Hey Ladies, When’s The Last Time You Checked Yourself Out?

You know, the body is probably one of the most interesting and delicate things that people will ever own in their lifetime. It may not seem that way when you have a world full of people telling you to have tough skin to avoid being hurt, but that’s just figurative. The body is so precious and delicate that you have to be very careful with how you treat it and what you put it through, it’s literally your own personal temple. Knowing what your personal temple looks like and how it should be operating it important. Thankfully there are resources and science to help you learn how your body should be functioning. There are also resources on how your body should look, not necessarily like everyone else but similar in a sense. With that being said, when’s the last time you really stopped and took a look, touched and poked around your temple? When was the last time you checked yourself out/had a self-breast exam?

Have You Checked On Your Breast Today?

This may seem funny, but the question is very important. Have you checked on your breast today? Have you checked on your breast in the past week? The past month? Have you ever checked on your breast?

If you’re not following, when you’re told to check on your breast, it’s to check for any lumps. If you or a doctor find any lumps in your breast, it’s a sign that something serious may have developed. This serious sign could be a tumor and that tumor could be breast cancer.

RELATED: Breast Self-Exam 101

Triple-Negative Breast Cancer And How It Differs From Other BCs

There are roughly about 9 different types of breast cancer and some will fall into two different categories, invasive and non-invasive. The early stages are Ductal Carcinoma in Stu and Lobular Carcinoma in Stu.

These are non-invasive forms of breast cancer or similar cancer conditions. This means that the cancer hasn’t spread to other parts of the body yet. Invasive Ductal Carcinoma and Invasive Lobular Cancer are when these early-stage cancers begin to spread to other parts of the body.

Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) and Metastatic Breast Cancer, on the other hand, are more common forms of breast cancer.

Though metastatic breast cancer is classified as stage 4 breast cancer, triple-negative breast cancer is the one that’s riskier. This is because when triple-negative breast cancer forms, it’s because the breast lacks receptors for estrogen, HER2 and progesterone. Triple-negative breast cancer makes up about 15% of breast cancer cases.

TNBC is also harder to treat because these cancer cells don’t respond to drugs that target progesterone, HER2 and estrogen receptors so people diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer are usually treated with chemotherapy or clinical trials compared to the other types of breast cancer and their treatments.

Step By Step Guideline On How To Check On Your Breast

Realistically, you should be checking on your breast every so often. When it comes to checking your breast for cancer, there is an easy way to perform a Breast Self-Exam (BSE):

With your shirt off, begin looking at your breast in a mirror, shoulders straight, and arms by your hips. What you should see: your usual breast color, size, evenly shaped and no swelling. What you should NOT see: dimpling, puckering or bulging of the skin, a nipple that changed position or inverted, redness, soreness, rash or swelling
Raise your arms and look for the same thing as step 1 (notice if there are any changes)
While in the mirror, look for any type of fluid leaking from the nipple(s) (blood or milky, watery or yellow fluid)
Lay down with your arm up and feel your breast, Use your right hand to feel the left breast and your left hand to feel the right breast. Keep a firm and smooth touch with your finger pads while keeping them flat, go in a small circular motion all over the breast.
Proceed to do step 4 again but this time do it while you’re standing or sitting with your arm up

Symptoms You Should Be Aware Of And What To Do If You Have Them

Once you give yourself a BSE, if you notice any of the symptoms from step 1 that you should NOT see, this is a sign that you need to reach out to a doctor.

If you notice a change in nipple position or inverted nipples, fluid leaking from your nipples, or your breast are experiencing swelling, rashes, redness or soreness, then reach out to a doctor as soon as you can.

Feeling a lump that doesn’t feel like normal breast tissue is also a sign that it’s time to reach out to a doctor (gyno).

To everyone out there with breasts, it’s important to check yourselves out as often as you can remember to do so. Not only can it prevent worsening conditions but it can save your life and build your confidence.

By Jaleesa Robinson | Published August 2, 2023