Organized breast cancer screening is aimed at all women aged 50 to 74: in practice, it involves having a mammogram (that is to say: an x-ray of the breasts) every two years, preceded by a clinical examination (palpation of the chest) and possibly supplemented by an ultrasound.
Not recommended by the Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS), breast self-palpation is “a good complement to organized breast cancer screening, according to Dr. Dr. Dominique Sperandeo, medical gynecologist. It does not replace the mammograms but it can help to discover certain tumors that could occur between two exams. “This practice would also make it possible to detect up to 1/3 of breast cancers …
A practical, free and very easy to use app
To encourage women to adopt the “self-palpation” reflex, the American association Keep A Breast has just launched an application, available free of charge on the Apple Store and Google play. Baptized “Keep a breast“, this practical app sends us a notification once a month inviting us to have our breasts examined.
At the end of the tutorial (illustrated by the French artist Tina Tictone), you have to answer a few questions to know if you have detected (or not) an anomaly – a “ball”, a lump, a redness … doubt, we can then make an appointment with a doctor directly via the application. Extremely simple!
“Palpation is a means available to all which makes it possible to very easily detect an anomaly. The “keep a breast” application is extremely intuitive, and allows, if in doubt, to guide each woman from the palpation when making an appointment with a specialist. This great initiative will save many women, I am sure!“reacted the singer Fanny Leeb, who will be godmother of Pink October this year. Shall we try?
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