected your doctor may require other imaging techniques and may eventually require a biopsy. In this procedure, a portion or the entire lump may be checked in a lab for the presence of cancer cells.

In fine needle aspiration biopsy, a thin needle is inserted into the lump to get a sample. Core needle biopsy is similar but more samples are taken with a special needle. Surgical biopsy however is by far still the most effective way to detect breast cancer cells. In this method the lump or a cut of it is taken out for evaluation.