More than one in two women did not have their recommended mammogram in 2022. This is the “alarming” figure revealed by the League against Cancer, on the occasion of Pink October, breast cancer prevention month. In France, this cancer is the most common in women and represents 33% of female cancers.
So, like every year in October since 1994, many associations are mobilizing and organizing prevention campaigns. And this edition is perhaps even more important than the previous ones. Because if mortality from this cancer tends to decrease thanks to prevention campaigns, the League against Cancer has noted for ten years “an alarming drop” in the number of screenings. The association recently carried out a study, conducted by Opinion Way, where more than a million women aged 50 to 74 admitted to having never participated in screening.
Carry out a self-diagnosis
If screening remains an essential test to detect breast cancer, self-palpation of the breasts is also strongly recommended by health professionals. We therefore asked Emmanuel Ricard, doctor and delegate for prevention and screening at the League Against Cancer, to show us on video and on a mannequin how to carry out an effective self-examination.
Looking at your breasts in a mirror
Before starting to feel the breasts, Emmanuel Ricard reminds us that it is important to observe them in front of a mirror, starting by looking at any possible asymmetry of the breasts. “Breasts are never perfectly identical” recalls the specialist. “However, if you see that a breast is gaining in size, that it is growing on one side, this is not normal,” continues the doctor. Another thing that is abnormal is a difference between the two nipples, especially a retraction of one of them. This retraction is an indication that there is an attractive process that is pulling the nipple inward and it must be suspicious.” The specialist also warns about a change in appearance of the skin, whether it is a scratch, a wrinkle that persists or a grainy or “orange peel” appearance of the breast. “This is a sign that you have cells that are tight on the skin and this should lead you to consult.”
The four quadrant method
To self-palpate, Emmanuel Ricard recommends two methods, one of which consists of dividing the breast into four quadrants so as not to forget any area. “We start from the nipple and we press very hard to get the sensation on the surface but also in depth, because the tumor can be quite deep” shows the specialist. Before continuing: “You have to do each quadrant one after the other, remembering not to forget the most extreme parts. You should not do big lifts but small ones to cover the entire breast well.” Then Emmanuel Ricard warns. “If fluid comes out when pressing on the nipple, regardless of the color of the fluid, you should seek medical attention. Outside of breastfeeding periods, no liquid should come out. If not that means there may be a cyst or something bleeding.”
Spiral palpation
Another method is also effective: that of spiral palpation. “We start at the nipple and widen following a circle. You must feel carefully below the breast and not forget the armpits where part of the mammary gland is located, but also between the two breasts, around the clavicle and the supraclavicular area.
To fully understand how to perform an effective self-palpation, you can watch the video at the top of this article.