The Breast Self Exam (BSE)

Checking your breasts is one of the best ways to find a breast cancer early , when it's most likely to be cured. Not every cancer can be found this way, but it is a critical step you can and should take for yourself. The more you check your breasts, the more you will learn about them and the easier it will become for you to tell if something unusual has occurred. The BSE is an essential part of taking care of yourself and reducing your risk of breast cancer .

Don't panic if you think you feel a lump. Most women have some lumps or lumpy areas in their breasts all the time. Eight out of ten breast lumps that are removed are benign, non-cancerous.

Follow the 4 steps below when checking for breast cancer:

	1. Stand in front of a mirror that is large enough for you to see your breasts clearly. Examine your breast with your arms down, up and on your hips, like shown in the pictures. Check each breast for any change in the shape or contour and the skin for puckering, dimpling or scalines.
2. Raise one arm. Use the pads of the fingers of your other hand to check the breast and the surrounding area firmly and thoroughly, working around the breast in circular direction. Feel for any unusual lump or mass under the skin. Feel the tissue by pressing your fingers in small, overlapping areas. The important thing is to cover the whole breast and to pay special attention to the area between the breast and the underarm. Check the area above the breast, up to the collarbone and all the way over to your shoulder.
	3. It is important to repeat exam 2 while you are lying down. Lie flat on your back, with one arm over your head and a pillow or folded towel under the shoulder. This position flattens the breast and makes it easier to check.
4. Gently squeeze each nipple and look for a discharge. At last, check under the nipples.

If you discover a lump in one breast or feel something "different" in the tissue, check the same spot in the opposite breast. Usually if the same area in the opposite breast feels the same there is little need for worry. Sometimes the lumpiness may be due to menstrual changes.

However, if you have nipple discharge or skin changes such as dimpling or puckering or you feel a definite lump, there may be valid reason for concern and it is important to contact your physician right away.