Good Advice? - Page 4

hutchibk · 10-12-2009, 10:02 PM

Re-read this too (that I posted earlier):

Jan 2009 by Leigh Hurst, Feel Your Boobies Founder/President:

Recently there has been a lot of press questioning the effectiveness of the breast self-exam (or BSE). The stir began when the analysis of a rather large study was released and stated that the research showed there was no benefit to performing a BSE, and, in fact, that in some cases there was increased harm due to unnecessary biopsies on non-cancerous lumps.

Wow – are you kidding me? When I read this, I initially saw red and thought – how can this be?? A BSE is what saved my life. How can anyone say that we shouldn’t be doing them and why would we discourage proactive habits by so publicly proclaiming them ineffective? And then I took a deep breath, regained my composure, and poked around to understand this a bit more.

As it turns out, the study wasn’t actually saying that BSE’s were ineffective – it was saying that BSE’s, the formal procedure known as a “breast self-exam”, is no more effective than basic breast awareness. It reflected that those women who were simply “feeling their boobies” were just as likely to find a lump as women who were doing formal BSE’s. It also mentioned the idea that many women who find their own lump say that they found it through BSE’s when actually many of them were really just “feeling their boobies.”

And so, my heart rate decreased, my face regained its natural coloring and my mind became peaceful again. After all, my personal experience actually parallels that of the findings publicized from this study. I was not doing a BSE when I found my lump, though, for lack of a better term, I might have labeled it as such initially. In reality, I was simply showering and getting dressed, and, through the course of my daily routine, noticed a change because I knew what was normal for me. I was “feeling my boobies”, which is the whole reason Feel Your Boobies ® (FYB) began. My goal was to repackage the idea of BSE’s using language that makes it feel less like a formal process and more like something you already do.

For those who read this recent press, please don’t confuse the research findings for promoting passivity because that’s far from what was said. The point was whether you breast self-exam (BSE) or “feel your boobies” (FYB), you’re just as likely to find a lump. So, while some of you gals may continue to BSE and others, like me, may prefer FYB, the important thing is that you do it. Are you doing it?

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I think that DL is correct on so many levels... however, there has to be a much more appealing and visionary way to promote the "new" info. I think the NBCC has done themselves and the bc community a great disservice by proposing the info in such a manner...

jones7676 · 10-15-2009, 05:41 AM

I did monthly exams and found mine while on vacation in Washington D.C. (doing my monthly exam in the shower)

Colleen007 · 10-15-2009, 12:54 PM

Had a baseline mammogram at 35 (normal) and found my own lump when I was 38 and pregnant with my daughter...I had not had any other mammograms as they weren't recommended until age 40. I was not doing a BSE. I rolled over in bed and my hand brushed against the lump.

Ora · 10-16-2009, 10:33 PM

I also discovered my lump myself

Rich66 · 10-17-2009, 01:21 AM

Somewhere I heard that many breast cancers have been there for years before becoming detectable by palpation. So the relativity of "early" detection should be considered. Very dense breasts can hide lumps as well, probably better with an MRI in that case. My mom's wasn't picked up by mammo because of location. I wish PET scans and MRI were cheap enough to be included in regular physicals. Could help with many types of cancers.

10-17-2009, 09:51 PM

For the record , found mine 3 mos or so after mammo, in the shower, IIB, HER2+. Not really looking for it but felt like something felt different when I picked my arm up. Guessing mine was missed as it was on the periphery of what might be seen on mammo. So I would not write off SBEs in favor of mammos.

Bev

Karen Wheel · 10-18-2009, 02:39 AM

Joe - wow - lots of stories here! I found mine - because I had a pain in my chest low - like in the ribs right at the bottom of the breast --- it woke me up (and at that point I was a sound sleeper!) in the middle of the night.... it kept me awake thinking and I was searching around and finally found what appeared to be something attached to the muscle near the rib. I knew immediately it wasn't good. Took me a month to get to the GYC, as I was in the US when I found it and then with Christmas ... so my doc said that a mamo and ultrasound were in order... did them 10 days later - and went straight after that to the Oncology....
I was so lucky as it hurt. If not, a normal - annual mamo would have never caught it - the doctor doing the mamo - had a really hard time getting a photo of it, even after he did the ultrasound, because of the position and it was almost 2cm...
AND - I had done 2 mamograms before - with "perfect" results - they said there was not even anything fiberous in my breasts (so it was the LAST thing I was thinking of!) and I know, I was bad, but I never did self exams, and had no shower card .... so without the pain, I would have not found it and with Her2 +++ I could have had a HUGE tumor by this time --- (6 months after surgery now!) and my lymph nodes were clear!

bikerchick · 12-28-2009, 05:21 PM

Found mine in the shower also at age 41. Was due for my second yearly mamogram a month later. My doc thought it was a cyst too but decided to do a needle biopsy to be safe. Thank God she did.

sarah · 12-29-2009, 09:46 AM

2nd time around found a lump that turned out to be cancerous and had spread outside the breast - same breast as my mastectomy!
1st time was through a mammo.