Exams A Must For Detecting Breast Cancer, Local Experts Say

Do it in the shower. Do it while getting ready for bed. Just do it once a month.

Get familiar with your breasts: look for lumps, changes in size, shape or feel and to see if there is any fluid.

All women should know their breasts and surrounding areas so they can be aware of changes, the American Cancer Society recommends.

But not every woman heeds the American Cancer Society's suggestions. Local breast cancer experts think a major reason for avoiding a mammogram or neglecting regular self-breast exams is fear.

Check Your Breasts

"I think women are afraid—I think they're not sure of what they're feeling or looking for," said Marita Truax, Healthy Woman Program Coordinator at 's Comprehensive Breast Center. "Breasts are lumpy and bumpy, and what you really need to do is be consistent with self-exams and know your body, because what is normal for one person may not be for another."

Women should conduct self breast exams monthly, Truax said, beginning once their breasts are fully developed—so between 15  and 20 years old for most women.

Along with monthly self exams, all women should schedule mammograms annually once they hit 40. Ideally, women in their 20s and 30s would also schedule a mammogram every two to three years, Truax said. While bi-yearly mammograms are not the recommended guideline for women under 40 (unless they fall within a high risk category), early mammograms are another precautionary measure.

"We have plenty of patients who are diagnosed under age 30—it's very scary," Truax explained. "… I found my first lump in my breast at 21 years old."

Just because there's a lump doesn't mean it's breast cancer, Truax said—most lumps are benign, but it's still important to have every lump checked out.

Lynne Dix, manager of 's Comprehensive Breast Center, also views fear as a major reason why women don't always get their annual  mammograms or conduct self exams.

"It could be the expense of  having a mammogram (that is not covered by insurance)—there's also fear  with some patients that a mammogram might be painful, which it's not…  There's also fear of the unknown: There are some people that don't want  to do self-exams because they're afraid of what they'll find. They have  to understand that early diagnosis is key."

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the idea is to educate women and men and to raise money for the cure. Sometimes women are afraid to go see their doctors, but this is the time to do it. Grab a friend and make appointments.

In Pennsylvania, experts predict 10,570 new cases of breast cancer to be diagnosed this year.

“Many breast cancers will be found in women who never felt a lump, because on average, mammography will detect about 80 to 90 percent of the breast cancers in women without symptoms,” said Kristina Thomson, executive vice president, interim, for the American Cancer Society of New York and New Jersey.

Free Breast Cancer Screenings

Luckily, a number of area hospitals offer free or reduced cost breast cancer screenings, mammograms and other services for uninsured or underinsured women. Some hospitals offer the free services through state-run programs, while others are provided through breast cancer foundations.

In Pennsylvania, women over 40 who are uninsured or underinsured can  qualify for the HealthyWoman program, a Pennsylvania Department of  Health program that offers free mammograms, clinical breast exams,  pelvic exams and pap testing at participating hospitals, including  Delaware County Memorial Hospital in Drexel Hill, in  Wynnewood, and Bryn Mawr Hospital's Comprehensive Breast Center.

To qualify, a  woman must be between 40 and 64 and meet self-reported income  guidelines. Find out if you're eligible by calling the HealthyWoman  program at 1-800-215-7494.

Other hospitals have partnered with foundations in  order to provide women's health services. Both and Riddle  Hospital, for example, partner with the Linda Creed Foundation to provide free breast  cancer screenings and other services to uninsured or underinsured  women.

The two hospitals will both offer breast cancer  screenings this month: Paoli Hospital will offer a free breast cancer  screening on Oct. 15, and Riddle Hospital will offer a free screening on  Oct. 22.

In addition to free mammograms for qualifying women who are uninsured or underinsured, the Comprehensive Breast Center at Bryn Mawr offers free self-exam tutorial sessions by MammaCare-trained nurses in conjunction with the HealthyWoman program.

Provided is a list of some of the local hospitals that offer free breast cancer screenings and other women's health services:

• (101 South Bryn Mawr Ave., Bryn Mawr)
• (1068 West Baltimore Pike, Media)
• (100 East Lancaster Ave., Wynnewood)
• Holloway Breast Health Center at Paoli Hospital (255 W. Lancaster Ave., Paoli)
• Delaware County Memorial Hospital (501 North Lansdowne Ave., Drexel Hill)
• (8811 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia)
• Mercy Suburban Hospital Breast Center (2701 DeKalb Pike, East Norriton)

Editor's note: This article has been clarified to rephrase mammography guidelines for women in their 20s and 30s.