Look Who it Was Random video

Getting A Feel for Your Breasts

1,788 views · Published 7 December 2014 · 2:00 · Indexed 10 November 2026

Channel: Lee Health · 2014 · Science & Technology

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When it comes to her health, Kristi Sanders takes matters into her own hands. Earlier this year, it paid off when she found a lump in her breast.

“I found it on a Friday and went to my doctor first thing Monday morning,” Sanders recalled. “And she confirmed it and sent me for a mammogram and that turned into an ultrasound and that turned into a biopsy.”

At 38 years old Sanders learned she had invasive ductal breast cancer. 

“I had the mastectomy in March and they did the sentinel node biopsy then. Two lymph nodes out of six came out positive. And they also saw that it was pressing up against my chest wall,” says Sanders.

Her cancer may have gone undetected for two years since she was under forty - the recommended age for a mammogram. Dr. Lea Blackwell was her surgeon.

“The whole goal of mammography is to find a tumor while it’s small and more manageable because you get a better outcome the earlier the diagnosis is made,” says Dr. Blackwell. She is a surgical breast oncologist on medical staff of Lee Memorial Health System.

Being in touch with your body can make a world of difference in finding cancer early. That goes beyond just feeling for lumps. Turns out there are several warning signs that merit a closer look.

A lump or knot is certainly something to look for. So is: swelling, warmth and redness of the breast. Change in size and shape, dimpling of the skin. Nipple discharge, a scaly sore or rash on the nipple and a new, persistent pain. 

According to Johns Hopkins Medical Center, 40% of breast cancers are detected by women during a self exam. But it shouldn’t be used in place of mammogram which can pick cancer up before it can be felt.

“Different imaging modalities improve on figuring out what’s going on. One may give you a little bit of information and then another one will add to that information,” says Dr. Blackwell.

Thanks to her self-awareness, Sanders likely improved her own outcome.

“Typically the average cancer patient with this is 55,” says Sanders. 

View More Health Matters video segments at leememorial.org/healthmatters/

Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of medical care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For nearly a century, we’ve been providing our community with everything from primary care treatment to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries.

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