How to Perform a Breast Self Exam
1 out of 8 women are at risk of developing breast cancer over their lifetime. Monthly breast self exam is one part of total breast care that includes annual physican exams and mammograms after age 40.
Difficulty Level: average Time Required: 10 minutes
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Here's How:
>Stand in front of a mirror. Look for any changes such as puckering, changes in size or shape, dimpling, or changes in your skin texture.
>Look for changes to the shape or texture of your nipples. Gently squeeze each nipple and look for discharge.
>Repeat these steps with your hands on your hips, over your head, and at your side.
>Raise your right arm and examine your every part of your left breast. Move in increasingly smaller circles, from the outside in, using the pads of your index and middle fingers.
>Gently press and feel for lumps or thickenings.
>Using body cream, if neccessary, continue to circle and gently massage the area outside your breast and under your arm.
>Repeat with your left arm and right breast.
>Lay down. Put a pillow under your right shoulder, and your right hand behind your head. Again gently massage and feel your breast for lumps or other changes.
>Repeat with towel under left shoulder with left hand behind head.
Tips:
Menstruating women should do breast self-exam a few days after their periods end. Women who use oral contraceptives should do breast self exam on the first day of a new pill pack.
Post-menopausal non-menstruating women should pick a day and do breast self exam on the same day each month. Notify your physician immediately if you notice any changes or lumps.
Breast self exam should be a routine part of every woman's life. Talk to your daughters about the importance of breast self exam so it will become a routine part of their lives.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Friday, November 7, 2008
Mammography
What is a mammogram?
A mammogram is an x-ray of the breast and surrounding tissues which can effectively detect cancers long before you might feel a change during your monthly breast self- exam. Mammography can detect breast changes which could signify very early breast cancer.
Is mammography safe?
A very small dose of radiation is used in mammography, an amount equal to about two hours in the sun which places mammography in the safe range. In the United States, mammography clinics are certified to assure quality and safety. It is important to remember where your mammograms are performed so that results in future years can be compared.
I have no symptoms, do I still need a mammogram?
While the American Cancer Society and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend yearly mammograms beginning at the age of 40, other professional organizations including the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Canadian Task Force on Periodic Health Examination, and US Preventative Services Task recommend annual screenings beginning at age 50. The difference is because the groups who recommend screening mammograms at age 50 believe that earlier mammograms may expose women to unnecessary amounts of radiation.
A mammogram can detect cancer as much as a year or two before you or your physician could feel it. Breast cancer found in its earliest stages offers the greatest chance of remission and survival.
What kind of breast changes should be reported to your physician?
-Any lump or thickening of the breast or surrounding tissue
-A dimpling or puckering of your breast
-Scaling of the skin surrounding the nipple
-Nipple discharge which is not associated with breast feeding
-Any other breast change which is different for you
It's important to remember that most breast lumps are not cancerous and the most common reasons for breast lumps is fibrocystic breast disease which is a benign condition.
Although annual mammography offers your best chance for early detection of breast cancer, no test is 100% accurate. And it's vital for you to maintain a schedule of yearly mammograms and perform monthly breast self-exam (BSE) to check for changes. Remember, the earlier breast cancer is detected, the better your chance of beating this insidious disease.
A mammogram is an x-ray of the breast and surrounding tissues which can effectively detect cancers long before you might feel a change during your monthly breast self- exam. Mammography can detect breast changes which could signify very early breast cancer.
Is mammography safe?
A very small dose of radiation is used in mammography, an amount equal to about two hours in the sun which places mammography in the safe range. In the United States, mammography clinics are certified to assure quality and safety. It is important to remember where your mammograms are performed so that results in future years can be compared.
I have no symptoms, do I still need a mammogram?
While the American Cancer Society and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend yearly mammograms beginning at the age of 40, other professional organizations including the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Canadian Task Force on Periodic Health Examination, and US Preventative Services Task recommend annual screenings beginning at age 50. The difference is because the groups who recommend screening mammograms at age 50 believe that earlier mammograms may expose women to unnecessary amounts of radiation.
A mammogram can detect cancer as much as a year or two before you or your physician could feel it. Breast cancer found in its earliest stages offers the greatest chance of remission and survival.
What kind of breast changes should be reported to your physician?
-Any lump or thickening of the breast or surrounding tissue
-A dimpling or puckering of your breast
-Scaling of the skin surrounding the nipple
-Nipple discharge which is not associated with breast feeding
-Any other breast change which is different for you
It's important to remember that most breast lumps are not cancerous and the most common reasons for breast lumps is fibrocystic breast disease which is a benign condition.
