Good Advice?
 

I found this on the National Breast Cancer Coalition's website and beg to differ. In 1990, my wife Christine discovered a lump in her breast while doing a self exam in the shower 2 months after having a clear mammogram.
Nine years later in 1999, she discovered an enlarged node in her neck again while taking a shower. She had to fight with her primary physician to obtain a referral for a breast surgeon. The node was biopsied and found to be malignant. She was restaged and found to have metasthesis to her chest wall and several metastatic brain tumors. She was treated and is still in remission today.

I am just curious, how many women on this board discovered their tumors through a breast self exam?

Regards
Joe


Myth #1: Monthly breast self exams save lives

FALSE. The evidence actually shows that breast self-exam (BSE) does not save lives or detect breast cancer at an earlier stage.

For decades, women age 20 and older have studied shower cards, read pamphlets, watched videos and prodded silicon breast models to find a hidden lump - each resource teaching BSE as a life-saving personal responsibility. Seems to make sense. In reality, there is no scientific evidence to prove this is true. In fact, the studies that have been done show an increase in potential harm from monthly, regimented BSE including elevated anxiety, more frequent physician visits and unnecessary biopsies of benign lumps.

Many organizations share NBCC’s viewpoint on BSE. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) no longer prints a BSE guide; the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force states that "the evidence is insufficient to recommend for or against teaching or performing routine breast self-examination"; and the American Cancer Society is phasing out materials that focus only on breast self-exam.
For more detailed information and specific clinical trial evidence analysis, read NBCC’s position paper on BSE. Learn how to make a difference in the world of breast cancer at StopBreastCancer.org.
Get OUT of the Shower, Get Angry, Get Educated, Take Action: download NBCC’s breast self exam shower card and learn more.

Re: Good Advice?
 

Joe,

I did. I had two tumors -- one DCIS and one infiltrating. The DCIS was a lump (which is unusual, apparently), but unfortunately I ignored it for about two months since I would always have a lot of cysts. But after awhile I thought it was strange that the lump was still there.

When I first started having cysts I would run right away for a mammogram, but after several years I started to drop my guard. To add insult to injury, I was behind that year in my annual mammo by about four months, which was a first.

Joan

Re: Good Advice?
 

I think a lot of premenopausal women find them that way, especially younger, because while a lot of docs send women 40 plus for screenings, there are still questions about whether mass screenings for women under 50 are of great benefit.

Never mind the millions of women who are uninsured.

Re: Good Advice?
 

Discovered my own lump in the shower and yes, I did have the exam card hanging on my shower.

Mary

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That is pretty disturbing. Speaking for myself, my lump was found by me... in the shower.

I have two stage I friends who both found theirs during self exam.

I think their position paper and new wave of poo-pooing self exam is dangerous beyond comprehension.

Re: Good Advice?
 

oh and yes that is how I found mine too (in the shower). Know a woman who was found to have 4 tumors in one breast at 28 and her docs tried to convince her at first it was just cysts that she had found.

Re: Good Advice?
 

I found mine myself.
Barbara H.

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I was 35 at the time I found my breast lump myself. My doctor convinced me to wait for three months, before doing a mammogram. (Mine was not HER2 tested....this was twenty six years ago).

Barb A.

Re: Good Advice?
 

I did. At 34 years old.

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I felt my lump too - in the shower. Thank goodness too - it was almost 2cm as it was and a positive node

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I was 37 when I noticed a lump. Also, I felt a heaviness in my breast when I was lying down at night. Mamo was clear but on a fluke my dr order an ultrasound which discovered a mass. By then my mass was 2.5 cm with 18 positive nodes. I would have not made it to 40 (for screening) if I hadn't discovered it myself.

Re: Good Advice?
 

Found my lump and swollen lymph nodes myself after going to lacation specialist and general dr for problems with nursing who told me warm compresses, cabbage leaves and other creams would help me with my problems. Knew something was wrong and made appointment with my Gyno who felt my spots and immediately left the office with me to walk me downstairs himself to a general surgeon who did a needle biopsy without even a mammo or ultrasound. AND Gyno waited in the waiting room until I came out and wanted to see if the GS got any fluid out. He is amazing needless to say and, well, I think he knew I was in shock and by myself. Had to force hospital to do a mammogram since I was nursing the following day - totally against policy. Wasn't really needed and had punch biopsy done on nodes and lump in breast same day too. I was 36 then.
Hugs ~ Ruth

Re: Good Advice?
 

