Recognizing Breast Cancer Lumps

Contents:

• Medical Video: Understand The Symptoms Of Breast Cancer - Manipal Hospital
  
• Causes of breast cancer
  
• Breast cancer lumps are the main feature
  
• Then, what are the characteristics of breast cancer lumps?
  
• Detect lumps with Self Breast Examination (BSE)
  
• How do you do BSE?
  

Medical Video: Understand The Symptoms Of Breast Cancer - Manipal Hospital

Cancer is indeed one of the causes of death throughout the world. 8.2 million people in the world in 2012 died of cancer. The results of the Basic Health Research (Riskesdas) in 2013 also showed that the number of cases of cancer patients at all ages in Indonesia was 1.4 percent. The highest type of cancer in hospitalized patients in Indonesia is breast cancer, with the largest estimated number of breast cancer patients in the provinces of East Java, Central Java and West Java.

Causes of breast cancer

• Forty percent of cancer deaths are generally the same, which is related to behavioral and dietary risk factors, such as; smoking, high body mass index (excessive body weight), and excessive alcohol consumption.
• Other cancer risk factors occur due to exposure to cancer-causing substances (carcinogens), such as ultraviolet light, ion radiation, contaminated food and fiber (asbestos) and infections from viruses, bacteria and parasites.
• An oncology surgeon, Dr. Sonar Pannyoro Sonar also said several internal factors that can increase the risk of a woman infected with breast cancer, including:
  • Close family history of breast cancer,
  • Have no children,
  • First menstruation at the age of 10 years or even less,
  • Menstruation at age 55 or even more,
  • Radiation history in the chest area and
  • Use of hormonal drugs for long periods of time outside of productive age.

READ ALSO: Is it true that breast cancer is caused by heredity?

Breast cancer lumps are the main feature

The most easily detected symptom of breast cancer is a lump in the area around the breast. Unfortunately, not only is cancer the only abnormality in the breast that can be detected by the presence or absence of a lump.

This is the same as expressed by an oncology specialist, Dr. Martha Roida Manurung, that 9 out of 10 lumps in the breast are not cancer. He even said that the presence of these lumps could only be due to the influence of hormones.

Then, what are the characteristics of breast cancer lumps?

• Breast cancer lumps will get harder with unclear boundaries
• Only in one breast
• The surface is uneven
• At an advanced stage begins to appear abnormalities in the skin of the breast (such as orange skin or reddish skin). Sometimes it suffocates like a dimple because it is attracted by a lump
• If the lump is close to the nipple, it will be seen that the nipples are attracted to and rather difficult to move (sticky)
• Often without pain
• Stay 8 to 10 days after menstruation

READ ALSO: 4 Symptoms of Breast Cancer that Most Often Occur

Detect lumps with Self Breast Examination (BSE)

Breast cancer can be cured properly if detected early, until finally the treatment can be given more quickly. But there are still many sufferers who have just checked themselves out at an advanced stage. This is often due to no other complaints at all.

One easy, affordable, and even self-practicing way is by Breast Self-Examination or what we know as BSE, at least once a month.

READ ALSO: Why Can Breast Cancer Recur Again?

How do you do BSE?

The steps that must be taken to examine the breast itself are:

1. Conduct breast examinations in front of the mirror, taking into account the characteristics of lumps as described above.
2. Gently massage the breast from the edge to the nipple. This is done while noticing whether there is liquid coming out if you are not breastfeeding.
3. Feeling breasts one by one with 3 or 4 fingers that are held together with circular movements from the edge to the nipple.

Even if there are no lumps in the breast, there is still a possibility that you have early stage breast cancer. This condition can be detected by the presence of fluid in the nipple that looks clear, slightly yellowish, or even red. If you see things above, immediately consult a doctor!