Breast self-exam for breast awareness

Globally, breast cancer is considered the second most common cancer type among women. Early detection of breast cancer can broadly impact the reduction in its prevalence. This can be achieved by breast self-examination (BSE). Breast self-examination is a self-test that women can do at home to detect early warning symptoms of breast cancer. While self-examination alone cannot detect breast cancer, it can improve the odds of early diagnosis when combined with other screening techniques.

Purpose of self-exam

To bring attention to unusual breast signs and symptoms, an individual should consider doing a self-breast checkup. This test allows a person to know more about breasts. By learning about their structure and texture, people can identify any alterations or irregularities in their breasts, such as new lumps, alterations in the skin, and nipple discharge. If changes are observed during the self-exam, it is recommended that women should report them to the healthcare provider immediately.

Frequency of breast self-exam 

A self-exam can be performed after completing a woman's menstrual cycle. Individuals who have undergone menopause should conduct a breast self-examination on the first or fifteenth day of the month, or on the same day every month. Additionally, it is suggested that the post menopause women can often perform breast self-examination because there are no negative effects from doing so when done repeatedly.

Challenges in Breast self-examination 

The higher incidence of breast cancer may be due to various factors that hinder women from undergoing screening tests. Some of them include:

• Low awareness
• Social stigma
• Fear of pain during examination
• Lack of screening services 
• Poor knowledge and low literacy

One must overcome such challenges and make use of breast self-examinations for early detection of signs and symptoms of breast cancer. 

When breast cancer is detected at an early stage, it allows for prompt treatment initiation before the disease spreads, leading to a significantly better prognosis. Screening methods, such as mammography, clinical breast examinations, and breast self-examination (BSE), have been shown to reduce the risk of mortality by 20%. Despite the availability of these screening techniques, most breast cancer cases are discovered by women themselves, highlighting the critical importance of regular self-examinations.

Is Breast self-examination (BSE) a single screening tool for breast cancer screening:

BSE is not proven to be an effective breast cancer screening method; it can still serve as a valuable tool to enhance self-care among women. 

BSE has been shown to increase awareness regarding breast abnormalities and the risk factors for breast cancer. 

Low awareness of breast cancer significantly reduces the effective use of screening tests. Raising awareness can empower women to adopt healthy behaviors and engage in health promotion activities. Health motivation and improved confidence are critical factors in enhancing preventive health behaviors.

Significance of BSE

• BSE is a simple, inexpensive, quick, noninvasive, and nonhazardous intervention. 
• It can be particularly useful for early identification of breast cancer in resource-poor countries where access to more advanced screening methods is limited. 
• The sensitivity of BSE is found to be 78%. Additionally, BSE encourages women to take active responsibility for their preventive health. 
• It helps to overcome fear, stigma, and taboos associated with breast cancer. However, it is essential to ensure that the BSE technique is performed correctly and thoroughly, and that prompt and adequate medical care is available when needed.

Procedure: 

Here is the detailed procedure to perform breast self-examination.

Preparation:

• Select a quiet and comfortable space to relax and focus.
• Undress the clothing covering the upper body.
• Have a mirror available for visual inspection.

Visual Examination:

• Stand in front of the mirror by keeping your arms by your sides.
• Record any changes in the size, shape, or color of the breasts.
• Look for any dimpling, puckering, or redness of the skin.
• Examine your nipples for any changes in position, discharge, or crusting.
• Move your arms overhead and repeat the visual inspection.
• Look for any asymmetry or changes in the contour of your breasts.

Manual Examination:

• Lie down on a flat surface, preferably a bed or couch.
• Place a pillow under your right shoulder and raise your right arm over your head.
• Apply light pressure to your right breast in a circular motion, covering the entire area from the collarbone to the lower rib cage and from the armpit to the breastbone, using the pads of the three middle fingers of your left hand.
• Use varying pressure levels, starting with light pressure to feel the surface of the breast tissue, then medium pressure to reach deeper, and finally firm pressure to reach the deepest tissue closer to the chest wall.
• Pay close attention to any lumps, bumps, or thickened areas you feel.
• Repeat the process on your left breast, placing the pillow under your left shoulder and using your right hand for the examination.
• Gently squeeze the nipples to look for any discharge.

