Giulia Grassi

Self-Examination, the first Breast Cancer Prevention Exam

by Giulia Grassi October 20, 2022

A few simple gestures can make all the difference in breast cancer prevention.

At a typical time in the daily routine, just a few minutes and proper self-examination can keep potential changes and irregularities in check. Here’s how.

Although breast cancer in its early stages generally causes no discomfort, women can feel changes in their breasts through this periodic self-examination. This should be done between days 7 and 14 of the cycle, when the breasts are less likely to be swollen and sore. For women who no longer menstruate, the advice is to choose a day that is easy to remember, such as the first or last day of the month.

Special attention should be paid to the following abnormalities:

  • Changes in breast size or shape
  • Difference in size between the two breasts that has appeared recently
  • Retractions, folds or swelling of the breasts
  • Skin abnormalities, such as redness, inflammation or “orange peel” skin
  • Hardening or presence of lumps in breast tissue
  • Nodules or swellings in the axillary cavity
  • Retraction or redness of the nipples or discharge of fluid
  • Pain in the breast area

Self-examination is not a substitute for a medical examination or mammogram for early detection of breast cancer. Prevention programs are available in all regions that invite all women aged 50 and older to have mammography screening every two years.

If you notice changes or irregularities in your breasts, do not be alarmed; they may be benign lesions. See a specialist who will direct you to the appropriate tests.

Self-palpation performed once a month facilitates early detection and increases the likelihood of cure. However, this does not mean that every lump that is palpated automatically corresponds to breast cancer; even cysts can be the cause of a mutation. However, every palpable lump should be examined by a specialist.

Filed under Blog Healthcare

What Mammography is, What it is for and How it is performed

by Giulia Grassi October 13, 2022

It is often said that ‘better safe than sorry’!

Adhering to a screening is the first and most important step for a possible early diagnosis: it is essential to talk to your family doctor or a specialist and have the tests done. If there are family risk factors, the recommendation is always to seek advice from your doctor.

Mammography is not usually a painful examination and is therefore performed without hospitalisation, anaesthesia or sedation of the patient. One should not be afraid to have it done and the advice is always to go to specialised centres.

Mammography, what it consists of and who performs it

Mammography is an X-ray examination of the breast, using a low dose of ionising radiation for a few seconds. It allows early detection of breast tumours, as it is able to detect lumps, even small ones, that are not yet perceptible to the touch. Mammography is performed by a specialist doctor in senology on an outpatient basis, so there is no need for admission or day hospital.

No preparation is needed in the hours or the day before the examination, and you can eat and drink. The advice is to wear comfortable clothes and not to apply creams or deodorants to the skin in the area affected by the examination, as they may alter the image available to the doctor for the examination. If you have had previous examinations, starting with the screening mammogram, you should bring them with you and inform your doctor.

Practical information for breast screening

The time of an examination is about 15 minutes, not including the phases of acceptance and interview with the doctor. The examination involves positioning the breast on a plane (detector) and compressing it with a plate (compressor) to ensure immobility during the examination and to obtain sharp, quality images. A total of 4 projections are performed: viewing the breast both from above and from the side.

The actual duration of the examination on the machine is only a few seconds per projection. Greater accuracy in diagnosis is achieved by the evaluation of the mammogram performed separately by 2 radiologist doctors. If the result is positive, you are invited for a second mammography, an ultrasound scan and a clinical examination to confirm or not the actual presence of a tumour.

Mammography, tomosynthesis and ultrasound: how they work

The traditional digital mammogram acquires a single image of the compressed breast. Traditional mammography allows for two-dimensional images of the breast. In newer systems, a three-dimensional acquisition is added to this so-called “traditional” examination, which, by breaking down the breast into thin layers, allows even the most minute structures to be appreciated.

Ultrasound, on the other hand, is a diagnostic examination that scans the breasts and axillary cords using a probe that emits ultrasound and allows for the detection of any palpable breast lumps or any changes in the axillary lymph nodes.

In practical terms, breast ultrasound is also used as a second-level examination to complement or supplement an initial diagnosis of mammography, particularly in breasts with particularly dense tissue. Or if the screening mammogram finding presents the need to deepen tissue: this second step should not be frightening, but is precisely a preventive practice to further investigate what may be cancerous lesions still in an early stage. Again, it is good to rely on a specialized center or breast unit that has all the machinery to immediately perform an ultrasound to support a mammogram examination.

