10 reasons to visit the mammologist. Breast Cancer Prevention

Most women superstitiously drive away thoughts about cancer, such as breast cancer. Meanwhile, the more we know about this disease, and the more actively we try to prevent it, the more chances we will never encounter it. Therefore, we present 10 objective reasons for contacting a breast specialist as soon as possible:

1. Once a year for an ultrasound. If you are one of those who roll their eyes in surprise when they hear that a woman should check her breasts as regularly as her teeth, then do an ultrasound of the breasts faster. It is important to know that young girls have dense iron and one examination is not enough, so they also need to do an ultrasound scan once a year, and not just women over 25 years old. If there are any problems in the course of the examination, the gynecologist will refer the patient for examination to the breast doctor, who will prescribe additional tests and treatment.

2. Under the guise of monthly pain. Many women feel pain in their breasts and nipples every month at the slightest touch before and during menstruation, and they think that this is a manifestation of premenstrual syndrome. Indeed, if the chest starts to hurt a few days before menstruation, then this is normal before the start of critical days. If the chest starts to hurt 2 weeks before the menstruation, the pain is very strong and permanent, then this may be a sign of mastopathy. In this case, you must immediately contact a mammologist.

3. Growth and change in shape. Sometimes women are surprised to notice that the breast has become more dense and voluminous, the shape and color of the nipple has changed, and with pressure on the nipple, a discharge appears. Such changes are difficult to ignore, but some women, finding them, do not do anything, hoping for something that will eventually pass by itself. This is extremely wrong, all of the above manifestations indicate the presence of pathology in the chest, sometimes even breast cancer. Any disease is easy to prevent than to cure. When breast cancer is detected at the earliest stage, it is cured in 90% of cases, so you should regularly examine the breast and if you find the slightest pathologies, contact a breast specialist so that the chances of complete healing are much higher.

4. Injuries. If someone pushed you hard on your chest or you accidentally bumped this part of your body against a hard object, not to mention accidents and serious falls, you should definitely get tested. In some cases, breast injuries are the impetus for the development of breast cancer, therefore, if there are any lumps in the injury site, it is necessary to do at least an ultrasound of the mammary glands.

5. Hormone treatment. Remember, did you take hormones for the treatment of infertility or other gynecological diseases? If so, be sure to check the level of estrogen in the blood. An increased amount of estrogen can contribute to the development of diseases of the mammary glands, therefore, with an excess of estrogens, in addition to an endocrinologist-gynecologist, you should definitely visit a mammologist.

6. Childlessness. Breast feeding is one of the most important ways to prevent breast cancer. Childless women over the age of 30 are at high risk for developing breast cancer, so they need to visit the breast specialist regularly. In the same “risk list” are women who have an abortion or had a miscarriage. All these factors increase the chances of getting breast cancer, and in this case, it is necessary to be monitored by a breast doctor.

7. Breastfeeding. Despite the fact that breastfeeding protects women from developing breast cancer, the lactation period requires more careful attention to the state of the mammary glands. After all, most often during breastfeeding women face such phenomena as stagnation of milk, tenderness and compaction of the structure of the mammary glands. Such manifestations can be a symptom of mastitis and therefore should be a reason to immediately contact a breast doctor.

8. Heredity. If a mother, grandmother or someone from the next of kin is sick or has breast cancer before menopause, then it is necessary to be monitored regularly by a breast specialist. Scientists have long proven that susceptibility to breast cancer is inherited. This means that the presence in the family of deaths or cancer cases is a serious reason to see a breast specialist at least 2 times a year. It is important to know that if a breast cancer in a relative was detected after menopause, then this fact is not a reason to consider it as a genetic threat to the next generations.

9. Bad habits. Smoking and all types of alcohol, even beer, increase the risk of developing a malignant tumor in the chest. Therefore, women are encouraged to quit smoking and reduce alcohol consumption to a minimum. The fact is that in the female body more body fat and less water, compared with the male. This contributes to the fact that nicotine and alcohol linger longer in the body of women, poisoning it. Therefore, oncology in women who smoke and drink alcohol develops 2-3 times faster than in men with similar bad habits. We think that the reason why women who are not indifferent to alcohol and with weak willpower should stop visiting the breast specialist regularly, is understandable without explanation.

10. Age. Women over 45 years old are recommended to undergo once a year not only an ultrasound scan, but also a breast mammography. The reason for this is that the breast structure changes with age and mammography becomes more informative. With her help, the mammologist can detect even those non-detectable cancer variants that were skipped during the ultrasound scan.