Although annual mammography offers your best chance for early detection of breast cancer, no test is 100% accurate. And it's vital for you to maintain a schedule of yearly mammograms and perform monthly breast self-exam (BSE) to check for changes. Remember, the earlier breast cancer is detected, the better your chance of beating this insidious disease.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Vaccination against Cervical Cancer, Genital Warts, and other HPV-Related Cancers and Diseases
Is there a vaccine to prevent HPV?
In 2006, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a vaccine that helps protect against diseases caused by 2 types of HPV (HPV 16 and 19) that cause 70% of all cervical cancers. The vaccine also helps to protect against 2 types of HPV (HPV 6 and 11) that cause 90% of genital warts. This quadrivalent vaccine that prevents cervical cancer, vulvar and vaginal cancers as well as genital warts is approved by the Philippine Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) and is available in the Philippines. It is approved for use in children and adolescents (male and female) from 9 through 17 years old and women 18 to 45 years old.
Another vaccine that protects against HPV 16 and 18 that cause cervical cancer has been approved by the BFAD for use in the Philippines. This bivalent vaccine is approved for use in the Philippines for females from 10 years of age onwards.
How do the HPV vaccines provide protection against cervical cancer and other HPV-related diseases?
HPV vaccines are believed to stimulate the body’s immune system to produce neutralizing antibodies that help protect against HPV in the skin cells of the genital area.
HPV vaccines are not intended to treat already existing cervical cancer and other HPV caused diseases.
Who should get vaccinated with the HPV Vaccine?
For the quadrivalent vaccine:
• Girls and women ages 9 to 45 years
• Boys and male adolescent ages 9 to17 years
• Catch-up vaccination is recommended for females aged 13 to 26 years who have not been previously vaccinated.
For the bivalent v
accine:
• Girls and women ages 10 onwards
To be most effective, HPV vaccines should be given before a person has any type of sexual contact with another person.
Can women who are already sexually active or who have experienced HPV diseases still get vaccinated?
• Women who are already sexually active may still benefit from vaccination. That’s because even if a woman has been exposed to HPV, it's unlikely that she has been exposed to all virus types covered by an HPV vaccine. So the vaccine could still help protect against HPV types the woman hasn't been exposed to.
How are the HPV vaccines administered?
• The Quadrivalent HPV vaccine administration schedule involves three doses administered intramuscularly within 6 months
(day 1, month 2, and month 6).
• The Bivalent HPV vaccine administration involves three doses administered intramuscularly within 6 months
(day 1, month 1, and month 6)
Why is Vaccination at a Young Age Recommended?
• HPV vaccination is most effective when given during childhood or adolescence, i.e. before sexual debut, when HPV infection risk is nil or at its lowest.
• Vaccination at a young age is also ideal because this is when the immune system is at its strongest and, therefore, will mount a robust response to the vaccine.
Is vaccination with the HPV vaccines safe?
Appropriateness of HPV vaccination for each patient should always be determined by a doctor. Vaccinations should be upon doctor's prescription.
HPV vaccines are contraindicated to those who are hypersensitive to the active substances or to any of the excipients of the vaccine.
Always tell the doctor if the person getting vaccinated has any severe allergies.
Pregnant women should not get the vaccine.
Particular Safety Data for Each Vaccine:
For the Quadrivalent Vaccine:
Individuals exhibiting hypersensitivity to the active substances or to any of the excipients of the vaccine should not get the vaccine.
Individuals who develop symptoms indicative of hypersensitivity after receiving a dose of the vaccine should not receive further doses of the vaccine.
Women who are breastfeeding may get the vaccine.
Common adverse events include: pyrexia, pain in extremity, and erythema, pain, swelling and pruritus at the injection site
For the Bivalent Vaccine:
The effect on breastfed infants of the administration of the bivalent vaccine to their mothers has not been evaluated in clinical studies. The bivalent vaccine should only be used during breastfeeding when possible advantages outweigh the possible risks.
Common adverse events include: headache, GI including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain, itching, pruritus, rash, urticaria, myalgia and arthral gia, pain redness and swelling at the injection site, fatigue and fever (=38°C).
For more information, please refer to the American Cancer Society (ACS) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
Another vaccine that protects against HPV 16 and 18 that cause cervical cancer has been approved by the BFAD for use in the Philippines. This bivalent vaccine is approved for use in the Philippines for females from 10 years of age onwards.
How do the HPV vaccines provide protection against cervical cancer and other HPV-related diseases?
