What Are Warning Signs of Breast Cancer? AVERA HEALTH
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hen it comes to your breast health, be vigilant and advocate for your own well-being, advises Michelle Bryan, MD, breast surgeon with Avera Medical Group Comprehensive Breast Care. After age 40, annual mammograms are the best way to help ensure that breast cancer is caught in its earliest stages—before you can feel a lump or before other symptoms appear. A mammogram detects changes in your breast earlier than a physical examination alone. “Mammograms can pick up subtle changes you can’t feel. Early signs of breast cancer are not always noticed during a physical exam. The mammogram’s strength is the fact it picks up many early breast cancers at stages, before they lead to physical changes,” Bryan said. “Those notable changes an exam might find often come at more-advanced stages of the disease.” But beyond a suspicious finding on a mammogram or feeling a lump, you can be on the lookout for other symptoms. Not all breast cancers may produce a lump—and may manifest physically in other ways.
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HEALTH & WELL-BEING
