Breast Self Exam

A monthly breast self-exam is one of the most important health habits you can acquire. Since most breast lumps are discovered by the woman herself, it becomes clear that routine monthly breast self-exams play a key role in early detection of breast cancer. Don’t forget, most breast lumps are not cancerous. It’s even true that many normal breasts feel lumpy; so it’s important for each woman to become familiar with the structure of her own breasts. In this way, she’ll be able to recognize any unusual changes that may occur in the way her breasts look or feel.

A breast self-exam is a simple three-step process. It requires only a few minutes of your time each month to do a complete exam. The best time of the month to do the exam is 7 to 10 days after the start of your menstrual cycle, or for post-menopausal women, the same day each month. Of course, the key to successful breast self-exam is doing it consistently every month. Remember, you will be looking and feeling for changes in your breasts, such as lumps, dimpling, or skin changes. When you have done the exam a few times, you will become familiar with the contour of your breasts and it will be easier in the future to detect a change.

Step 1: Look For Changes At the Mirror (with good light)

• First relax sitting or standing, which ever is comfortable. With your arms at your sides, look for changes in your breasts—lumps, thickenings, dimples, or skin changes.
• Next, raise your arms above or behind your head, looking for the same changes.
• Now,with your hands on your hips, press down and tense your chest muscles. This will make any changes more prominent.

Step 2: Feel for Changes In the Shower

• Start by raising your right arm behind your head.
• With your left hand soaped, fingers held flat together, roll and press the breast firmly against the chest wall.
• Using one of the 3 motions shown here, feel a small portion of the breast at a time, until the entire breast and underarm area have been checked.
• Now repeat, raising your left arm and checking your left breast with your right hand.

Step 3: Lying Down

• Lie down on your back and get comfortable. Then place a pillow under your right shoulder.
• Now simply repeat the process you went through in the shower, examining your right breast with your left hand.
• Move the pillow under your left shoulder and examine your left breast with your right hand.

And that’s all there is to it! But don’t forget, if you find a problem, phone your doctor right away and be sure to tell the person answering the phone why you are calling.

Implants

Perform breast self-exam using the technique discussed above. Also perform exam while displacing or moving the implant and feeling above, below, and to the sides of the implant.

REMEMBER! Your Breast Self-Exam (BSE) is not complete until you have done all three parts of the exam.