It is estimated that one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer by the age of 85. The majority of women diagnosed with breast cancer are in the 50-69 age bracket, however this disease does not discriminate against age, gender or race. There are more cases of younger women being diagnosed with this deadly disease.
Learning how to check our breasts is the key to an early diagnosis, but it’s not something all women understand how to do.
We know what to look for, but how does one do a thorough check?
One young woman, Hayley Browning, who was diagnosed with breast cancer 3 weeks ago, is encouraging women to check their breasts while laying down.
The 27-year-old found her lump while she was lying down and yet it disappeared when she stood up. Ms Browning shared her story on a Facebook post which has gone viral.
“I could only feel the lump while lying down and it completely disappeared standing up,” wrote Ms Browning.
“Most websites tell you to check for lumps in the shower but if I had followed this advice, the lump may have grown too large to be treatable. Not even the surgeon could feel my lump when I was standing up.”
The young woman, who resides in the UK, has started a hashtag #LaidBackLumps to encourage women to use the laying down trick when looking for lumps and bumps on their breasts.
“I’m hoping to share a little trick of mine with as many people as possible, which could potentially help save someone’s life. So, this is a call out to all women to check for lumps lying down, as well as standing up,” she wrote.
“As I think about my long journey ahead and the chemotherapy I will undertake, I want to reach as many people with this message and help find more
Breast checks are encouraged for all women, not matter their age as it’s one of the leading causes of death in women.
The lying down technique is not a new way to check for lumps as doctors use this technique when examining their patients.
Sanchia Aranda, CEO of Cancer Council Australia told news.com.au, “That’s still the technique doctors would use in a clinic. It involves lying down with your arm behind your head and using the hand on your opposite side to check your arm pits, your breasts and around your clavicle.”
“We always recommend a professional breast screening as it’s still the best chance of finding something.”
It’s important for women to be breast aware and to notice differences in their breasts.
“If you know what your breast feels like normally, you’re more likely to pick up those changes,” Ms Aranda said.
“As the hormone levels change during your menstrual cycle, you can develop lumps. Some women have very lumpy breasts. Some are lumpy all the time, some are just lumpy during the menstrual cycle. If you know something about what feels normal for you, then you know what feels not so normal.”
Lumps aren’t the only changes women need to look for. Other signs to watch for is when the breast has an orange peel effect.
“Not all lumps can be felt in the traditional way, because they can also appear as a thickening, as opposed to a large, defined lump,” Ms Aranda said.
“There’s an effect called the Orange Peel Effect, which happens when the lump is pulling against the skin of your breast. You can get changes in the shape of your nipples … they might invert. You can get leaking from the nipples, but if you’re not breastfeeding that’s not normal.”
Breast cancer is the most common cancer women suffer from in Australia. Monthly breast checks are important. Your GP can also examine your breasts to check for lumps or abnormalities. Don’t hesitate to get a doctor’s opinion on something that may not feel or look right. Get a second opinion if your concerns are disregarded. Many women say their intuition saved their life when they got their diagnosis. The earlier the disease is detected, the earlier treatment can start and prevent the spread of this horrible disease.
