Inspect your mouth regularly
Why?
Most often caused by irritation and not only when wearing a device, small oral lesions can also herald less benign pathologies. A canker sore, for example, heals in ten days; otherwise it can be something else …
For who ?
For everyone but especially smokers and people over 50 years old. Bleeding or abnormal swelling of the gums, a tooth that becomes sensitive to the cold or that has broken spontaneously should lead to an appointment with his dentist.
How? ‘Or’ What ?
In front of a mirror, look at his gums, the inside of his cheeks and especially his tongue. If it presents a whitish stain, unusual redness, a cardboard appearance or if it takes a brown color, it is necessary to consult.
Monitor your moles
Why?
Behind a new brown spot that appears on the skin or a mole whose appearance changes quickly can hide a melanoma. Detected at an undeveloped stage, this skin cancer can, most of the time, be cured.
For who ?
For everyone, but you must be particularly vigilant if you have fair skin and / or many moles or if members of your family have already had melanoma. What if you caught severe sunburns during childhood, if you have lived in a country with high sun exposure or if you have to be exposed to the sun in an intense way as part of your work or leisure.
How to do ?
Identify the mole that is different from the others, and watch it. To do this, use the rule known as ABCDE (A for asymmetry, B as irregular edges, C as non-homogeneous color, D as increasing diameter, E as evolution). The dermatologist can train a person at risk to perform this self-examination. In case of doubt, it is recommended to consult quickly.
Palpate his testicles
Why ?
To identify any anomaly (size, change in consistency …) which could suggest a tumor.
For who ?
Urologists advise men, from puberty, to get into the habit of feel their testicles three or four times a year.
How to do ?
The gesture is performed by holding the testicle in the palm of one hand and gently palpating it between the thumb and fingers of the other hand.
Check the appearance of your genitals
Why ?
Some STI (sexually transmitted infections) can result in the appearance of lesions on the vulva or penis that may go unnoticed because they are painless. This is the case with genital warts (or condylomas) which are due to infection with papillomaviruses. A whitish vulva may also need treatment.
For who ?
For everyone, but you must be particularly vigilant if you have (or have had) risky sex (unprotected, multiple partners …).
How to do ?
Self-examination is easier for men. Women need a mirror. Some STIs (AIDS, hepatitis B or C) can also be silent for several years, so a blood test can be useful.
Feel her breasts
Why ?
To identify any change in consistency, any size or skin abnormality … which could suggest a tumor.
For who ?
It is advisable for women, from puberty, to feel your breasts every month, at the same period of the cycle.
How to do ?
1. Upright in front of a mirror, first check that there is nothing abnormal (flow of liquid, cracks, folds, etc.)
2. Raise one arm and, with the fingers of the opposite hand, palpate the breast in small circles from the outer part to the inner part. Do not forget about the area between the breast and the armpit.
3. To end through the nipple. Squeeze it gently and check that no flow occurs.
4. Restart the same operation on the other breast.
Cancer screening: examinations to remember
The smear to screen for cervical cancer
It is a smear to be done every three years (after two normal annual smears) from 25 years and up to 65 years. It can be performed by a gynecologist, a general practitioner or a midwife.
Stool collection to screen for colorectal cancer
This is to detect a possible trace of blood in the stool which would indicate a lesion. It is carried out every two years from 50 to 74 years old (you receive an invitation to go and get the test from your doctor). It is now an immunological test, simpler and more reliable than the Hemocult. See the site: http://www.e-cancer.fr/depistage/depistage-du-cancer-colorectal/espace-grand-public/le-depistage-organise-en-pratique.
Mammography to screen for breast cancer
A mammogram every two years is recommended for all women aged 50 to 74. They are invited, by mail, to take the exam. If you are still on your period, it is better to plan it right after your period.
THEPSA (prostate specific antigen) assay to screen for prostate cancer
This dosage is debated. Some urologists recommend it to men between 55 and 69 years old. But it has not been established that it reduces mortality so much and it can lead to disabling surgical treatments (incontinence, impotence) if the cancer remains very little progressive, which is frequent in elderly men. “Unless there is a family history or individual risk factors, I do not offer screening to my patients,” says Dr. Thomas Cartier, general practitioner.
Alcohol and tobacco, you can test your addiction!
With the consumption of alcohol and tobacco, the risk of cancer (such as cardiovascular disease) increases. But from what consumption do we really take risks? To take stock objectively, go to www.tabac-info-service.fr and www.alcool-info-service.fr. These sites offer to test your level of dependence on tobacco and alcohol for free and, in the event of excessive consumption, they detail the solutions that are offered to stop smoking or drinking. To stop smoking, the tabac-info-service.fr site has also recently offered a smartphone application.
>> To read also:
Self-monitoring of the eyes: signs not to be taken lightly
Melanoma: more than three in 10 French people have never had their moles examined
Breast cancer: a painkiller hormone to screen for it
