Don't do breast checks?

[Heaven]

Yesterday on Sunrise they had a segment with a Dr about women's health. They asked her about self breast exams and she said 'Don't do them, waste of time'. She said lots of studies have come out proving that there is no benefit and you don't find lumps earlier. If you have a lump, you'll find it by chance anyway.

I was so shocked she'd say this on TV!! They're always advertising how important it is to check every month!!

Did anyone else see it?

[ss_storm]

Yeah i saw that. Why are they spending all that money on the cheeky self-check ads or whatever they are! Maybe she meant you can still do them but don't get too hung up on remembering to do them every month... but surely any check is better than none at all?

[AnyDream]

What an effing stupid thing to say. It's not about finding lumps, it about finding lumps EARLY ENOUGH to increase your chance of survival. Sure you can choose to wait until the tumour is large enough to be noticeable - I personally wouldn't want to wait. Once cancer has spread outside of the breast, it will kill you, eventually.

BTW I am having a breast removed later this year because a lump I found some time back was not fully investigated by my GP...what I wouldn't give to turn back the clock and have it dealt with back when I could've got away with a lumpectomy.

So, I say, feel your boobies. Do it often. Tell your friends to as well.

[Charlyfrog]

I didn't see the segment so am not sure of the context the statement was made in. It does seem like a silly thing to say without clarification though. I think any breast check is beneficial and not to be rude or crass, I'd highly suggest getting your partner involved! (wouldn't they feel them more than us anyways? ) I have heard of a couple of instances where lumps in the breast were discovered by the partners and the women were unaware about them. Not sure if I'd make this into an ad campaign though

[sazzafrazz]

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

[*LittleMissSummer*]

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.

[smiles4u]

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

[MantaRay]

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!

[LimeSlice]

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

[MantaRay]

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

[Persephone1]

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.

[*LittleMissSummer*]

Its for those of us who sweat alot. In summertime i have to apply 24hr deoderant 3 times a day because otherwise i stink! i only have to walk fast for 10 mins and ill be dripping with sweat! its gross! So i think its a great idea. I have always been to embarrassed to see a doctor about it but i am glad they have released something i can use. You use it before bed time and it soaks into the skin and its actually 48hr protection so may work for 24hrs on me

[Heaven]

I actually found a lump in my breast and just had an ultrasound on it this week (was just a lymph node apparently, yay ) and I told the u/s woman what the Dr on Sunrise said and she thought it was stupid too. She said that most of the time the lumps are benign anyway but they don't care bc it's worth investigating them all for the lives you do save!

[MantaRay]

Persophone, I am really sorry that you had to go through the pain of a core biopsy. They certainly are uncomfortable, and very, very painful. However, to add another perspective to it - mine showed a pre-cancerous lump which they were able to remove before it did any harm, so they can be worth it.

I am now checked every year with a mammogram, u/s and examination by my breast surgeon. This past check they did a fine needle biopsy on something which showed up on the u/s and turned out to be nothing. I think they are "jumping at shadows" due to my history, but it is the better of the options..

[Mak]

I guess it is personal choice but to be honest if it were me, I'd rather have things checked out and find out that the diagnostic process was overzealous IYKWIM.
It is difficult if you have other issues but early detection DOES influence the course of action. It really bothers me when there are blanket statements that may stop people seeking advice, it really is misleading - some people have to fight for a diagnosis and more often than not they have to insist on further opinions/testing as they don't fit the 'mould'.

[Nai]

A girlfriend of mine found a lump when she was 25 and went to the Dr about it - fortunately she did as it was cancerous and she had to have surgery. That was 15 years and 2 children ago. If self-checking saves one life then I say it's worth it. I will still be checking mine!

[AnyDream]

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.

Persephone, I'm sorry but I think you are confused. From the National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre:

Finding breast cancer early means that you have more treatment options and your chances of survival are better. Survival is lower if the cancer has already spread outside the breast when it is diagnosed. As an example, about 9 out of 10 women whose cancer is diagnosed before it has spread outside the breast will be alive 5 years later. However, if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body at diagnosis, only about 2 out of 10 women will be alive 5 years later.

It is true that finding a pre-cancerous tumour is more likely to result in biopsy & invasive procedures when there is no evidence that all pre-cancerous tumours will eventuate into cancer. However since a percentage of these pre-cancerous lumps do eventuate in cancer they are all treated aggressively. Personally I'd much rather be loosing a breast now than find out in 5 or 10 years time that I breast cancer that has metastisized all through my bones, brains, liver, etc. Trust me by that stage it is a painful and difficult disease and the treatment regimes are far more brutal than early stage cancers.

So, please don't risk it. Feel your boobies, feel them often.

[smiles4u]

I had a mammogram, u/s & surgeon check every year ... then when i turned 40 it became mammogram & check with GP each year and every 2nd year an ultrasound !!

****** At " The Breastscreen Clinic " you can have a mammogram for FREE of charge as long as you are over the age of 40 (even though they advertise 50 or 55+) ******