Must be something about showers or bath tubs here. I found mine in the bath tub. I had just had a breast exam done my my GP a week before and he did not report feeling anything. He did the little circular motions that they show you to do. I felt my lump by running my hand straight down and around my breast. I have always had lumpy breasts and never thought I would be able to feel anything but this little lump jumped out at me, that and it hurt (they say cancer doesn't hurt either). Later my breast surgeon said that they are now saying that you should indeed exam yourself in this manner but was surprised I could detect a lump that small by myself. What that study says is pure BS if you ask me and it is steering many women in the wrong direction..sherryg683

Re: Good Advice?
 

I found my lump after taking a shower and four months after I had had a deep check up in my clinic with my family phisician, the lump had grown very fast...

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I found mine...in the shower. It was so small, neither my gyno nor my surgeon could feel it, but I could put my finger spot on it for the mammogram.

Good thing I found it, it was stage 3 with five positive nodes.

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Me too. Found my lump in shower! ma

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I found mine myself sitting at the computer and running my hand over an itch, still remember the sick shock of it... I knew instantly it was not right. It is a painful memory.
So I beg to differ too. I know too many women where a mammo did not find their lumps.

Re: Good Advice?
 

I found mine myself also. I was late for my yearly mammo by three months. I still swear to this day mine showed up almost over night. I always did BSE and felt nothing till one day I was standing in my bedroom & crossed my arms up around my chest and felt this lump. Seems most woman I've spoken with found their own lumps by BSE.

Chelee

Re: Good Advice?
 

I was 38 and found mine, too. Also in the shower - that's the most convenient way to do a monthly self-exam.

On another note of irritation - I had a solicitation from my Allstate insurance agent trying to sell me "CANCER INSURANCE" - all neatly packaged in a PINK envelope. I would be more specific except I fed it right into the shredder.

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Joe, you must have been reading my mind before posting this! I received an email today from the NBCC and then visited their web site where I found the myths they're posting daily for the month of October. They will post 31 myths - one for each day.

I read the 9 myths they have posted so far and was confused and frustrated with some of their postings, especially the one you mention here. I, too, found my lump (under the armpit) in the shower and after much insistence with my doctors was finally able to get an MRI/mammo 6 months later. Had I not been so diligent and persistent, I don't know where I would be today. I strongly believe that self exams do save lives, more so than the doctors suspect. I think we know our bodies better than anyone, and can tell much earlier whether something doesn't feel right. Isn't this how many symptoms are found anyways - with the patient herself reporting feelings and sensations to their doctors?

It's a total disservice to women to shy them away from their self-exams..

Re: Good Advice?
 

Yes, I did find mine while in the shower doing a SBE.

Karen

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I also had a clear mammo and found a lump myself 6 months later. By then it was almost 4cm with satellite nodules and a positive IM node.

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I had a clear mammo, then 5 months later found a lump in shower, by chance. I sat on it for 6 weeks thinking, well, I had a clear mammo so it can't be cancer, I won't bother anyone about it!

Decided to mention it while at GP's for something else and went on to find it was an aggressive stage 3 and had gone to 2 lymp nodes.

Mammograms are crap!

Re: Good Advice?
 

I found my lump myself too while applying sunscreen. I had a clear mammogram 8 months prior.

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Age 45- found mine in my sleep at 2 am. Woke up ran to the bathroom and located it again. I was having a very vivid dream about Robin Roberts. This 10 months after a mammogram! Later, I was told they could see traces of the tumor in that mammogram but choose not to mark it as a watch.

Re: Good Advice?
 

Hi Joe
I found mine...6 weeks after I stopped breast feeding which I am fairly sure suppressed its growth. By the way my recurrence which I felt 4.5 yrs later did not show up on ultrasound and only a tiny microcalcification showed up on mammo. A core biopsy showed it was however a malignancy.
Cheers
Jackie (down under)

Re: Good Advice?
 

Elizabeth Edwards also found her own lump in the shower (described in her first book).

My own was found in a routine clinical exam by my primary doc.

