The SelfE Campaign

Breast cancer is cancer that forms in the breast. The breast is made up of lobes, milk ducts, fatty tissue, and lymph nodes. About 1 in 8 women in the world will develop breast cancer during their lifetime. It's also the most commonly found cancer among women in India.

Breast cancer usually starts with cells in your body growing out of control. As these abnormal cells grow, they form a mass or tumor. Breast tumors are classified according to their appearance under a microscope as well as by where they are located - lymph nodes or other organs such as the lungs or liver.

There is no proven way to help prevent breast cancer, but certain alterations in lifestyle can lower the risk. Steps that might reduce your chance include maintaining a healthy weight and having an active lifestyle with plenty of physical activity as well as limiting alcohol consumption or waiting until after pregnancy before getting pregnant again.

This is a question that many people ask. The symptoms of breast cancer may include a painless lump or mass, bulging of skin, dimpling, puckering, nipple retraction, or change in skin colour and discharge. Having one or more of these symptoms is not a sure shot sign of breast cancer. However, consulting a specialist is recommended.

We recommend waiting several days after your monthly cycle has finished to do a breast self-exam. Hormonal changes that happen during menstruation can affect the size and feel of breasts, so it's best done when they are in their normal state rather than while on hormonal medications or birth control pills which will alter how you see yourself. For women who don't have their monthly cycles due to either menopause or hysterectomy - keeping track with one specific day each month is recommended for safety reasons!

Though the definite cause of breast cancer is still not clear, many factors increase the risk. These factors include increasing age, alcohol, late pregnancy, early menstruation, late menopause, and family history, use of oral contraceptives and history of radiation therapy.

Older women are more likely to develop cancer than younger ones; in fact, risk increases by 10% in every one-year period. Breast cancer risk can be higher when a person has inherited genes for this type of cancer; if someone in the family had the disease, risk is higher. If there are cases in more than one generation, risk becomes even greater.

It's best to be familiar with your breasts and know what is normal for you. It is also important to be aware of how your breasts normally feel so that you can notice any changes in feeling, shape or appearance. The recommended time of performing self breast exams is at least once monthly. If any abnormalities are found the self breast exam should be performed more frequently. If a lump is found self breast exams should be done every day for a couple of weeks to a month. The self breast exam is not meant to take the place of regular visits with your doctor but rather serves as an additional way for you to become familiar with what is normal for you. If abnormalities are prominent, it is advised to consult a specialist without any further delay.

Not really. Many women experience breast asymmetry, which is when one or both of their breasts are different sizes. This condition has no known connection with cancer - it's just an issue that many people deal with on a day-to-day basis and shouldn't be anything to worry about. In fact, it might be result of more breast tissue one side than the other.

No. Breast self exams are great for getting acquainted with your breasts and identifying any potential problems, but they can't take the place of mammograms. Mammogram examinations look under skin to find tumors before these health risks become visible in a regular examination; this would not be possible with self-examination.