Test Overview

Medical experts disagree about the need for regular breast self-examinations. A large study showed that regular breast self-examinations led to more doctor visits but did not find breast cancer earlier than regular medical examinations. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) and the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care (CTFPHC) found no evidence that BSE saves lives, and they do not recommend routine breast self-examinations. The American Cancer Society considers breast self-examination an option for women. Talk with your health professional about breast self-examination.

A breast self-examination involves checking your breasts for lumps or changes while standing and lying in different positions and while looking at your breasts in a mirror to note any changes in their appearance. Once you know what your breasts normally look and feel like, any new lump or change in appearance should be evaluated by a health professional. Most breast problems or changes are not because of cancer.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Over the next few weeks, we'll be sharing with you the latest news and advice from the experts.

• 4 out of 1,000 women in their 30s.
• 15 out of 1,000 women in their 40s.
• 26 out of 1,000 women in their 50s.
• 37 out of 1,000 women in their 60s.

Discovering something odd in your breast is scary. But knowing exactly what to do can help you feel empowered. This personal step-by-step guide will whittle your fear down to size.
First, breathe...
Just because something different is happening in your breast does not mean you have cancer. There's a more than 80 percent chance, in fact, that the lump is benign. Still, you have to make sure, and the first step is to take some pictures, most likely in one or more of the following ways.

Mammogram
Having your breast squished between two plates and X-rayed isn't exactly pleasant, but it's nothing to dread. The technician will shoot from various angles – getting a clear view of the mass isn't always easy. About 70 percent of the time, your mammogram will need to be redone or followed up with an ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for an accurate diagnosis. Either way, you may get your X-ray results the same day.

Ultrasound
No painful boob smashing required! Doctors use this high-frequency sound wave test on women with dense breast tissue and/or to evaluate an unclear mammogram. The technician will squirt some gel on your breast and run a wandlike device over the area in question. You'll have results within a few days, if not sooner.

Dr. Basil Springer

Aluminium, rum, sugar, rice and bananas have traditionally been the primary Caribbean exports to Europe. Preferential access for many of these goods has been granted former colonies in previous agreements with the European Union (EU) where the EU paid the colonies higher than world market prices. Not withstanding any historical reasons which may have resulted in these preferential arrangements, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruled that this was unfair and ordered a regularisation of the trading arrangement.

This loss in preferential arrangements represents a sea change in the trade between Cariforum and Europe and has already had a devastating effect on Caribbean economies with a dependency on the trade of these goods which received preferential treatment.

The Cariforum-EC Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) has been negotiated in order to comply with the WTO mandate. According to Professor Norman Girvan, "The EPA is more than just a trade agreement: its scope embraces many subjects that have up to now been solely or mainly within national and regional jurisdiction. As a legally binding international instrument with elaborate implementation and enforcement provisions, it embodies a higher degree of supranational governance than the corresponding arrangements in the Caribbean Community."