Filed under Blog Business Healthcare

When and Who should have Mammography Screening

by Giulia Grassi October 6, 2022

Breast cancer is an enemy that can be tackled by anticipating it with healthy lifestyles and without letting your guard down thanks to screening. Mammography is crucial in the prevention of breast cancer, which is the most common cancer disease in the female population. Thanks to early diagnosis and effective treatment, the survival of women with breast cancer has improved, with mortality significantly reduced and estimated 5-year survival increasing.

10 useful tips before mammography screening

Screening for breast cancer is aimed at women between the ages of 45 and 74 (https://healthcare-quality.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ecibc/european-breast-cancer-guidelines/screening-ages-and-frequencies) and involves having a mammogram every two or three years, depending on the age group. *

So here is a list of some good practices to keep in mind when we want to join the screening programme:

  • Respect the timing of mammography screening according to age and any family predispositions
  • Always talk to the family doctor or a specialist first to get all the information about the examination and the centres where it can be carried out
  • Anxiety and fear are often uncomfortable companions on this journey of prevention. However, if the examination requires further investigation, early screening and early diagnosis are the allies that can make the difference in the course of treatment.
  • Do not procrastinate: therefore write down on your calendar the day and time when you want to have the screening examination in order to have a high probability of booking the examination without procrastination
  • On the day of the examination, do not apply deodorants or creams to your skin, as these may alter the image of the mammogram
  • Try to relax; discomfort has been shown to increase a negative psychological state
  • The doctor is a trustworthy person with whom you can talk and share your anxieties and fears.
  • In the case of breast implants, let them know when you book: the centre will be able to tell you if they can perform the examination or refer you to another specialised centre
  • Always go to centres that have the latest generation of equipment, which is more reliable and emits less radiation
  • Carefully keep your screening records and reports to bring with you to each subsequent medical check-up as the information may be crucial for comparison

*This information is based on European guidelines, check with your doctor the screening programmes are in your country.

How is breast cancer screening done?

Mammography, from a technical point of view, is a radiological examination of the breast that allows early detection of tumours in that part of the body because it is able to detect lumps, even small ones, that are not yet perceptible to the touch. So monthly breast self-examination is a good practice, but it cannot replace mammography screening for women covered by this programme.

It is precisely these organised screening programmes that require the examination to be performed by visualising the breast both top-down and sideways. Greater accuracy in diagnosis is achieved by the evaluation of mammography performed separately by two radiologist physicians.

A positive mammogram is not the same as a definite diagnosis of breast cancer, although it does indicate an increased likelihood of being affected by the disease.

This is why, in the event of a suspicion, the first examination is followed by further diagnostic tests that, again within organised screening programmes, consist of a second mammogram, an ultrasound scan and a clinical examination. These examinations may also be followed by a biopsy to assess the characteristics of any cancer cells. Only upon completion of this pathway is a definite medical response obtained and a course of treatment promptly initiated.

Filed under Blog Healthcare

MRI scan stressful for paediatric patients? Not with the help of Little Lucy!

by Giulia Grassi February 15, 2022 Comments0

To undergo an MRI scan can be a stressful experience for paediatric patients. The good news is that this doesn’t have to be that way. Preparing the children for the upcoming scan is an important element to mitigate stress, fear, and anxiety. How? With a little help of the young patients’ new best friend: Little Lucy.

Stress factors of paediatric patients undergoing an MRI scan

Before looking at how the stress of young patients who have to undergo an MRI scan can be reduced, let’s first look at the factors causing the stress:

  • Often, children experience stress before the MRI scan actually takes place. They are afraid of the big machine and of the noise it makes.
  • Sometimes they are scared to lay in the narrow space.
  • Also, having to lay still during the scan can be both boring and fatiguing for them.

All in all, enough factors that can cause the young patients stress and enough reason to find a way to reduce it.

How to mitigate children’s ‘MRI scan stress’?

The above-mentioned stress factors can luckily be reduced. Not only by using the new(er) MRI systems, such as the OASISTM and APERTO Lucent PlusTM ,which, compared to the traditional MRI systems, are more open and silent, but also by preparing the children for what they can expect of the MRI scan. By playfully introducing them to all the steps involved in undergoing an MRI scan, the children will feel more comfortable and at ease. This is exactly the reason FUJIFILM Healthcare started Project Little Lucy.

