Pink ribbons for October’s breast cancer awareness campaign arrive every year with
with the first golden light of autumn.
Breast Cancer Awareness requires you to remember your mammogram.
We are just around the corner from October. The month embraces golden leaves on the trees and breast cancer awareness. There is gold there too, symbolic gold for the of cherished memories we have of the women we have lost to breast cancer. Likewise there is gold for the honor we pay to the women who became breast cancer survivors. We celebrate them.
Breast Cancer Campaign Reminder: Mammogram Time and Know Your Breasts
Dr. Orlando Cicilioni cherishes this time of year because he is particularly talented in the artistic reconstruction of the breasts of our patients who have survived breast cancer. He also uses this time of year to remind all women of the critical importance of scheduling their routine mammograms and regularly performing their breast self-exams.
He tells women to do their breast self-exam mindfully and with care. You should know the appearance and feel of your breasts when they are “your” individual version of normal. This makes you able better able to detect any changes in their appearance.
Breast Cancer Signs and Symptoms You Should Watch
Here at Altiora Plastic Surgery and Medspa, we make breast cancer education and advocacy a priority 24/7 and every day day
Everything is Turning Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness in October.
of the year, not just in October. We spread the word that finding breast cancer as early as possible gives you a better chance of successful treatment.
One of the most dreaded yet common symptoms of breast cancer of course is a lump, and all women dread finding one, we know. The American Cancer Society tells us a breast lump can be felt in several forms. “A painless, hard mass that has irregular edges is more likely to be cancer, but breast cancers can be tender, soft, or rounded. They can even be painful.”
Naturally, for this reason, any new breast mass, lump or change in breast tissue should be investigated by your primary health care provider or at least a health care provider who has experience in diagnosing various breast diseases and conditions. You have seen the self-help cards, and you know how to do a breast self-exam, we are suggesting you focus on signs and symptoms that might mean breast cancer. Below, find our official list of symptoms to see or feel as you check yourself:
Pink Questions for Possible Signs and Symptoms of Breast Cancer
- Are you experiencing breast, under-arm, or nipple pain?
Pink ribbons bring hope and research to the cause against breast cancer.
- Pay attention to the skin of your breast. Is there redness on the breast?
- Has the nipple become thickened or breast skin become thickened?
- Do you notice a nipple that has retracted, which means it has turned inward instead of outward? (Retraction is good for cat’s claws, but not so good in human breast nipples.)
- Has the color changed, with a redness now apparent?
- Do you see any type of nipple discharge?
Most women know that a breast cancer can often spreads to lymph nodes under arms or at the collar bone. However, do you know that swelling or cancer can appear in those places even before you can feel the original tumor? Altiora Plastic Surgery and Medspa advises you to visit your doctor to investigate swollen lymph nodes.
We are well aware that some of the above symptoms on our pink check list can indicate conditions other than breast cancer. We still maintain that you should inform your health care provider of any of these symptoms or signs and discover what is causing them.
Your Pink Ribbon Take-Away on Breast Cancer for Today
We think it is vital for you to be cognizant of the changes in your breasts. Thus we have provided you with our “short list” of changes that bear watching in breasts. This list happens to be in agreement with the American Cancer Society.
Altiora Plastic Surgery and Medspa cautions you: in spite of this valuable list, knowing more about the symptoms to check for
Did you know the Pink Ribbon Symbols for breast cancer were designed and designated by a woman? (Story next week…)
breast cancer should in no way replace your regular mammogram or other types of doctor-suggested screening tests.
Your regular mammograms can detect cancer long before any such symptoms occur. Screening tests can help find breast cancer in its early stages, even before any symptoms appear. Experts state that despite improvements in scans and treatments, 252,710 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer before the end of 2017. About 18,000 of those women will be from Florida. We hope you are not one of them, but if you are, we are here to help.
A Pink Treat Next Week!
We have been wearing pink ribbons for 25 years. Some women can not remember when pink ribbons did not yet represent the search for a cure for breast cancer. Next week, the Altiora Plastic Surgery and Medspa blog will reveal the story behind the pink ribbons. We’ll tell you about the woman who made gentle pink ribbons represent research, hope and millions of dollars in the fight against breast cancer.
