Following your diagnosis of Breast Cancer, your consultant will usually want to carry out further tests and investigations to accurately diagnose the type of cancer you may have and to find out the stage and the grade of the cancer, which helps them determine the best treatment plan for you. Staging Your consultant may require you to get further scans and tests to detect the stage of your cancer. Staging defines the size of it and whether it has spread beyond its original site. The two most commonly used systems for staging are a numbering system or the TNM staging system. T describes the size of the tumour N describes […]
Category: Breast
How to check your breasts lying down
Fold a towel or put a pillow under your right shoulder and place your right arm behind your head. With the flat part of your left hand, press gently in small circular motions around an imaginary clock face. Start at the top of the breast for 12 o’clock and move in a clockwise circle until you return to 12 again. Then move in one inch and repeat. Keep doing this until you reach the nipple. This procedure should take at least four circles in total. Repeat this process with the pillow under your left shoulder and your left arm behind your head. Finally, gently pinch each nipple between thumb and […]
How to check your breasts in the shower or bath
Your fingers slide easier over wet skin. With the flat part of your hand, move gently over each breast in a circular motion and then check for any lump, hard knot or thickening.
How to check your breasts in front of a mirror
This can be done by following the 4 steps below: Hands by your sides Look at your breasts with your arms at your sides while slowly rotating your upper body from side to side. Hands on your head Next, put your hands on your head and look for dimples or bulges in your breasts, particularly underneath. Dimples which are equal in size, shape and occur in both breasts are normally harmless. Hands over your head Then raise your arms high above your head and look again for any changes, especially in the nipple area. Hands on your hips Finally, rest your palms on your hips and press down firmly while […]
Core Biopsy
If a slightly bigger sample is required for analysis, your radiologist uses a core biopsy instead. Under local anaesthetic, a hollow needle is inserted through your skin to the said area. Again, this is done using ultrasound as a guide.
When the radiologist is in position, they will cut out a sample of the tissue which is then sent to the lab for analysis.
