5 ways to check yourself for cancer
Health / / December 19, 2019
Cancer (after cardiovascular) - secondCancer. Key facts a major cause of mortality in the world. Many cancers are treated very well, if you see them in the early stages. To do this, not so much.
What should be done
1. A close look at yourself
In Russia, according toMalignancies in Russia in 2016 Moscow Research Institute of Oncology named after PA BUT. Herzen, most often appear on the skin growths. Of all these cases, 14.2% are malignant melanoma - one of the most aggressive tumors.
Melanomas often disguised as ordinary moles, but the tumor is different from the normal tissue, and it still can be found. Therefore, if you regularly inspect the body, examine suspicious moles and pigmented spots, the chance to notice skin cancer in its early stages, when treatment is more effectiveMelanoma likely increases.
How to be checked for skin cancer
Inspections are carried out after a shower or bath in the room with good light.
- Undress and stand in front of a mirror in full growth, but if this is not, any will do. Inspect the birthmark on the face, neck, chest and abdomen. Women need to lift the chest and examine the skin beneath it. Examine the skin in the armpits, back of your hands, a space between the fingers.
- Sit down and look at the legs on all sides, not forgetting the fingers. Pick up a small mirror and look at his feet behind: behind the knees, on the back of the thigh.
- Using the same mirror check buttocks and groin explore - neoplasm may appear even in genital skin.
- Stand with your back to the big mirror and check your back, looking at the small.
These oncologists recommend checkingSkin Self-exam Gallery held once a month. Then the skin is under control.
What should be alerted:
- Mole or spot is more than 6 mm in diameter.
- Neoplasm with uneven, indistinct edges.
- Mole or unusual spot colors, for example red or partially blackened.
- Any entity acting on the skin surface.
Oncological skin diseases are many, they look different. Therefore, it is desirable to everything that itches, becomes wet, bleeding and shelled, see a doctor.
2. check weight
Many cancers develop unnoticed: the cancer is already there, but it does not give itself felt neither pain nor some special symptoms. And the usual ailments, not all pay attention: why run to the doctor because of fatigue, when it should be clear that you need a vacation?
One of the signs of cancer - weight loss, provided that diet and lifestyle have not changed.
Most often, so saySigns and Symptoms of Cancer Statement cancer of the stomach, pancreas, esophagus or lung.
Of course, the weight goes not only because of the cancer. That is why you need to be weighed regularly to know when a change is justified in body weight, and when to see a doctor and find out where the missing kilos.
3. Do genetic analysis
Predisposition to many types of cancer is inherited, but genetic testing helps to identify mutations that increase the risk. Go for tests makes sense if someone in the family has had cancer.
For example, development of breast cancer genes affectingGenetic Testing for Hereditary Cancer Syndromes BRCA1 and BRCA2. If a person find such, it becomes clear that he is at risk.
"Bad" gene - it is not a disease. It's just a signal, which indicates that it is necessary carefully relate to health and does not miss a suspicious ailment.
4. make mammography
Mammography - the study of the breast using X-rays. women are advisedBreast Cancer Screening for Women at Average Risk mammograms regularly after 40-45 years, and after 50 years of makingOK, When Am I Supposed To Get A Mammogram? it every year or two. checked pointless and even harmful up to these age limits. The more often the survey is conducted, the higher the riskMammograms false positive result. This, in turn, leads to unnecessary investigations and operations.
To search for chest compression harmful.
According to the observationsPreventive health care, 2001 update: Should women be routinely taught breast self-examination to screen for breast cancer?, The self-test does not help find cancer of the breast at an early stage. But makes vain worry if something suddenly "appeared", and treat cases that do not require it (here refers to tumors that pass on their own).
Men, too, is breast cancer, Albeit infrequently. Therefore it is sufficient to pay attention to the unpleasant symptoms: pain or a lump in her breast, any discharge from the nipple or change their shape.
5. Calculate how much you smoke
Lung cancer is one of the three most commonLung Cancer types of cancer, but most of them are sick people who smoke. At risk are even those who stopped smoking less than 15 years ago. An important condition for the development of lung cancer - the number of cigarettes smokes the potential patient.
In order to evaluate the chances of the disease, you can use the index smokerTobacco and functional state of the respiratory system in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The number of cigarettes per day multiplied by the number of years of tobacco use and divided by 20. If the index is greater than 25, a person enters a group of hard-core smokers. So the risks are growing sick. We need to do more tests.
By the way, for the detection of lung cancer using chest x-rays are not, which can not see anything really, and computed tomography.
What not to do
- Put a diagnosis. Read in "Wikipedia" list of symptoms is perfectly normal. But after such a search can not draw conclusions. Our task - to notice the warning signs of. And let the diagnosis put experts after surveys and analyzes.
- Donate blood for tumor markers. These analyzes are needed for patients in whom the diagnosis has been confirmed, because the result can be a false positive in healthy peopleCancer blood tests: Lab tests used in cancer diagnosis. For example, due to the inflammatory process. Through tumor markers tracks the performance of the treatment. For this study was repeated and the results are compared. A single analysis does not give useful informationCan tumor markers be used in cancer screening?.
- Conduct MRI, ultrasound and other tests, unless there is a reason. No wonder all the diagnostic procedures prescribed only after symptoms appeared. Explore the healthy person without complaint is pointless: the doctor does not know what to look for. A study each square centimeter of the internal inefficiency, as a high risk to miss something dangerous. Or find a not very good start and it is hard to treat.
Do not look for a disease where there is none. Cancer really is better to detect the early stages, but the main thing - do not overdo it in the search.
see also🧐
- As modern life causes cancer
- How to eat meat, not to get cancer
- How can we prevent cancer