HPV vaccines are believed to stimulate the body’s immune system to produce neutralizing antibodies that help protect against HPV in the skin cells of the genital area.
HPV vaccines are not intended to treat already existing cervical cancer and other HPV caused diseases.
Who should get vaccinated with the HPV Vaccine?
For the quadrivalent vaccine:
• Girls and women ages 9 to 45 years
• Boys and male adolescent ages 9 to17 years
• Catch-up vaccination is recommended for females aged 13 to 26 years who have not been previously vaccinated.
For the bivalent v
accine:• Girls and women ages 10 onwards
To be most effective, HPV vaccines should be given before a person has any type of sexual contact with another person.
Can women who are already sexually active or who have experienced HPV diseases still get vaccinated?
• Women who are already sexually active may still benefit from vaccination. That’s because even if a woman has been exposed to HPV, it's unlikely that she has been exposed to all virus types covered by an HPV vaccine. So the vaccine could still help protect against HPV types the woman hasn't been exposed to.
How are the HPV vaccines administered?
• The Quadrivalent HPV vaccine administration schedule involves three doses administered intramuscularly within 6 months
(day 1, month 2, and month 6).
• The Bivalent HPV vaccine administration involves three doses administered intramuscularly within 6 months
(day 1, month 1, and month 6)
Why is Vaccination at a Young Age Recommended?
• HPV vaccination is most effective when given during childhood or adolescence, i.e. before sexual debut, when HPV infection risk is nil or at its lowest.
• Vaccination at a young age is also ideal because this is when the immune system is at its strongest and, therefore, will mount a robust response to the vaccine.
Is vaccination with the HPV vaccines safe?
Appropriateness of HPV vaccination for each patient should always be determined by a doctor. Vaccinations should be upon doctor's prescription.
HPV vaccines are contraindicated to those who are hypersensitive to the active substances or to any of the excipients of the vaccine.
Always tell the doctor if the person getting vaccinated has any severe allergies.
Pregnant women should not get the vaccine.
Particular Safety Data for Each Vaccine:
For the Quadrivalent Vaccine:
Individuals exhibiting hypersensitivity to the active substances or to any of the excipients of the vaccine should not get the vaccine.
Individuals who develop symptoms indicative of hypersensitivity after receiving a dose of the vaccine should not receive further doses of the vaccine.
Women who are breastfeeding may get the vaccine.
Common adverse events include: pyrexia, pain in extremity, and erythema, pain, swelling and pruritus at the injection site
For the Bivalent Vaccine:
The effect on breastfed infants of the administration of the bivalent vaccine to their mothers has not been evaluated in clinical studies. The bivalent vaccine should only be used during breastfeeding when possible advantages outweigh the possible risks.
Common adverse events include: headache, GI including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain, itching, pruritus, rash, urticaria, myalgia and arthral gia, pain redness and swelling at the injection site, fatigue and fever (=38°C).
For more information, please refer to the American Cancer Society (ACS) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
HPV Vaccine may be effective in women 24 to 45 years old: according to study
June 16, 2009 — The quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine may be effective in women aged 24 to 45 years who are not infected with the relevant HPV types at enrollment, according to the results of an ongoing multicenter, parallel, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial reported in the June 2 Online First issue of The Lancet.
"Although the peak incidence of...HPV infection occurs in most populations within 5-10 years of first sexual experience, all women remain at risk for acquisition of HPV infections," write Nubia Muñoz, MD, from the National Institute of Cancer in Bogotá, Colombia, and colleagues. "We tested the safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of the quadrivalent HPV (types 6, 11, 16, 18) L1 virus-like-particle vaccine in women aged 24-45 years."
Clinical Context
The prevention of HPV infection and related disease has undergone a major change in the last several years with the introduction of the quadrivalent HPV vaccine. This vaccine is currently indicated for girls and women between the ages of 9 and 26 years, which makes sense as a preventive strategy because most women in the United States acquire HPV infection between the ages of 15 and 25 years. The vaccine has been demonstrated to reduce the risks for HPV infection and cervical dysplasia among younger women.
There is evidence that the risk of acquiring HPV in the third or fourth decade of life is increasing, although there are limited data regarding the use of the HPV quadrivalent vaccine in this population. The current study addresses this issue.
- Currently, the quadrivalent HPV vaccine is indicated for girls and women between the ages of 9 and 26 years.
- The quadrivalent HPV vaccine was effective in the current study in the prevention of HPV infection and genital/cervical disease among women between the ages of 24 and 45 years, particularly among women not infected with the relevant HPV types at the time of treatment.
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