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Breast cancer is a disease that affects more women than any other cancer, and though it is treatable, the best defense is early detection. It can be useful to perform routine breast self-exams to check for anything unusual, though this exam does not substitute for mammograms or clinical breast exams. This page will outline simple steps to monitor your breast health on a regular basis.
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Disclaimer
The content in this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Anyone reading this page should consult her doctor about breast cancer and how to detect it. -
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Step 1: Lie Down to Check for Irregularities
- WebMD recommends waiting until the week after your period to perform a breast exam.WebMD: Breast Self Exam Tool
- When you're ready for your exam, the American Cancer Society recommends lying down. When you lie down your breast tissue will spread out, making it easier to detect changes.American Cancer Society: How to Perform a Breast Self-Exam To perform an exam:
- Place your right arm behind your head.
- Use the three middle fingers of your left hand to feel for changes in breast tissue.
- Move your fingers up and down, in a vertical motion, feeling for changes and being sure not to miss any area of the breast.
- "Move around the breast in an up and down pattern starting at an imaginary line drawn straight down your side from the underarm and moving across the breast to the middle of the chest bone. Be sure to check the entire breast area going down until you feel only ribs and up to the neck or collar bone."American Cancer Society: How to Perform a Breast Self-Exam.
- Repeat the exam with your left arm behind your head, using your right three middle fingers.
Introduction
Breast exams are an important part of maintaining every female's overall health. Although it is recommended that you receive annual exams at the Gynecologist, it is also important to monitor yourself throughout the year. This page will provide you with information and tips on how to perform a breast exam.Step 2: Look in the Mirror
- After performing the exam, look in a mirror for any changes in the appearance of your breasts. The American Cancer Society advises you to "keep your shoulders back and your hands on your hips" so the chest wall muscles will contract to reveal breast changes.American Cancer Society: How to Perform a Breast Self-Exam Look for:
- Swelling
- Dimpling
- Puckering
- Any rash, soreness, or redness
- Scaliness of the nipples
- Are breasts their normal size, shape, contour and color?American Cancer Society: How to Perform a Breast Self-Exam Mayo Clinic: Breast self-exams: One way to detect breast cancer
- For a more detailed description of what to look for, see BreastCancer.org's Five Steps of a Breast Self-Exam.
Conclusion
- Self breast-exams can be a good way to understand what your body normally feels like, so you may detect anything out of the ordinary as soon as possible. But please remember that a breast self-exam is not a substitute for regular screenings, including mammograms and clinical breast exams.National Cancer Institute: What You Need to Know About Breast Cancer
