How to Perform a Breast Exam

• by Tracy C.

Introduction

• The American Cancer Society advises that performing routine breast self-exams after the age of 20 can help women become more familiar with their breasts, and thus more likely to detect changes in them.¹ Although you should review your breast self-exam technique with your doctor ², and understand that a breast self-exam does not substitute for breast cancer screenings in your doctor's office ³, these general self-exam guidelines can help you keep your breasts healthy.

• Keep in mind that finding a lump or other changes does not always indicate cancer ². If you find anything unusual, consult your physician.³

Step 1: Lie Down to Check for Irregularities

(Photo by Crystal Woroniuk)

• WebMD recommends waiting until the week after your period to perform a breast exam.⁴
• 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.¹ To perform an exam:

1. Place your right arm behind your head.
2. Use the three middle fingers of your left hand to feel for changes in breast tissue.
3. Move your fingers up and down, in a vertical motion, feeling for changes and being sure not to miss any area of the breast.
4. "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."¹
   • The Mayo Clinic also suggests alternative methods, like the clock pattern and wedge pattern to detect any changes ²
5. Repeat the exam with your left arm behind your head, using your right three middle fingers.

What to Look For

1. The American Cancer Society and the Mayo Clinic agree that the primary benefit of self breast exam is to learn how your breasts typically look and feel ² so that you are better able to notice symptoms of any changes.¹
2. The American Cancer Society's list of changes to watch for includes: "development of a lump or swelling; skin irritation or dimpling, nipple pain or retraction (turning inward); redness or scaliness of the nipple or breast skin; or a discharge other than breast milk."¹
3. The Mayo Clinic further counsels to see your doctor immediately if you find a lump that "feels different from surrounding tissue in that breast or tissue in your other breast."⁵

Keep in Mind

1. The National Cancer Institute reminds us that breast irregularities can occur due to aging, your menstrual cycle, pregnancy, menopause, or taking birth control pills or other hormones.³
2. The Mayo Clinic also states it is normal for breasts to feel uneven, particularly around your period.²
3. Remember the American Cancer Society's caution that finding something unusual in a breast exam does not mean you have cancer.¹

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.¹ Look for:

1. Swelling
2. Dimpling
3. Puckering
4. Any rash, soreness, or redness
5. Scaliness of the nipples
6. Are breasts their normal size, shape, contour and color?^{1 2}

• 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.³

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Resources for How to Perform a Breast Exam

• American Cancer Society: How to Perform a Breast Self-Exam
• American Cancer Society: Can breast cancer be found early?
• Susan G. Komen For the Cure: Breast Self Exam
• BreastCancer.org: Breast Self Exam (BSE)
• BreastCancer.org: The Five Steps of a Breast Self-Exam
• WebMD: Breast Self Exam Tool (April 2007)
• The Mayo Clinic: Breast Self-Exams: One Way to Detect Breast Cancer
• The Mayo Clinic: Breast Lumps: Types of Lumps and What They Mean
• National Cancer Institute: What You Need to Know about Breast Cancer
• Wikipedia: Breast Self-Examination

References for How to Perform a Breast Exam

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7} American Cancer Society: How to Perform a Breast Self-Exam
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5} Mayo Clinic: Breast self-exams: One way to detect breast cancer
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} National Cancer Institute: What You Need to Know About Breast Cancer
4. ↑ WebMD: Breast Self Exam Tool
5. ↑ Mayo Clinic: Breast lumps

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