Expert: Jennifer Walden, M.D. Practicing plastic surgeon; Clinical Instructor of Plastic Surgery at NYU Langone Medical Center »
A breast self-exam, or BSE, involves looking at and feeling your breasts for changes that could indicate the presence of cancer. The emphasis on BSEs for cancer detection has been displaced by breast awareness – which means knowing your breasts, staying in tune with your body and being able to spot changes. Eight out of ten breast lumps found during BSE’s are benign, which causes many to feel they’re to blame for a lot of unnecessary testing … and anxiety. However, with 70% of cancers found through self-exam, some women might not prefer to give them up. If you do conduct a BSE, pick a time when your breasts are not tender or swollen. For menstruating women, that’s a few days after your period ends. Postmenopausal women can pick any day of the month to perform their BSEs. Your monthly exam starts with a visual examination of your breasts. Stand in front of a mirror with your hands on your hips and look for: puckering or dimpling of the skin, changes in breast size or shape, redness or scaling of the nipples, and nipple discharge. Exam your underarms for any hard lumps or swelling, then prepare for the tactile part by lying on your back, which allows your breast tissue to spread evenly over your chest. With your right arm above your head, use the pads of your three middle fingers to examine your right breast. Use an up and down pattern, starting from the underarm and moving across the entire breast to the middle of your chest. Feel for any thickening of the breast, a texture that’s different from surrounding tissue, or any notable lumps and repeat the process on your left breast. If you notice anything suspicious, contact your gynecologist. While this information serves as a guideline for conducting breast self-exams, it’s wise to have your doctor check your technique!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eQZKdKEhZc
