Scientific evidence-based medicine suggests that breast self-examination (BSE) and clinical breast examination by your doctor (CBE) have not shown to decrease the death rate from breast cancer, sometimes cause undue alarm, anxiety and unnecessary investigations. Mammography alone or combined with ultrasound/MRI have shown to be extremely effective for early pick-up of breast cancer and thus improving cure rates. Most often the first clues to breast cancer is a lump in the breast. But do remain alert to changes in the size, shape of the breast, dimpling or puckering of the overlying skin, discharge from the nipple or inverted nipple. Not all lumps in the breast are cancer. But if a lump or nipple discharge does not seem to go away it should be checked. Cancerous lumps are usually painless. Painful breasts, on the other hand, are common and should not cause alarm unless they last more than a few days.

Breast cancer can be prevented by use of certain medicines in high risk cases. Based on scientific evidence, the risks can be lowered by moderate exercise, limiting alcohol intake and by avoiding obesity after menopause. Certain foodstuffs have also shown beneficial effects: those containing isothiocyanates like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, mustard greens and turnips, Polyphenol containg foods like apples, onions, green tea, lycopene found in tomatoes, folic acid rich foods like avocado, bananas, orange juice, asparagus, green leafy vegetables, dried peas and beans, Vitamin C rich foods like citrus fruits, guava, and Vitamin D obtained from sunlight and fortified milk.

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