Breast Self-Examination for Breast Awareness

Who Should Perform a Breast Self-Exam?

Women of all ages can benefit from performing a self breast exam. While there’s no specific age to start, it’s a good idea to become familiar with the look and feel of your breasts from a young age. This baseline knowledge will help you recognise any future changes.
Here are some situations where a breast self exam might be particularly important:

• Women with a family history of breast cancer who are concerned about finding breast cancer
• Women who are concerned about changes in their breasts
• Women aged 40 and above

Breast Self-Exams with Implants

Women with breast implants can still benefit from performing a regular self breast exam as it promotes breast self awareness and helps check for any changes in breast tissue between mammograms. The implant itself might make some areas feel different, but it shouldn’t prevent you from checking your entire breast tissue. Focus on feeling for lumps or abnormalities around the implant and in your natural breast tissue. If you have any concerns, consult your doctor for guidance and a clinical breast exam.

It’s important to note that a breast self exam is not a replacement for regular mammograms for finding breast cancer. Mammography is a breast cancer screening tool that can detect breast cancer and other abnormalities even before they can be felt during a self-exam.

How to Perform a Breast Self-Exam

The best time to perform a breast self exam is typically during the week after your period ends. During this time in your monthly cycle, your breasts are less likely to be tender or swollen due to hormonal fluctuations.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to perform a monthly breast self exam:

1. 1. Visual Examination in the Mirror:

      • Stand undressed in front of a well-lit mirror with your arms at your sides. Look for any changes in the size, shape, or symmetry of your breasts, performing the exam on both your right and left breast.
      • With arms raised overhead, examine your breasts to look for any dimpling, puckering, or changes in the skin texture.
      • Gently squeeze your nipples and check for any discharge, which can be clear, bloody, or milky.

   2. Examine Your Breasts While Lying Down:

      • Lie down on your back on a flat surface and place a pillow under your right shoulder. Raise your right arm overhead.
      • Examine your breasts using the pads of your three middle fingers of your left hand, feel your entire right breast in a circular motion, starting at the outer edge and moving inwards towards the nipple. Be sure to cover all areas, including the upper chest, armpit, and under the breast.
      • Repeat the same circular motion with varying pressure levels (light, medium, firm pressure) to ensure you’re feeling all the tissue.
      • After examining your right breast, repeat the steps on your left breast, placing the pillow under your left shoulder and using your middle fingers on your right hand for the examination.

   3. Feeling Your Breasts While Standing or Sitting:

      • You can also perform the same circular motions with your three middle fingers with varying pressure while standing or sitting, using light pressure, then medium and firm pressure This can sometimes help detect changes like breast swelling that you might not feel while lying down.

Remember: It’s normal to feel some lumps or bumps in your breasts during monthly breast self exams. These are often related to your menstrual cycle or tissue variations. However, any new or persistent changes, such as lumps, dimpling, changes in nipple appearance, or unusual discharge, should be reported to your doctor so they can do an exam and physical diagnosis.