Cancer Test At Home: Doctors believe that the sooner cancer is detected, the easier and more effective its treatment becomes. If cancer is detected in a person at an early stage i.e. stage 1, 2 or 3, then the patient’s chances of survival increase significantly. This is why experts constantly advise people to pay attention to the changes taking place in their body. Especially women should do a self-examination at home every month, so that any abnormality can be caught immediately. Although some international organizations like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists do not consider it necessary, but regular examination can also detect diseases like skin cancer and testicular cancer in time.
How to check breast cancer at home
According to expert doctors, women can check breast cancer at home in some easy ways. The first step is to stand in front of the mirror and check. Keep your shoulders straight and keep your hands on your waist and see if there is any change in the size, color or shape of the breasts. After this, raise your hands above your head and with the fingers, rotate the breast in a circular motion with light pressure and feel if there is any pain or lump. In the third step, a complete breast examination has to be done. For this, both the breasts should be pressed properly while standing and sitting, from the armpit to the cleavage and from the collar bone to the upper part of the stomach.
Method of pressure in lump examination
It is also important to change the pressure to feel the lump or any abnormality. Apply light pressure to examine the skin and superficial part, medium pressure to examine the middle part and more pressure to examine the deep tissues. Through this process, you can understand whether there is any lump, swelling or hardness inside the breast. This examination should be done once a month, because even a small lump can be detected in the initial stage.
Which symptoms to be alert to
During breast cancer examination, it is important to pay immediate attention to some special symptoms. If there is a change in the size or colour of the breasts, there is a pit, shrinkage or swelling on the skin, the shape of the nipple changes or it sinks inwards, red rashes or pimples appear on the skin, or any painless lump is felt, then it should not be ignored. If such symptoms appear, a doctor should be consulted immediately. It is advisable to get a regular CA15.3 test done once a year, so that cancer can be detected on time. The most important thing is not to take any change lightly and immediately contact a gynecologist or oncologist. This vigilance is the first and most important step to prevent a serious disease like cancer.
