Regular breast self-examinations: how to do them at home

In this article below, highly regarded consultant breast oncologist, Dr Shiroma De Silva-Minor, provides a step-by-step guide with regards to how women can check their breasts for any changes at home.

How should women examine their breasts at home, and how often should they do it?

As a breast oncologist, I would advise women to do regular breast self-examinations, to help detect any changes in their breasts. Below are some practical steps that women can follow to examine their breasts.

Choose a time each month when your breasts are least likely to be tender or swollen. This is usually a few days after your menstrual cycle has ended if you are premenopausal. If you are postmenopausal, choose a day every month to examine yourself and put it in the calendar.

Stand in front of a mirror with your arms at your sides. Look at your breasts in the mirror, checking for any changes in size, shape, or colour. Also, look for any skin dimpling, puckering, changes in the nipple or asymmetry (comparing one breast to the other). Raise your arms above your head and check for the same changes as in step two.

Place your hands on your hips and press down on your hips to tense the muscles over your chest. Again, look for the same changes as in step two.

Lie down on your back with a pillow under your right shoulder and your right arm behind your head. Use your left hand to examine your right breast. Use the tips of your fingers to feel for any lumps or thickening in the breast tissue, press down gently but firmly, moving in a circular motion from the outer edge of the breast to the nipple, to examine the whole of the right breast.

Gently squeeze the nipple to look for a discharge. Repeat the process for the left breast.

Finally, sit or stand up and examine your underarms and the area above your collarbones, for any lumps or swelling. If you notice any changes or abnormalities during your self-examination, contact your doctor immediately. Remember, regular breast self-examinations, along with clinical breast exams and mammograms, can help detect breast cancer early, when treatments are most successful.

To schedule in an appointment with Dr Shiroma De Silva-Minor, simply head on over to her Top Doctors profile today.