Breast Self-Examination

Breast self-examination (BSE) can be done once a month so you become familiar with the usual appearance and feel of your breasts.

Familiarity makes it easier to notice any changes in the breast from one month to another. Early discovery of a change from what is "normal" is the main idea behind BSE.

If you menstruate, the best time to do BSE is two or three days after your period ends, when your breasts are least likely to be tender or swollen. If you no longer menstruate, pick a day, such as the first day of the month, to remind yourself it is time to do a BSE.

How to do breast self-examination:

1. In the shower Raise your left arm. With fingers of your right hand flat, examine your left breast thoroughly, feeling for a lump or thickening. Beginning at the outer edge, press the flat part of your fingers in small circles, moving the circles around the breast and spiraling in toward the nipple. Examine the area between the breast.and underarm, including the underarm itself. Then raise your right arm and use your left hand to examine your right breast.
2. Before a mirror Inspect both breasts for anything unusual such as discharge from the nipples or puckering, dimpling, or scaling of the skin.
While in front of the mirror, clasp your hands behind your head and press your hands forward. Look closely for any change in the shape or contour of your breasts.
Next, press your hands firmly on your hips and bow slightly toward the mirror as you pull your shoulders and elbows forward. Look again for any changes since your last exam.
Gently squeeze each nipple and look for a discharge.
3. Lying down Lie flat on your back with your left arm over your head and a pillow or towel under your left shoulder. This position flattens the breast and makes it easier to examine. Use the same circular motion described earlier. Repeat the exam on your right breast. If you feel or see any changes, call your health care provider right away. Most breast cancer lumps are not cancerous. Early detection and treatment saves lives!

Sources for the information contained in this booklet:

American Cancer Society
1599 Clifton Road N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30329
1-800-ACS-2345

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
Office of Women’s Health
1600 Clifton Road N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30333
404-639-3311

Food and Drug Administration
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Public Health Service
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20857
888-INFO-FDA

National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations
9 East 37th Street
New York, NY 10036
(212) 889-0606

NABCO is a non-profit information and education resource center on breast cancer with a network of over 400 member organizations nationwide. NABCO provides information to medical professionals and their organizations, and to patients and their families, plus it advocates for beneficial regulatory changes and legislation.

National Cancer Institute
National Institutes of Health
6116 Executive Boulevard, MSC8322
Suite 3036A
Bethesda, MD 20892
1-800-4-CANCER
1-800-332-8615

Websites

Cancerlinks

This site is designed to make searching the World Wide Web for information about breast cancer faster and easier. There is also a Spanish language version available, Como Buscar al Web.

National Cancer Institute's CancerNet 

In Spanish: http://www.nci.nih.gov/espanol/

Other resources

Avon Products Inc.
1251 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
1-800-FOR-AVON

The Avon Breast Cancer Crusade was founded in 1993 and provides women, particularly those who are medically underserved, with direct access to breast cancer education and early-detection screening services, including mammograms and clinical breast exams.

Women’s Information Network Against Breast Cancer
536 So. 2nd Avenue, Suite K
Covina, CA 91723
(626) 332-2255

The Women's Information Network Against Breast Cancer is a national non-profit organization that has helped thousands of breast cancer patients and their families throughout various stages of breast cancer, through the Breast Aid and the Breast Buddy Breast Care Programs.