Welcome - we've grown the site a lot in recent months
Feel free to browse around - or use the search box below to search the site for specific breast cancer information
We've also added these breast cancer videos by popular demand. Click on the image to make the video play. Take a look. Let us know what you think of them:
Mammogram - What is a Mammogram
What is a mammogram - do you know the answer?
A mammogram can help to detect breast cancer at the earliest stage and it's an important part of our fight against the breast cancer epidemic - whether or not
symptoms of breast cancer are present.
Some of these tests are performed when there is nothing at all to find on breast examination - no lumps and no suspicious problem areas. This is called a screening mammogram. Some women find the procedure uncomfortable - either in the breast itself or they experience
shoulder pain because of the arm position. Any discomfort however is short lived and the procedure overall is not too unpleasant.
The other kind of mammogram is called a diagnostic mammogram and this is done when a screening test shows a suspicious area or when the person is aware of
a lump in the breast or of some other symptom that could relate to breast cancer.
New digital techniques allow the images to be enhanced and make the screening and diagnostic tests easier for doctors to read. Digital mammography is probably more accurate at picking up problems in women under the age of fifty, or for those who have not yet had their menopause.
The latest versions of breast cancer guidelines say that if a woman over the age or thirty discovers a lump in the breast then both a diagnostic mammography test and an ultrasound scan of the breast should be performed. Ultrasound is a good test to show if a lump is solid or full of fluid - like a simple cyst might be for example. A lump with fluid in it looks dark or black on ultrasound - a solid area looks white because of the way that the sound waves from the ultrasound bounce off it.
When a breast mass is solid, its alignment and shape provide clues as to whether it is benign or cancerous. Usually a benign mass is horizontally aligned with smooth borders, while one that is malignant is vertically aligned with irregular borders. The nature of a solid mass can be clarified by performing an image-guided
core-needle biopsy. During this procedure, ultrasound or mammography is used to help a radiologist extract a tissue sample from the mass with a needle. A pathologist evaluates the sample.
But ... for some women who have found a lump in the breast, both the mammogram and the ultrasound might be normal. This is obviously good news but if the lump persists then doctors advise having repeated checks - and in rare cases, if the lump is still present after a month or two - a minor operation to remove it or biopsy it should be performed.
Mammograms and breast ultrasound can save lives. So can self examination of the breasts. When did you last check yourself? Are you breast aware?
Labels: mammogram, mammography, what-is-a-mammogram
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Herceptin side effects
The last time I spoke about
Herceptin and it's side effects I proudly said I didn't seem to be experiencing anything other than a running nose. Spoke too soon!!
I had my tenth
Herceptin last week and just after the nurse left I wondered why I felt so tired? That
fatigued feeling got a whole lot worse and by evening it felt like chemo all over again. Thankfully it had mostly worn off the next day but it did give me a bit of a surprise. I had been told this could happen but was pretty sure I'd managed to avoid it after ten treatments. I have seven more treatments to go so it will be little me off to bed after the nurse leaves 'til well into the next day. Actually when put like that it sounds quite nice!
The other alarming thing that has happened is that my eyelashes have started to fall out again. The air was blue when i noticed. Now, what I want to know and nobody seems to have the answer, is this a side effect of
herceptin or a side effect of chemo? My eyelashes did grow back in much longer and thicker than before and I thought
aaah a nice reward for months of feeling crap. Again, spoke too soon!! Joking aside I am more than a little concerned that I'll wake up to find them all gone. I found it distressing the first time ( shallow I know when you're
receiving life saving treatment) and if it happens again I don't suppose I'll be over the moon. I just love putting on mascara and seeing LASHES. If anyone out there has experienced this let me know. I also want exact timescale of regrowth. Only joking....
As a note at the bottom( Ha Ha) I also seem to have
diarrhoea rather a lot and I know this can be a side effect with
Herceptin. God, serves me right for being so confident!! Ah well it could be worse, I might have the aching joints or a
frozen shoulder as well. Now that I think of it......
Marjory
Labels: a-lump-in-the-breast, breast-cancer-symptoms, cancer-support, chemotherapy, herceptin, living-with-cancer, mammogram, symptoms-of-breast-cancer, what-is-a-mammogram
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A Painful Breast Lump - Could It Be Breast CancerI'm one of those guys who checks now and again to see who has visited the site - and what they searched for to find us.
Painful lump in the breast comes up time and time again and it's obviously a topic that worries people. I thought I'd put together this little information package about
breast pain and
painful breast lumps.
Please remember - the details below are not intended to let you diagnose the cause of your breast pain - see a doctor if you have any kind of lump in your breast.
You need to remember that - while most breast lumps are not breast cancer, some of them will be! Please see a doctor if you have a lump in the breast - don't try to make your own diagnosis.
What Causes a Painful Breast Lump?- Breast Infection
Infection can cause a painful breast lump. This is most common in women who are breast feeding but can also occur at other times. A breast lump caused by an infection is likely to be painful. Some women will also have redness in the breast and feel shivery or unwell. You should be aware however, that some kinds of breast cancer - called inflammatory breast cancer can also show itself a bit like this. - Breast Injury
Injury to the breast or to the chest wall can cause a painful lump. Falling against a bit of furniture or a direct blow to the breast can cause bruising inside the breast tissue. This sometimes results in a painful breast lump. - Benign Breast Lumps or Fibroadenomas
Adenoma lumps are common. An adenoma in the breast is a benign lump that does not turn into cancer. They are usually painless but some women are aware of discomfort. - Breast Cyst
Breast cysts are often tender, and sometimes are really quite painful. A breast cyst is a benign lump that is filled with fluid. They often change size and can seem to appear or disappear as the hormone levels change in a womans menstrual cycle. They often are most uncomfortable or painful just before your period is due - typically improving when the period starts. - Breast Cancer
This site contains a huge amount of detail about breast cancer in other articles. You need to be aware that any lump in the breast could be breast cancer - although most are not.
Breast cancer lumps are often painless - but they can be painful in some women - or painful some of the time.
Can a breast cancer lump be painful? Yes - definitely.
Is breast cancer always painless? No - certainly not.
I'm repeating myself, I know, but please ..... if you have a lump in the breast and are reading this site - go see your doctor soon.
Gordon
You can read more of our posts about breast lumps and breast pain on our breast lump archive page
Labels: a-lump-in-the-breast, cancer-support, mammogram, symptoms-of-breast-cancer, what-is-a-mammogram
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