If your breasts could speak, what would they say?

GENETICS PLAY a strong role in breast cancer risks. A history of ovarian or breast cancers on either side of a woman’s family sometimes increases the risk of developing breast cancer.

According to Dr Andre Williams, haematologist and integrative Oncologist at Teshuva Wellness, when thinking of signs of cancers in women, many people list lumps in the breast as one of the top contenders.

“While it is true that if a new lump suddenly forms, you should get it checked out by a doctor, most breast lumps are perfectly natural. If all you feel are the same bumps in both breasts over a long period of time, you have nothing to worry about,” Dr Williams said.

BUMPS AND BIRTHMARKS

When it comes to breast health and your body in general, clear skin is healthy skin. The skin on your breasts should naturally be more or less flat and smooth. Again, consistency is key. Bumps and birthmarks that are always present are not a problem.

“A sudden change in the skin on your breasts should be reported to a doctor. This is not a common sign of breast cancer, but may be a different medical issue. Skin changes as a sign of cancers in women are relatively rare. Even so, clear skin is the best indicator of good breast health,” Dr Williams said.

When your body is healthy, circulation causes the temperature to be consistent everywhere, including the breasts. Breasts should be warm like the rest of the torso. Reporting any unnatural warmth to your doctor can help prevent breast cancer. Heat could be a sign of an infection or another condition. In general, the temperature of your breasts should feel natural and aligned with your whole body temperature.

The only thing that should ever come out of your nipples is milk. If you are not breastfeeding, there should be no discharge from your nipples. Discharge if you are not pregnant or breastfeeding could be a sign of a variety of things, from a medication side effect to cancer.

BREAST SORENESS

Also, your breasts should not hurt on a day-to-day basis. As always, there are exceptions to every rule. Many women experience soreness in the breast before or during their period. If this is normal for you, it is nothing to worry about.

Dr Williams said the aim of Teshuva Wellness is to empower women by creating a culture where they can be proactive about their breast health all the time, not just once per year.

By being proactive, women, he said, can also take advantage of breast thermography, or thermal imaging, which is a non-invasive and painless test that doctors sometimes use to monitor for early breast changes that could indicate breast cancer. It works by detecting increases in temperature.

“Thermography does not involve radiation, no pain, no squeezing, no contact with the machine. Instead, it uses an ultra-sensitive camera to produce high-resolution, infrared photographs, or heat images, of the breast. Skin surface temperatures and blood vessel patterns display normal and abnormal physiology,” Dr Williams said.

According to him, research studies have also shown that an abnormal thermogram is the highest known marker of risk for the presence of or future development of breast cancer.

FAMILY HISTORY

“An abnormal thermogram is 10 times more significant as a future risk indicator for breast cancer than a first order family history. In the context of breast cancer screening, thermography is FDA approved for use in conjunction with mammography or other imaging modality,” Dr Williams said.

A breast thermography can be done as often as necessary, and usually needs two images. “A breast thermography is not affected by patient age, breast size, breast density, implants, breastfeeding or previous breast surgeries. The result is obtained within seven to 10 days, and often describes the health of your breasts, and also provides information about your hormonal balance,” Dr Williams said.

“The test cannot confirm that cancer is present. It can only show that there are changes that may need further investigation. If the thermography detects any abnormalities, the person should seek further screening, which may include a mammogram. If a mammogram confirms that a lump is present, the doctor may recommend an ultrasound or MRI scan and a biopsy. Only a biopsy can confirm whether cancer is present,” Dr Williams said.

If you notice any changes in your breasts that concern you, talk to your doctor. Most of the time, it is not anything to worry about.

For more information on breast thermography, contact: www.teshuvawellnessja.com; or follow Teshuva Wellness on Facebook and Instagram.

keisha.hill@gleanerjm.com