I was really surprised to hear her say that on TV also!
What about those women who don't have a partner feeling their boobies regularly?????
(or what if the partner tends to focus on one side more ?)
I think the message should be to check your own body, everywhere, regularly. It's your body, you should be responsible for it! Not relying on the off chance that something becomes big enough to be noticed accidentally.
Marydean, I'm very sorry to hear that! My friend is waiting for her reconstruction surgery and I'm sure she would say just the same as you have. X
What a load of crap!! I think its important to check them, if anyone will notice anything different it will be yourself. I had the shock of finding a lump in my left boob, i was showering at my best friends, i quickly got out of the shower and told her, i started crying i was petrified! but i saw my doctor and it was just normal hormonal lumps that you get around that time of the month, but he said it was good i got it checked. I personally think that woman is an idiot for saying its a waste of time. We know our bodies better than anyone else.
Its also like saying that males shouldnt bother checking their balls for changes or lumps. My mums partner recently had chemo after finding a tumour in one of his testicles. He noticed a change but was too embarrassed to see a doctor but it was when my mum noticed they looked different (i know waaaaaaay too much information ) and made him see a doctor. If they had found it any later i dont want to think of what would have happened.
But we should be encouraging women to check themselves.
Years ago if i had never had done a self examination as i did then i would never have found the lump in which was at the starts of breast cancer !!
... (My surgeon was the same person that Kylie Minogue had) ... and my surgeon said i was very lucky that it had been detected early as it would have spread and my situation would have been very different.
MD, thinking of you and YOU are an absolute inspiration to us ALL xox
I find that disgusting. What on earth benefit is there is saying that? Some of the time you might not find the lump sooner, but when you do, that can save your life! And what harm is there in checking your breasts - it's not like it's dangerous to do it! The only reason I can see for saying that is if self-checks make people complacent - so instead of going for a mammogram every 2 years (over age 50) they JUST do self checks. But really people should be encouraged to both.
As someone who got away with a lumpectomy - I have to totally, totally agree with MD - do your self-checks!
Whilst I am a big advocate of self examination, when it comes to the crunch, it is useless for me personally.
I have fibrocystitis and therefore very lumpy/clumpy and stringy boobs. Which makes breast checks almost pointless - if I freaked out and went to the doctor everytime I felt a lump or a new lump, I would be there everyday.
I do have 2 lumps they are aware of which are quite large, but given my family history now, I was advised by my mums oncologist that I now have to have ultrasounds on my ovaries and breasts every 6 months, and a breastcheck is almost pointless.
I certainly think women should be encouraged to self-check often and from a young age, to get to knw their own breasts and find out how it changes over the course of your cycle, and hopefully you will find the lumps when they appear...but in terms of early detection, I'm inclined to listen to an oncologist when he tells me the best way (given my young age) to find problems is through ultra sound
That might be true for you LS - and I also have to have mammogram and u/s every 12 months. But for most people it can save their lives and is well worth doing. I don't see why they would tell everyone not to do it because some people won't find a lump earlier
I've read that self-checks are pointless because finding them 'early' does not increase the overall chance of survival form cancer, but it does increase the chance of them having a biopsy on a benign lump.
I didn't see the show, but perhaps the Doctor should have explained what she meant by it. I've also heard that because most women don't know what they're looking for that encouraging them to self-check is pointless until you teach them what to look for.
The book where I read it is called Womens Bodies, Womens Wisdom by Dr Christiane Northrup, in case anyone is interested.
I've found a lump in my breast before and now there are two - I'm a bit like LimeSlice though, and the lumps are benign. The process for having them checked out was incredibly traumatic, and the core biopsy was extremely painful. I was left feeling like a butchered pin cushion, and the process was incredibly clinical. The bruising afterwards made my breast look like I'd been involved in a brutal sex attack - I'm not exaggerating. I certainly would think twice about having any other lumps checked in the future, but I've made that decision after informing myself of the risks and facts, and wouldn't tell anyone else to do that just because I do.
I think women should inform themselves about their bodies and their own health, regardless of what any doctor or marketing campaign tells us. Has anyone seen the most recent Rexona adverts? Apparently we're all sweating too much now as well and should all start wearing 'clinical grade' deodorant. Pfft.
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) and made him see a doctor. If they had found it any later i dont want to think of what would have happened. 
xox
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