Please read the last sentence on the controversy of breast self exams
Why Should I Do Breast Checks?
Regularly checking your breasts identifies breast cancer early and increases the ability to be treated successfully. About 20% of the time, breast cancer is identified by breast checks and not mammograms. While mammograms are highly important, they miss around 10% of breast cancer. Breast checks can catch this. The sooner you catch breast cancer the higher chance you have of survival.
Who Should Do Breast Checks?
Anyone with breasts post-pubescent. Medical experts don’t advise you to check your breasts until you’re 20, however, I caught my first breast lump right after I turned 18. You should weigh your decision on when to begin based on your risk factors:
These factors increase your chance of breast cancer:
You have family members who had breast cancer
You have had breast cancer before
You have dense breast tissue
You have a benign breast condition
You began your period earlier
You’ve had previous chest radiation
You take an oral contraceptive or DMPA for birth control
You did hormone therapy after menopause
You drink a lot of alcohol
You are overweight or obese AFTER menopause
When Should I Do Breast Checks?
You should do breast checks monthly. If you are someone who gets their period, you should do your breast check several days after your period has ended (when they are less swollen and tender).
How Do I Do a Breast Check?
There are 5 steps to a breast check -
Step 1: Begin by looking at your breasts in the mirror with your shoulders straight and your arms on your hips.
Here’s what you should look for:
Breasts that are their usual size, shape, and color
Breasts that are evenly shaped without visible distortion or swelling
If you see any of the following changes, bring them to your doctor’s attention:
Dimpling, puckering, or bulging of the skin
A nipple that has changed position or an inverted nipple (pushed inward instead of sticking out)
Redness, soreness, rash, or swelling
Step 2: Now, raise your arms and look for the same changes.
Step 3: While you’re at the mirror, look for any signs of fluid coming out of one or both nipples (this could be a watery, milky, or yellow fluid or blood).
Step 4: Feel your breasts while lying down, using your right hand to feel your left breast and then your left hand to feel your right breast. Use a firm, smooth touch with the first few finger pads of your hand, keeping the fingers flat and together. Use a circular motion, about the size of a quarter.
Cover the entire breast from top to bottom, side to side — from your collarbone to the top of your abdomen, and from your armpit to your cleavage.
Follow a pattern to be sure that you cover the whole breast. You can begin at the nipple, moving in larger and larger circles until you reach the outer edge of the breast. You can also move your fingers up and down vertically, in rows, as if you were mowing a lawn. This up-and-down approach seems to work best for most women. Be sure to feel all the tissue from the front to the back of your breasts: for the skin and tissue just beneath, use light pressure; use medium pressure for tissue in the middle of your breasts; use firm pressure for the deep tissue in the back. When you’ve reached the deep tissue, you should be able to feel down to your rib cage.
Step 5: Finally, feel your breasts while you are standing or sitting. Many people find that the easiest way to feel their breasts is when their skin is wet and slippery, so they like to do this step in the shower. Cover your entire breast, using the same hand movements described in step 4.
Tips When Doing a Breast Check
Start a journal and map your breasts to track changes
Don’t panic if you think you feel a lump. In the United States, only 20% of patients who have a suspicious lump biopsied turn out to have breast cancer
Don’t assume you’re too young (20+)
The proper name for breast checks is “Breast Self-Exams (BSE)”. There is some debate about the importance of breast checks, research leaning in both ways. To be fair to both arguments here is research against BSE. (x) (x)
Based on research and my experience with breast checks I do feel they are important. However, you should do research yourself and talk to your doctor :)
