Roughly 12% of American women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime. Because of the prevalence of this issue, doctors, surgeons, and women’s health advocates encourage women to perform breast self-exams on a regular basis to catch the condition in its early stages and reduce the need for breast cancer surgery. Here are some tips to ensure your self-exam is effective. 

4 Tips for Performing a Breast Self-Exam

1. Visual Assessment

Before or after your grooming routine, assess your breasts in the bathroom mirror with your hands placed on either side of your waist. With a careful eye, look for any changes. These can include changes in shape, size, or color as well as puckering, inverted nipples, redness, rashes, and swelling. 

2. Hands Overhead 

Following this assessment in the mirror with your hands on hips, raise your arms overhead. From this new angle, check again for any changes that indicate a need for a doctor’s visit and a mammogram. Even the slightest change should be evaluated by a professional, as you’re less likely to need breast cancer surgery if issues are caught early. 

3. Fluid Check

After examining your breasts in both of these positions in the mirror, take note of any fluids coming from your nipples during the process. Discharge of any kind should be noted and discussed with your health care team. 

4. Final Examination  

Lastly, lie down on a flat surface tucking your left arm underneath your head. Use your right fingertips to feel your left breast. Repeat on the opposite side as well, checking for lumps or thickening tissue. Use medium pressure and flat fingers as you feel your breast from the collarbone down to the rib cage and across to the armpit. 

Looking for a team of medical professionals that specializes in modern breast cancer surgery in the Lincoln area? Since the 1930s, Lincoln Surgical Group PC has established a reputation across the state of Nebraska for personalized, effective procedures and follow-up care. To schedule an appointment, call today at (402) 483-7825. For more information on this passionate team of physicians and their approach to health care, visit their website.