Looking and feeling: If you regularly check your own bodies, you can get out of cancer earlier. How to do it best.
No matter where a malignant tumor has formed in the body: the earlier it is discovered, the better the chances of healing. There are types of cancer that we can track down ourselves. It only takes a few minutes a month, for example after showering. An overview:
1. Discover skin cancer with the ABCDE rule
The number of skin cancer cases increases in Germany: Data from the Federal Statistical Office show that in 2022 109,400 people with diagnosis skin cancer were treated in hospital. That is a good 75 percent more than in 2002. An important risk factor for skin cancer is the sun’s UV radiation.
Skin cancer: What changes should I pay attention to?
If liver spots suddenly arise or they change, this can indicate skin cancer. The ABCDE rule helps to assess this. Each letter stands for a warning sign that could have developed skin cancer. The German Cancer Society provides an overview:
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A like asymmetry: the – new or existing – liver stain has developed an uneven form.
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B how limitation: the edge of the liver stain is jagged, washed out, uneven or rough.
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C like color (German: color): pink, gray, brown, black: Several colors come together in a liver stain.
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D Like diameter: the liver stain has more than 5 millimeters in diameter or a hemisphere.
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E As grandeur: the liver stain protrudes more than a millimeter beyond the skin level and/or has a rough and scaly surface.
Liver spots on arms or legs quickly catch our eye. But they can also be located on hidden parts of the body – between the fingers or toes or under the soles of the feet, according to the Cancer Society. Or on the scalp. It therefore makes sense to help a hand mirror and maybe also ask the partner: “Can you look at my back, whether you notice anything?”
I noticed something. And now?
Did you notice anything about self -check? Then the following applies: no shyness and change the change in dermatologist practice. Some practices offer extra consultation hours to have the suspicion clarified promptly.
Good to know: From the age of 35, legally insured persons are entitled to a skin cancer screening every two years, which is done well: on the inside, but also general practitioners: carry out the inside with the appropriate further training. Doctor: Inside, the skin systematically searches for abnormalities, the examination takes around 10 to 20 minutes.
2. Finding breast cancer by watching and scanning
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. According to Center for Cancer Register Data, one of eight women is affected in the course of their lives. Reason enough to pay some attention to your own breasts in terms of cancer early detection once a month. That’s how it works.
Breast cancer: What pay attention to the self -examination?
It is best to ensure good lighting conditions. Gynecologist Klaus Doubek from the professional association of gynecologists (BVF) advises that the breast first look at the chest in the mirror. Have shape or size changed? Is one breast deformed differently than the other when I lift an arm?
Women should also check whether the skin of the breast pulls in one place inwards, whether it is reminiscent of the appearance of an orange somewhere. Red or scaly skin can also be a sign that something is wrong.
It is all about this question when it comes to scanning: do I notice new or unusual hardening or knot in my chest? The armpits should also be checked on it. If women are noticed that a breast pulls, hurts or swells, this can also be a warning sign. This also applies in the event that a liquid – clear or bloody – leaves a nipple.
Do you feel strange? Then the following applies: to be clarified quickly. And take a deep breath beforehand: Not creeping is hidden behind every abnormality.
When is the best time to palpate?
Incidentally, there is a time window a month that is particularly suitable for scanning: women who have a menstrual period best do this between the 3rd and the 7th day after the period in the period, is the advice of the BVF. The reason: During this time, the glandular fabric in the chest is the softest, hardening is better.
Women without menstrual period, for example after menopause, best take a fixed day a month. Anyone who sets a memory in the cell phone does not bump it at best. Discipline pays off: over time, your chest becomes more and more familiar, changes then notice all the faster.
However, the self-check does not replace the early detection examinations in the gynecologist’s office, according to the BVF. Women between the ages of 50 and 75 can also take part in the mammography screening for the early detection of breast cancer.
3. Looking down testicular cancer by watching and scanning
Todic cancer is rather rare, according to the Center for Cancer Register data, around 4,300 men received this diagnosis in 2022.
A risk is a risk factor: especially men between the ages of 20 and 40 are affected. If father or brother has already received a testicular cancer diagnosis, the risk is also increased. “In addition, men with one or two testicles in the abdomen have a higher risk, even after operational treatment,” said Axel Merseburg, director of the Clinic for Urology of the University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH).
The good news: Once the cancer has been discovered, it can be healed in most cases, says Merseburg.
Testicular cancer: How do I examine myself?
Ideally, men carry out the self -examination once a month, “preferably after a warm shower or a bathroom, as the skin of the scrotum is then relaxed,” advises Axel Merseburger. It is best to stand in front of a mirror and first check whether swelling or skin changes can be seen.
Then the palpation begins. “Take one testicle after the other between the thumb and index finger of both hands. Role gently, but thoroughly to check its surface, ”explains Merseburger. If it is smooth and there are no hardening, it is a good sign.
The self -examination also includes checking the secondary dogs. “It is soft and curved and lies at the top and back of the testicles,” says Merseburger, who is also a press spokesman for the German Society for Urology (DGU).
What abnormalities should I have clarified?
Differences or hardening are noticeable when palpable? These are abnormalities that should be clarified in promptly at Urolog: inside. “Even small, peas -sized nodes should be taken seriously,” said Axel Merseburger.
Even if it is enlarged or swollen on one side of the testicles, this is an abnormal, as is a pull or feeling of difficulty, “especially if it lasts longer.” Even if the testicle feels unusually hard or soft, men should pursue this.
Read more on utopia.de:
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- First visit to Gynecological: Inside: What awaits you
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