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How to Detect Breast Cancer

When cancer is detected in its early stages, more action can be taken to effectively treat the cancer. Preventative tests such as mammograms, pap smear tests and self-breast examinations need to be incorporated in your life depending on your age and risk factors.

Listed below are breast cancer screening methods for women in their teens and twenties to begin. Talk to your doctor or health care professional about cancer screening and whether it would be likely to help you.

Breast Self-Examination
When you examine your own breasts it is called breast self-examination (BSE). Studies so far have not shown that BSE alone reduces the number of deaths from breast cancer. Therefore, it should not be used in place of clinical breast examination and /or mammography. Your doctor can talk to you about what types of screening tests would be best for you at your age.

Clinical Breast Examination
During your routine physical examination, your doctor or health care professional may do a clinical breast examination (CBE). During a CBE, your doctor will carefully feel your breasts and under your arms to check for lumps or other unusual changes.

Pap Test
A Pap Test is an examination where a nurse or doctor wipes a swab on the cervix in your vagina. All women over the age of 18 or women under 18, who have had sex need to have an annual Pap Test, which are important because they detect cancer of the cervix early--while it's still easier to cure.