Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Here is an interesting article on detecting breast cancer.



Doctors offer advice to help women detect breast cancer at an early stage
Posted 4:14 pm, October 2, 2015, by Alexis McAdams, Updated at 04:59pm, October 2, 2015


Doctors offer advice to help women detect breast cancer at an early stage
Posted 4:14 pm, October 2, 2015, by Alexis McAdams, Updated at 04:59pm, October 2, 2015



INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Oct. 3, 2015)-- One out of every eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, but there are not always symptoms. Doctors say knowing your body and doing a monthly self-exam can save your life.

“If you detect a breast cancer before it is actually palpable, we call that stage zero or one. Survival is excellent. It is going to be 90-95 percent or more,” said Dr. Erica Giblin of St. Vincent Woman’s Center.

Some women experience uncommon symptoms like discoloration, persistent breast pain in one spot, or changes in the color of the skin. Those are some of the more uncommon signs that you could have breast cancer.

“Some women will notice a dimple starting in the skin and it starts to pooch in almost like a divot. That is abnormal. That means the skin is being pulled down by something inside of the breast…they need to see their doctor,” said Dr. Giblin.

Doing a monthly self-exam can help women find breast cancer.

“You take your fingers, the pads of the fingers and you start pushing gently on the breast so you can test the tissues that are superficial right beneath the skin. Then you push harder so you can feel the deeper tissues of the breast,” said Dr. Giblin.

Doctors say mammograms are also extremely helpful in finding breast cancer at an early age because they can detect cancers before they are actually palpable. For those that do not do a monthly self-breast exam, doctors say the opportunity for cancer grows.

“By the time most women palpate their nodule, it is greater than two centimeters. What does that mean? It puts you at stage two breast cancer,” said Dr. Giblin.

Doctors say taking action now protects your health.
Click the link below for the full article
http://cbs4indy.com/2015/10/02/signs-and-symptoms-of-breast-cancer-that-can-help-woman-detect-the-cancer-at-an-early-stage/

Breast Cancer Recurrence

It has been two and a half years since I was first diagnosed with er+ pr+ her2- breast cancer in my right breast. Most of my treatment was well over. I was still on hormonal treatment, including my monthly zolodex injections and tamoxifen tablets daily. I was stage 2b with my first diagnosis and the chances of recurrence were supposed to be slim. I was still on three monthly visits with my medical oncologist and surgeon. My life was beginning to feel almost normal again. I had just started to relax. I stopped fearing, everyday, that every ache in my body was cancer. After two and a half years I was finally feeling calm again.
My G.P(general practitioner) suggested that I have a mammogram and ultrasound as he didn't have any records on file since September last year. He figured I was due and should have the left breast checked as well because "sometimes cancer can return in the opposite breast". Now, I owe my doctor a second time as the mammogram picked up a cancerous lump in my left breast.Again, I thank my doctor for being so thorough as he has probably saved my life for a second time.
Two weeks ago I had a lumpectomy on my left breast and lymph node removal with all clear margins. This time I won't be having chemotherapy but I will have radiation therapy again, starting in a few weeks.