Breast Cancer Articles:

A recipe for optimal breast health
Ignoring signs or symptoms of a problem is never an option.

By Dr. Lisa Curcio
Today's Woman in South Orange County
October 2005

As a busy woman in today's society or a new mother, you may struggle to find the time to take care of yourself, including your monthly breast exams. There is never a good time to have a problem with your breast but ignoring signs or symptoms of a problem is not an option.

Take my own example. As a new mother, I began having problems with nipple bleeding while breastfeeding. Although bothersome, this could be directly attributable to the trauma of an aggressive feeder. So I thought "No problem, the baby is eight months old, I can breastfeed on one side only, and that should solve the problem."

It did not. Consequently, I later found myself looking at my own mammogram and seeing many particles of calcium where they clearly should not be. Imagine if you can, being a doctor -- a breast surgeon-- and seeing that mammogram and knowing what that would mean for you right then and there.

This exact scenario happened to me at the age of 37. I hope my story helps to illustrate the absolute reality that no one is immune to the diagnosis of breast cancer. No - there is never a good time to have a problem with your breast. But knowing how the health care system works, being informed, and finding appropriate advocates and a support system will help you navigate through the situation less painfully and more efficiently.

You do not have to look far to see someone who has been diagnosed with breast cancer and is having chemotherapy, or another person who is being called back from a screening mammogram for further views and a possible biopsy. It seems to be all around us and particularly more common in younger women during their childbearing years. Statistics show that 1 out of 250 women in their 30s to 40s will get diagnosed with breast cancer and that 30% of breast cancer patients have young children still living at home.

Let's get the facts straight. The first point is that the incidence of breast cancer is increasing and health experts are not exactly sure what is causing those increasing numbers. Fortunately, we are also diagnosing breast cancer earlier - probably due to our better screening modalities. Finally, and most importantly, women are surviving longer after a diagnosis of breast cancer.

If you have a problem, what can you do to get it efficiently taken care of? Call your doctor and alert them to the situation. Although a new breast lump is not an emergency, it should be addressed within several working days and not weeks. Although the next step would be imaging studies such as mammograms or ultrasounds, negative x-rays with a persistent palpable area of concern should not be ignored because a small percentage of cancers may not show up well on x-rays. If the area persists through a menstrual cycle, referral to a breast specialist may not be unreasonable and may help to alleviate the uncertainty. Sometimes an office biopsy, in addition to all the previous studies, may help to lay the concern to rest. Following this issue to resolution or explanation of the area of concern is the responsibility of both the patient and the physician.

What can you or I do as a woman to help minimize the chance that we become one of the statistics? The best thing that we can do is be proactive with our health.

There are lots ways that we can do this. First and foremost, we need to start doing regular breast examinations. Although studies have shown that breast self examinations do no help to improve survival form breast cancer, those of us taking care of patients every day know that a lot of breast problems are found by the patient themselves. This is particularly important in the woman in her 20s and 30s who is not getting mammograms and is only seeing a physician once a year for a breast examination.

Next, know your family history because this can change your risk of having breast problems. This is particularly important if there were people who died of some type of cancer at young ages. Speak to those family members around you and ask questions because their medical problems can affect your risk of developing similar problems.

Adopting healthy lifestyles that include eating low fat meals and exercising on a regular basis will positively affect your overall health as well and this has been shown to be true in several recent studies. Avoiding tobacco and excess alcohol consumption also promotes an overall improvement in health. Screening mammograms starting at the age of 40 should be obtained religiously and combined with physician examinations to detect problems at their earliest stages.

Last of all, finding a doctor who will actively listen to your concerns and addresses them is paramount to your overall wellness. Your doctor should be your partner in optimal heath and your health care advocate. They should be informed and up to date but at the same time, they should be able to listen to what you are concerned about. They also should be able to discern who you are as a patient and a person and assist you in tailoring a treatment plan that fits your lifestyle. That they should have skills as a physician or surgeon goes without saying, but their skills should also include compassion and understanding. Once you find that physician, attach yourself to them and work together for optimal health.

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