In recent years, various sectors of society have begun to pay attention to women's breast health from multiple perspectives, especially the alarming increase in the incidence rate of breast cancer. In daily life, there are some misconceptions that may affect your judgment of breast diseases. Here are five of them.
Misconception 1: The importance of self-examination
For women, the importance of self-examination is as important as regular check-ups at the hospital, or even more important. In China, many breast cancer patients come to seek medical treatment after self-examination. "The attendance rate for breast cancer in summer is high, but it doesn't mean that breast cancer is more prevalent in summer. It's because women take more showers in summer, which increases the frequency of self-examination of the breasts, resulting in an increase in the number of people seeking medical treatment." Self-examination is relatively simple:
1. Choose the right time. Pre-menopausal women usually perform self-examination 7-10 days after their menstrual period, when the breasts are softer and any lumps are easier to detect. Post-menopausal women can choose a fixed day each month for self-examination.
2. Comprehensive examination. Touch all the areas that should be examined, without any omissions.
3. Observe in front of a mirror. Pay attention to any changes in the shape of the breasts, whether the nipples are inverted, and whether there are any skin depressions.
4. Posture and method. The self-examination method involves using the pads of your index and middle fingers to examine the opposite breast. The pads of the fingers are more sensitive and can easily detect any problems. You can do the examination while standing or lying down. If lying down, you can place a pillow under the chest.
By following these steps and seeking medical attention as soon as any problems are detected, the incidence rate of advanced-stage breast cancer will be greatly reduced.
Misconception 2: Ignoring the experience of doctors' manual examination
In addition to self-examination, regular medical examinations are also essential for early detection of breast cancer. Experts say, "Because Western women have larger breast development, mammography results are very clear. However, Chinese women generally have smaller breasts with denser structures, and the age of onset of breast cancer is younger than that of foreign women (the average age of onset of breast cancer is 45-55 in foreign women, while it is 35-45 in China). Therefore, ultrasound examination is considered more suitable for Chinese women."
In addition, the manual examination by experienced doctors is also very important. "Some tumors that cannot be detected by ultrasound or mammography can be felt by experienced doctors, such as some tumors on the edge or under the areola."
Misconception 3: Neglecting lumps once they are found
In clinical practice, it is common to encounter female patients who have found lumps themselves but have not sought medical treatment in a timely manner due to busy work or family affairs, thus missing the best treatment opportunity. "After three months or half a year, when they finally think of going to the hospital, the early stage has already developed into the late stage. The most common type of female patients in the outpatient department are those who were delayed due to accompanying their children during the college entrance examination."
Early detection leads to early treatment, which may not require additional adjuvant therapy and can lead to long-term survival. However, if the condition is left untreated and progresses to the late stage, it becomes difficult to cure.
Misconception 4: Lack of cooperation in early-stage treatment
Some patients are particularly scared after being diagnosed with breast cancer, and they worry every day. However, this is not helpful for treatment. Experts say, "When diagnosed with breast cancer, the first thing to do is to understand it. Blindly worrying is of no help."
In fact, 95% of early-stage breast cancer patients can survive long-term, and early-stage breast cancer can even be considered separate from cancer. "It can be cured." Therefore, it is important to learn about it and choose a trusted professional medical institution. "Any patient who is early-stage and is not treated is wrong. If they fail to seek medical treatment in a timely manner after detection and instead blindly trust folk remedies or miracle drugs, resulting in the rapid deterioration of cancer, they will regret it."
Misconception 5: Overly anxious about physiological pain
Compared to some women who are "indifferent" to their breasts, others show excessive anxiety about their breasts. Breast pain before menstruation, mild breast hyperplasia during medical examinations, and other factors cause many women to panic and seek medical advice.
Most breast pain is a physiological change, and early-stage breast cancer usually does not cause pain. "The breast structure is composed of ducts and lobules, which are governed by different hormones. Ducts are governed by estrogen, while lobules are governed by progesterone. The cyclical changes in estrogen and progesterone can cause changes in ducts and lobules." Excessive changes in any hormone can cause excessive growth in the corresponding tissues, leading to secretions, fluid accumulation, or even cysts, resulting in swelling, pain, or lumps. However, most of these physiological changes are temporary and will self-heal after a period of time.
