Learn the right actions to monitor yourself and prevent breast cancer. This is the objective of self-screening workshops organized this Tuesday, October 8 within Maif, in Niort. Workshops lasting around twenty minutes, led by midwives of the Niortais territorial professional health community. A first for the mutual in this month of Pink October. “We have a large majority of women in the company”explains Charlotte Avarguez, occupational health nurse at Maif. “Knowing that one in eight women can be affected, it is important to organize this awareness to prevent breast cancer at all ages, and to learn to self-examine even for young women”she continues.
“I feel a lump”
Using a silicone breast and guided by a midwife, the volunteers try to find irregularities which should lead to consulting a health professional. “I don’t feel anything”said Audrey, touching her fingers to the fake breast. “Ah yes, a ball”she says. The gesture must be supported. “It’s not a little guiliguili, caressing session”specifies midwife Nathalie Lebot who advises doing it standing and lying down. “You must have arm raised. To examine the left breast, use the right hand with the three middle fingers of the hand using the first phalanges. We start at the armpit and move around the breast, palpating and rolling.”she explains. A self-examination which can be done once a month, for example in the shower.
“I clearly saw the importance of supporting”
“I clearly saw the importance of supporting”says Audrey. “We realize that lymph nodes can be very deep. This is not not necessarily only on the surface or visible. Il It’s not just the signs like flow or asymmetry”. Organized breast cancer screening with mammograms begins at age 50. Audrey is 42. “It’s prevention. We have the tools, the means to self-detect so I think it’s important to take advantage of it.”
Chantal, another Maif employee present at the workshop, is 58 years old. It is monitored every two years. But “in two years, things can happen. There are fewer health professionals now. Gynecologists and midwives are in quite a lot of demand so it allows you to make sure that you don’t feel anything on yourself “. An essential prevention. Detected early, breast cancer is curable in 9 out of 10 cases.
