Dr. Gauri Bedi Of The Hoffberger Breast Center at Mercy Discusses Breast Self-Exams For Early Detection

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Early detection of the disease can be life-saving. One method of breast cancer detection, a self-examination of the breast, has become controversial. But does that mean you shouldn't do it?

Nichola Bishop was in between annual mammograms when she felt a lump in her breast.

"It actually felt like an olive, a round, solid bump," Bishop said.

She wasted no time making her next mammogram appointment.

"I came and had my mammogram, and they didn't like what they saw," Bishop said.

Bishop had breast cancer.

Gauri C. Bedi, M.D., FACS, of The Hoffberger Breast Center at Mercy is on Bishop's team of doctors. Bedi applauds Bishop for doing a self-breast exam, even though the practice has become somewhat controversial. Some in the medical community don't recommend breast self-exam because they believe it hasn't been proven beneficial, but Bedi disagrees.
 
"So, I think there's no cost to it, it is easy, and there are definitely patients who pick up abnormalities, which bring attention to something that turns out to be cancer," Dr. Bedi said.

Bishop said she is evidence enough that breast self-examination is worthwhile.

"Now I'm happy to tell you that I rang the bell a couple of weeks ago," Bishop said.

Ringing the bell is a tradition that marks the end of her cancer treatment and is music to her ears.

To view Mercy breast cancer surgeon Dr. Gauri Bedi’s interview regarding the importance of breast self-examination for breast cancer detection, click here.