Mammary sclerosis

Another indication of breast cancer are newly occurring hardenings or protrusions in the breast. The palpable changes are often located in the upper outer quadrant of the breast and are caused by the rapid growth of the tumour in the mammary gland. In breast cancer, the skin above the hardened areas does not move, but grows tight. Firm, knobbly or non-displaceable hardenings must always be examined by a doctor so that breast cancer can be diagnosed or ruled out quickly.

Tiredness

Symptoms such as fatigue and reduced performance usually do not appear until the breast cancer is more advanced. In this context one speaks of a chronic fatigue syndrome, the so-called fatigue.

Sampling

In order to detect signs of cancer as early as possible, every woman over 30 years of age should palpate her breast herself about once a month. In about 80% of the cases, women practically discover their breast disease themselves and go to the gynaecologist because of abnormalities. In addition to the breast, the gynaecologist also palpates the armpits during the examination so that swollen lymph nodes cannot be overlooked.

If there are questionable palpation findings, a mammography (X-ray examination) is performed to establish the diagnosis, which can show calcium deposits or similar. For an independent breast examination you should first inspect your breast skin, nipples and the shape of the breast for abnormalities. Before actually palpating the breast, the arm should be raised slowly above the head and lowered again.

You should observe whether the breasts are moving sideways at the same time. This should be followed by an examination of the nipple. For this, the nipple is lightly pressed between thumb and index finger.

One should pay attention to whether this causes pain or a leakage of fluid from the nipple. The next step is the actual palpation of the breast. The left breast should be examined with the right hand and vice versa.

During the examination one hand forms an abutment by placing one hand under the breast and lifting it slightly. With the other hand, the breast is gradually palpated with the fingertips of the middle three fingers. It is best to follow a fixed pattern during the palpation so that nothing is forgotten.

For example, always from the inside to the outside and from top to bottom. The movements you make should be circular and the pressure varied from medium to strong, so that you scan several layers of breast tissue. In addition, you can also palpate the breasts while lying down, as this makes it easier to reach the lower parts of the breast.

In our breasts there are different tissues, which also feel different. Fat and connective tissue are soft, while the mammary glands and milk ducts are firmer. Especially the area of the breast fold can sometimes feel knotty and rough.