How to Self – check if you may be showing breast cancer symptoms

Disclaimer: Cancer can be accurately detected only by a trained doctor and / or through proper diagnostic tests. The advice below is merely indicative and extremely preliminary in nature. The absence of below symptoms does not necessary mean the absece of breast cancer. Please consult your doctor for proper diagnosis.

Step 1:
Shoulders straight, arms on hips. Now look in the mirror. Observe your breasts for the following key points :usual size, shape and color. If you see dimpling, puckering, bulging of skin, a changed or inverted nipple position, redness, rash, swelling or soreness; contact your doctor and bring the signs to their attention.

Step 2 :
As you look in the mirror, check out for any fluids oozing out of one or both nipples. Milky, yellow, watery or blood, any fluid oozing out should be brought to the doctor’s notice.

Step 3 :
Lie down and feel your breasts. Using right hand to feel the left breast and vice versa. It needs to be a smooth, firm touch using the fingerpads of the first few fingers. Fingers should be kept together and flat and a circular motion should be used, that is about one quarter in size.  Make sure you cover the entire breast. From side to side, top to bottom, from armpit to the cleavage and from collarbone to the top of the abdomen. Ensure you check for the same symptoms. Use varying pressure and ensure you cover from front to the back of the tissue.

Step 4 :
Check the symptoms when sitting or standing. This can be easier when in shower, because it’s easier when the skin is slippery. Use the same movements as described in step 3.

Remember all these initial home – checks are not foolproof. They need to be brought to your doctor’s notice. Upon recommendation, appropriate mammograms shall need to be done to ascertain the situation with accuracy. For more information, or an awareness camp you can also reach out to NGOs like us. We at Core Cancer Foundation, look forward to supporting you.

One of our own - A survivor story

My journey with breast cancer began in 2015. I was shattered, shaken, worried, and numb. I had a young child; I had ageing parents and a very loving husband. I had thought I was healthy at 38 and had a lot to look forward to in life. Would I be leaving all this behind?

Initial panic dissipated into fervent search for further diagnosis, doctors and treatments. The search led to confusion; so many myths, claims of what’s the right and not the right way of treating the ailment. My family and I were emotionally overwhelmed too.

We didn’t want someone who would treat only the cancer, we wanted someone who would treat me holistically. A bunch of professionals who would ensure not just the surgery, radiation and chemo, but also the counseling, therapy, preventive treatment further and much more. I needed holistic professional support.

I needed not just good treating doctor but also a good coordinating doctor. Someone who would help me make sense of my mammograms, X-rays, CTs and other diagnostic reports. Doctors who would share information with my family and me and help us make a good decision, rather than deciding for us. I was lucky I found a facility that miraculously fit the bill.

My doctors and other care members listened to us. We were lucky to have them sit down with us and plan my treatment in a way that suited ‘my’ needs rather than a cookie cut model. They were not just diligent but also compassionate. They connected us with support groups, through which we found more people like us. We figured out how to ask for support from friends and family. For some time, our careers, finances, family and emotions were all in an upheaval which we couldn’t have dealt with without this amazing support.

I was supported not just by my medical oncologist, but also my dietician, therapist, naturopathic consultant and the nursing staff. They were qualified, understanding, and gentle and yet fought my cancer alongside me. They made me feel my family and I were truly not alone in our battle! If not for them, my journey would have been very difficult.

After I got cured, I realized I had to give back to the community. That is when I associated with Core Cancer Foundation and started volunteering against this menace we call cancer. Giving back to the community as I worked closely with them is what finally gave me closure. Today, I’m healthy, happy, with my family in the US, but my heart remains in India, where we together fought cancer!