Early Cancer Detection Methods for Skin, Breast and Testicular Cancer
According to the American Cancer Society, cancer is the cause of death for over 600,000 deaths in the United States every year. Survivability of cancer drastically increases when it is caught early on.
Routine testing and self-examination help doctors catch cancer early on. Skin irregularities can serve as early warning sights and play a major role in cancer prevention. Keep reading to learn more about how self-examination can help with early cancer detection.
Know What to Look For
When you are conducting a self-examination, you want to look for any persistent irregularities on the skin. This can manifest as a sore, mole, or rash. Each cancer has its own set of warning signs.
Skin Cancer
Malignant melanoma is one of the most dangerous forms of skin cancer, when it comes to these cases early detection is key. This variation of cancer most commonly produces a flat or raised brown patch.
When performing these self-exams, you want to know what warning signs to look for. Giving yourself an introductory education to skin pathology can help you delineate between a blood blister vs melanoma. Melanoma specifically is often marked by a mole with an asymmetrical shape, uneven color, and an irregular border.
If you notice new spots on your skin you may want to flag these to a dermatologist. Your doctor will give this site a closer look and potentially perform a biopsy to send a sample off for testing.
Testicular Cancer
When conducting a testicular cancer self-examination you want to examine each testicle separately. Although warning signs can be topical, when conducting a self-exam you will want to look for any changes in feel or look.
Breast Cancer
The five-year survival rate for breast cancer is 93% when caught early on. This makes self-examination key to catching breast abnormalities. You need to use the pads of your hands to feel for lumps or hardened breast tissue.
Inspect Your Body for Irregularities
Although cancer and pre-cancerous growths can manifest themselves in a variety of ways, they often produce an outward change in the body. When you are performing a self-examination, you should use a hand mirror to help you get a 360 view of your body.
By inspecting your body regularly for irregularities, you can be a way of when a mole is new or suspicious. Your body grows and changes over time- however most of these changes are prompted in one way or another.
Document Anything Unusual
It is completely natural to develop skin tags and moles over time. However, if any of them seem irregular or cause irritation they could be physical signs that act as a precursor to a cancer diagnosis. Any new growth that doesn’t go away after a month should pique your interest.
By creating a timeline, dermatologists and experts can help gauge their concerns and effectively monitor growth. You can help your doctors properly assess a plan by keeping accurate records of new moles or unusual lumps or growths.
Perform Self Examinations for Early Cancer Detection
Performing self-examinations can save your life. By reviewing your skin for irregularities once a month, you can keep an accurate record of any new growths or early detection signs. Schedule out time for your to regularly conduct self-examinations for early cancer detection.
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