Breasts, though easily accessible, yet develop diseases that sometimes get detected late, such as cancer of the breast. It is sometimes surprising how tissues that are very accessible like the breasts can undergo so much change without attracting necessary attention from the affected persons. This is why a simple measure like self-breast examination has been advocated for early detection of breast diseases.

It is one of the important measures in prevention of cancer of the breast. Others include ultrasound of the breast and mammography. If detected early, before it goes beyond the breast, breast cancer can be cured and the affected person live a normal life thereafter. Though more common in women, breast cancer can affect men as well. Regular self-breast examination can help in early detection.

When can breast be examined?

Self-breast examination can be done at any time. However, for the sake of regularity, it is advocated to be done at least, once a month, preferably immediately after completion of the monthly menstrual period. Attaching this examination to menstrual period helps create a routine which reduces the chance of forgetting.

Why is self-breast examination important?

By examining your breasts yourself, you get familiar with the appearance, texture and consistency of your breasts, so that any deviation from what you have always known to be normal raises concerns, which must be addressed as soon as possible. Most breast cancers may start developing in form of lumps, distortion in breast shape, abnormal appearance or abnormal discharge from the nipples.

These changes typically do not cause pain in the early stage; so, they may be ignored as insignificant while they continue to grow worse. By the time attention is paid to them, it is sometimes too late to effect any meaningful treatment.

How is self-breast examination done?

Self-breast examination involves looking at the breasts to see if there is any change after the last examination and touching to feel the texture of the breasts as well as search for lumps / masses that may be developing in the breasts.

1. Visual inspection (look and see) – Inspect (look at) your breasts in front of a mirror. In order to see the breasts in different views, inspect with the arms in three different positions:

1. 1. Arms by the side – Place your arms by your side while standing in front of a mirror. Look for any change in appearance, shape, size or symmetry of the breasts, as well as change in colour, dimpling or puckering (inward pulling) of the skin.
   2. Put both hands on the hips – Look for similar changes, as listed above, while you put both hands on the hips. This position puts a little tension on the breast tissue, and therefore may make some irregularities of the breasts (not noticed with the arms by the side) more visible.
   3. Raise arms above the head – Repeat the inspection with both arms raised above the head and look out for the changes earlier listed.
2. Examination with hands (touch and feel) – After visual examination, use hands to feel both breasts. This is best done by lying down on your back and putting a pillow behind your shoulder. Examine the breasts with your hands one after the other. To examine the right breast, place the right arm behind your head.

Then, use the palmer surface of the three middle fingers of the left hand to touch the right breast, applying light and firm pressure in sequence so that no portion of the breast is left untouched, including the areola and nipple. Finally, the armpit should be examined. This is repeated for the left breast, using the palmer surface of the fingers of the right hand.

If you detect any abnormality during this examination, such as changes in skin, nipples, shapes, sizes or texture, as well as lumps, promptly consult your doctor for further interrogation of the abnormality detected. It is better to confirm the nature of the changes early so that appropriate actions can be taken, if necessary.