Breast Augmentation And Breast Cancer Prevention: What You Need To Know
After much thought and pondering, you have made the big decision to consider undergoing a breast augmentation procedure. Whether you have unusually small breasts and are looking to make them "normal," or are looking to make a major statement with your breast size and cleavage, the basic procedure is the same. However, one of your primary concerns may be in regard to the possibility of developing breast cancer. Before you let this fear dissuade you from pursuing your goals for your breast augmentation procedure, get to know the facts about breast augmentation and breast cancer prevention. Then, you can make an educated decision about pursuing your breast augmentation procedure.
Does Breast Augmentation Increase Your Risk Of Breast Cancer?
One of the biggest questions on your mind is whether or not breast implants can cause breast cancer. Luckily, the answer is an overwhelming no. There is no evidence that breast augmentation surgery or implants will increase your risk of developing breast cancer.
So, if you fear developing breast cancer because of an implant, you have no need to worry. If you are still unconvinced, consider the fact that women who have had breast cancer in the past often get breast implants following a mastectomy to reconstruct their breasts. Doctors would not recommend this procedure if they feared it would cause cancer again.
How Can You Tell If You Have Any Breast Lumps After Implants?
After your breast implant procedure and recovery, the texture of the skin on your breast, their weight and their overall feel will be far different than before surgery. So as soon as you have healed and your breast implants have settled into place, reacquaint yourself with your breasts.
To perform your monthly self-exams properly, you will need to get used to the way your new breasts feel to the touch. So, explore and take note of any dimples, skin folds, and the like. Once you know your breasts again, you will be able to easily perform your monthly self-exams just as before to look for changes or abnormalities in your breast tissue.
How Will Implants Affect Mammograms?
A mammogram is a scan that doctors use to look for abnormalities in your breast tissue. It involves squishing your breast tissue between two plates and taking x-ray images of the tissues.
Breast implants can and will affect your mammogram scans simply because your doctor will not be able to press your breast tissue as flat as they would if you had only natural breast tissue. But, this is really not a problem. Your doctor will just need to take a few additional scans at different angles to work around the breast implants and will still be able to get a good view of your breast tissue and look for cancer cells.
Now that you know more about breast augmentation and breast cancer prevention, you can see that your implants will have virtually no effect on your risk of developing breast cancer. You can rest easy knowing that you can have the breasts you have always wanted without increasing your risk of developing breast cancer.
For more information, contact Laufer Institute of Plastic Surgery or a similar location.
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