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One has to wonder what the agenda is that fuels this kind of bunk within the organizations that are supposed to be our advocates.

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I found mine in the shower also at age 46!

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Yup, me too. Found mine at age 31. My doctor told me it was probably nothing to worry about and come back in a month if it's not going away. Had ultrasound two months later and immediate biopsy and by that time was stage IIIa Her-2 +++.

Re: Good Advice?
 

Me too! found my first lump at age 36 in the shower. Found
my second at age 44. Laying on my bed doing self exam.

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Me too, although I had nipple discharge before I found a lump. I was 43 and had not had a mammogram since baseline at 38 (had thyroid cancer, fibroid, hysterectomy, and Crohn's surgery in those intervening years, I swear mammogram was next on my list!). My gyn had done a physical exam 6 mos earlier and felt nothing. I was stage 3.

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I forgot, I wanted to say - they say the same thing about PSA screening for prostate (that they shouldn't bother, it doesn't help). Somehow the numbers must work out that way -- but if it's your life that gets saved, it clearly is worth it.

And with self-exam, there's not even any expense for them to worry about!

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Yes, I found my 4.5cm lump while showering; 3+ months after a clear mammogram.

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What? I can't believe this. Outrageous! And dangerous. How do they expect them to be found? Especially in younger women who don't go in for routine mammograms.

I found my lump myself as well. I was lying awake in a hotel bed the night before my best friends wedding. Don't know what prompted me to do a self exam but I did. Imagine how difficult it was for me to put on a happy face at the wedding the next day as her maid of honor. I was scared out of my mind. I had just turned 30.

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This is SO irresponsible for a national organization to parrot such nonsense.

I also found my lump in the shower - just 3 months after an "unremarkable" mammogram. I had been warned that since I had dense breasts, there was perhaps a 10% chance sonthing was missed. Therefore, my letter suggested that self checks were advised.

Joe, this was a good question to ask. I think there was a similar thread some time back.

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I found my first lump at age 25. It turned out to be a cyst. After 12 years of regular ultrasounds and one biopsy, I had a baby and stopped the checkups. At age 44 I felt a new lump, so I had a mammo. The radiologist didn't like the looks of my old cyst, so did a biopsy. It looked okay, but both the pathologist and the radiologist had a funny feeling about it. So we decided to remove both the new lump and the old cyst. New lump turned out to be b9, but the cyst held a 6 mm. spot of IDC and there was some DCIS as well. Thank God for BSE and Thank God for doctors who trust their gut feelings.

My sister (an actress and singer) was invited to a Pink Ribbon Gala last week and we grabbed the opportunity to tell the press how I found my lump by BSE. And how important it was for younger women to know their own breasts.

Here in the Netherlands mammo's start at age 50, which would have been too late for me.

Jacqueline

Re: Good Advice?
 

I found mine while I was dressing myself (3cm, node invasion). I had had a mammogram 12 months before. The next one was scheduled for a few days later.I had a mammogram every year since age of 40 because of my family history. It was a shock not to have discovered the tumor smaller despite the mammograms. And they always told me my breast were easy to read because quite transparent.
It seems that there is a problem with the mammograms for some tumors. Or the machines or the setting? There are more failures than what they admit and this is dangerous because women might only rely on mammos and not do enough self exams.
Michka

Re: Good Advice?
 

I found my 'lump' 30 hours before a routine (my first one? can't remember) mammagram. After I pointed it to the technician, I was taken to another room for the ultrasound. For the recurrence, the mammagram never detected it - because the doctors just thought it was 'scar tissue'. Eventually I was feeling very sick and felt it right before I went to a weekend clinic (supposedly just so I could get a doctor's note because I had missed three days at work.) I contacted my surgeon and scheduled a mammagram. After the procedure, the technician made a comment: "It's just scar tissue." We were relieved on our way home.

But the surgeon finally paid attention to it. Turned out they had misread the films and missed my recurrence 4 years straight. Unless 'we' are vigilent, 'human errors' and 'machine malfunctioning' will continue to make this disease a No. 1 killer.

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I also found lump myself aged 45, 10 months after clear mammogram it was 2.75cm, grade 2 with one node involved, also seemed to come from nowhere. I was having mammograms every year due to family history, but now know I'm not BRCA 1 or 2 +. In the UK you don't go for screening until 50........