How to perform breast self-examination scientifically and effectively

Author: Wang Xiangyu National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences

Reviewer: Wang Zhongzhao, Associate Chief Physician, National Cancer Center/Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Cancer Hospital, Associate Professor

When many female friends talk about breasts, they mostly discuss the cup size. Few people talk about breast cancer, and even fewer people think about the possibility of cancer. In fact, women are most sensitive to changes in their breasts, and a considerable number of breast cancers are first discovered by the patients themselves. Breast self-examination is a simple and easy-to-learn examination method, and it is also one of the methods for screening breast cancer.

What to look out for during breast self-examination

It is recommended that female friends perform a breast self-examination once a month. Some women will feel subtle changes in their breasts before their menstrual period, such as swelling and pain. This is not the best time to perform a breast self-examination. Premenopausal women should choose to perform a breast self-examination 7 to 14 days after the onset of menstruation; postmenopausal women can choose a fixed date each month to perform a breast self-examination. For example, premenopausal women choose to perform a breast self-examination on the 10th day after each menstrual period, and postmenopausal women choose to perform a breast self-examination on the 1st of each month. When performing a breast self-examination, special attention should be paid to whether there are any changes in the breasts, such as whether new tumors are felt, whether the size of previously existing tumors has changed, etc.

How to do a breast self-examination

Self-examination in the mirror

1. Before taking a shower, take off your shirt in front of a mirror and observe whether there are any changes in the appearance of your breasts.

2. Raise your arms above your head and carefully observe the shape and contour of the breasts on both sides: whether the surface skin has redness, swelling, rash, skin wrinkles, depressions, or orange peel-like changes; observe whether the nipples are raised, retracted, sunken, or whether there is discharge; observe whether the armpits on both sides are the same and whether there are any bulges.

3. Put your arms down, put your hands on your hips, push your elbows back, tighten your chest muscles, and observe whether your breasts are symmetrical.

Lying down touch

1. After checking yourself in the mirror, lie flat on the bed and place a thin pillow under your shoulders and back to make your chest protrude forward.

2. Place your left hand behind your head and use your right hand to check your left breast. Put the four fingers of your right hand together and place them flat on the left breast. Use the palm of your fingertips to check for lumps or other changes in various parts of the breast. Touch the entire breast slowly, gently, and steadily with your fingertips, and gradually move the check in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, circling at least three times from the outside of the breast to the nipple. You can also use an up-and-down or radial direction to check, but be careful not to miss any part. Focus on checking the outer upper part of the left breast, and at the same time check whether the left axillary lymph nodes are enlarged. Gently squeeze the nipple with your thumb and index finger to observe whether there is nipple discharge. If turbid, slightly yellow, or bloody discharge is found, you should seek medical attention immediately.

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Place your right hand behind your head and use your left hand to examine the right breast in the same way.

When checking for lumps, do not pinch them with your fingers, because the lumps you pinch may be normal breast tissue. If you touch a breast lump using the above method, do not panic, because some people think they touch a lump that is actually normal breast tissue. In this case, it is recommended that female friends seek medical attention in a timely manner to get a clear diagnosis, so as to avoid unnecessary panic, anxiety or delay in treatment.

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Although breast self-examination can detect breast lumps, non-professionals cannot clearly determine the nature of most lumps (especially those with a diameter of less than 2 cm). Therefore, it is recommended that female friends go to the hospital for breast screening regularly to provide themselves with additional health protection.