Examining your breasts is an important way to find a breast cancer early, when it's most likely to be cured. Not every cancer can be found this way, but it is a critical step you can and should take for yourself. No woman wants to do a breast self-exam (or "BSE"), and for many the experience is frustrating—you may feel things but not know what they mean. However, the more you examine your breasts, the more you will learn about them and the easier it will become for you to tell if something unusual has occurred. BSE is an essential part of taking care of yourself and reducing your risk of breast cancer.
Studies show that regular breast self-exams, combined with an annual exam by a doctor, improves the chances of detecting cancer early.
Try to get in the habit of doing a breast self-examination once a month to familiarize yourself with how your breasts normally look and feel. Examine yourself several days after your period ends, when your breasts are least likely to be swollen and tender. If you are no longer having periods, choose a day that's easy to remember, such as the first or last day of the month.
Don't panic if you think you feel a lump. Most women have some lumps or lumpy areas in their breasts all the time. Eight out of ten breast lumps that are removed are benign, non-cancerous.
Breasts tend to have different "neighborhoods." The upper, outer area—near your armpit—tends to have the most prominent lumps and bumps. The lower half of your breast can feel like a sandy or pebbly beach. The area under the nipple can feel like a collection of large grains. Another part might feel like a lumpy bowl of oatmeal.
What's important is that you get to know the look and feel of YOUR breasts' various neighborhoods. Does something stand out as different from the rest (like a rock on a sandy beach)? Has anything changed? Bring to the attention of your doctor any changes in your breasts that:
- last over a full month's cycle, OR
- seem to get worse or more obvious over time
Knowing how your breasts usually look and feel may also help you avoid needless biopsies—a procedure in which the doctor takes a small sample of breast tissue and examines it under a microscope.
A journal can help
Some women find it helpful to keep a record of their breast self-exam on paper. This can be like a small map of your breasts, with notes about where you feel lumps or irregularities. Especially in the beginning, this may help you remember, from month to month, what is "normal" for your breasts. It is not unusual for lumps to appear at certain times of the month, but then disappear, as your body changes with the menstrual cycle. Only changes that last beyond one full cycle, or seem to get bigger or more prominent in some way, need your doctor's attention.
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