Little Lucy helps children to be prepared for the MRI scan

Project Little Lucy is built around the illustrated story ‘The great adventure of Little Lucy’. It is about a small bear who gets hurt and undergoes an MRI scan. In the story, Little Lucy bravely goes through her medical examination, just like real little patients. She learns how the examination takes place and intrigued, asks the doctors many questions about the device.

The book includes colouring pages and is accompanied by gadgets such as pencils, soft toys and a shirt, as well as with graphics for the walls and devices. While reading and playing, the children identify with Lucy’s experience and will learn what they can expect. When the examination is over, the children leave with their ‘Brave Patient’s Diploma’. Everything to keep the little ones busy, make the wait in the waiting room more pleasant and to round off the examination on a positive note.

Learn more about stress-free MRI scans for paediatric patients

Like you, FUJIFILM Healthcare aims to mitigate stress in children that need to undergo an MRI scan. Don’t we all want them to feel comfortable and safe in medical facilities? Learn more about Project Little Lucy and our paediatric MRI and other medical imaging systems here.

© 2022 FUJIFILM Healthcare Europe Holding AG

All trademarks are the property of Fujifilm Corporation.

Filed under Blog Healthcare

What do you need to be a powerful woman?

by Giulia Grassi July 22, 2021 Comments0

This is the question we asked ourselves at Fujifilm to get an answer. We have collected inspiring and moving stories from powerful women on the topics Leadership, Work-Life Balance, She-cession, Hobbies, Endometriosis and Charity. The six chapters of the magazine feature contributions from 27 women with different backgrounds across Europe and beyond.

“Powerful Women” is the third issue of Fujifilm’s “Women4Women” magazine, a monograph which narratives are a clear example of the inner and outer strength and powerful women- at work and in their private life.  It is the  overarching aim of raising awareness and the recognition of our contributors achievements that make this issue special.   

We are talking about POWER, our POWER.

About the INNER POWER that supports women in their personal endeavors, be it in business or in other fields.

In leadership, it’s not about more men or more women on your board, it’s about the right balance!

“With the right balance between men and women, one gets a more mature culture within an organization,” comments Yvonne Van Rooy, Supervisory Board of Directors of FUJIFILM Manufacturing Europe. “Adding a sufficient number of women to teams and leadership increases the chance of different angles being addressed. The organization is better off. That is why I am so motivated, not from a feminist point of view, but because it is better for the quality of the decision-making process. Another very important argument is that young people, men or women, no longer want to work in an one-sided organization of only men or only women. A good learning culture within any company or organization that includes gender neutrality and a diversity of cultures, will make an organization better. That’s why I like the initiative of this magazine so much!”

Read the third issue of Women4Women: https://www.fujifilm.it/women4women/third_issue/

Filed under Be Inspired Blog

Tell their stories with instax

by Giulia Grassi May 2, 2021 Comments0

“Sometimes as humans, it’s really hard to communicate the feelings we have inside and it’s easier to express them in a creative way.”

Héctor Bellerín 

Save the Children’s Coaching For Life programme and The Arsenal Foundation have documented the lives of young Syrian refugees living in Za’atari Refugee Camp (Syria) with the power of instax. Fronted by renowned photographer Pixie Levinson and Arsenal soccer player Héctor Bellerín – a passionate photographer – the project saw donated instax SQ1 SQUARE cameras given to Syrian refugee children to tell their own stories through the camera lens to help the children express themselves through the creative medium.

Yara is 17 years old and fled her home in Syria eight years ago: “I felt lost, unsafe and sad leaving my homeland. I have left everything beautiful behind and I miss my friends and family. The most difficult thing about living in Za’atari is feeling alienated, but football and photography have helped me feel less alone. Coaching for Life has taught me patience and teamwork. I love making decisions as a team – we are one soul. Also, the photography project has allowed me to express myself – the photograph I took of the flower represents my hope for the future, because every time the flower falls it springs up again. One day, I hope to become a journalist to show people the authentic stories behind the news.”

At the end of the project, Héctor and Pixie curated a collection of their favourite instax prints, like Yara’s, to mark ten years since the war in Syria began on 15th March 2011.

To find out more about this life-changing programme and help build a better future for children, visit https://stories.savethechildren.org.uk/coaching-for-life/

Filed under Blog Consumer