Recognize changes in Breasts and Seek Medical Attention

Generally, women may notice lumps or changes in their breasts, which is quite natural, and these are normal variations observed during different stages of menstrual cycle. Identifying a change or lump in your breast is not necessarily a cause for alarm. Breasts can feel different in various areas, and it is normal to have a firm ridge along the bottom of each breast. Additionally, the look and feel of your breasts will change as you age.

Signs to Seek Medical Advice

One should make an appointment with the doctor if they notice any of the following:

• A hard lump or knot near your underarm
• Changes in the appearance or feel of your breasts, such as thickening or noticeable variations that are different from those nearby areas.
• Appearance of dimples, puckers, bulges, or ridges on the skin of your breast.
• The most recent change in your nipple, such as becoming inverted (pushed in) instead of sticking out.
• Redness, warmth, swelling, or pain in your breast.
• Itching, scales, sores, or rashes on your breast
• Bloody nipple discharge

If one encounters such changes, they should seek immediate medical attention. Health care providers may advise clinical tests such as mammogram and ultrasound to evaluate the reason for breast changes.

BSE Limitations 

• The practice of BSE should not be considered as a substitute for professional screenings like mammograms or clinical breast exams.
• These methods may not detect all types of breast cancers, especially those that are small or located deep within the breast tissue.
• The results may sometimes trigger anxiety and stress due to false positives. 

Conclusion

Breast self-examination is a noninvasive, inexpensive, and simple method to determine early signs of breast cancer. With complete knowledge and awareness, one can adopt the practice of regular BSE, which could prevent women from future complications due to breast cancer.

Popular Searches :

Hospitals: Cancer Hospital in Delhi | Best Heart Hospital in Delhi |  Hospital in Amritsar | Hospital in Ludhiana | Hospitals in Mohali | Hospital in Faridabad | Hospitals in Gurgaon | Best Hospital in Jaipur | Hospitals in Greater Noida | Hospitals in Noida | Best Kidney Hospital in Kolkata | Best Hospital in Kolkata | Hospitals in Rajajinagar Bangalore | Hospitals in Richmond Road Bangalore | Hospitals in Nagarbhavi Bangalore | Hospital in Kalyan West | Hospitals in Mulund | Best Hospital in India | | Cardiology Hospital in India | Best Cancer Hospital in India | Best Cardiology Hospital in India | Best Oncology Hospital In India | Best Cancer Hospital in Delhi | Best Liver Transplant Hospital in India

Doctors: Dr. Rana Patir | Dr. Rajesh Benny | Dr. Rahul Bhargava | Dr. Jayant Arora | Dr. Anoop Misra | Dr. Manu Tiwari | Dr. Praveer Agarwal | Dr. Arup Ratan Dutta | Dr. Meenakshi Ahuja | Dr. Anoop Jhurani | Dr. Shivaji Basu | Dr. Subhash Jangid | Dr. Atul Mathur | Dr. Gurinder Bedi | Dr. Monika Wadhawan | Dr. Debasis Datta | Dr. Shrinivas Narayan | Dr. Praveen Gupta | Dr. Nitin Jha | Dr. Raghu Nagaraj | Dr. Ashok Seth | Dr. Sandeep Vaishya | Dr. Atul Mishra | Dr. Z S Meharwal | Dr. Ajay Bhalla | Dr. Atul Kumar Mittal | Dr. Arvind Kumar Khurana | Dr. Narayan Hulse | Dr. Samir Parikh | Dr. Amit Javed | Dr. Narayan Banerjee | Dr. Bimlesh Dhar Pandey | Dr. Arghya Chattopadhyay | Dr. G.R. Vijay Kumar | Dr Ashok Gupta | Dr. Gourdas Choudhuri | Dr. Sushrut Singh | Dr. N.C. Krishnamani | Dr. Atampreet Singh | Dr. Vivek Jawali | Dr. Sanjeev Gulati | Dr. Amite Pankaj Aggarwal | Dr. Ajay Kaul | Dr. Sunita Varma | Dr. Manoj Kumar Goel | Dr. R Muralidharan | Dr. Sushmita Roychowdhury | Dr. T.S. MAHANT | Dr. UDIPTA RAY | Dr. Aparna Jaswal | Dr. Ravul Jindal | Dr. Savyasachi Saxena | Dr. Ajay Kumar Kriplani | Dr. Nitesh Rohatgi | Dr. Anupam Jindal 

Specialties: Heart Lung Transplant | Orthopedic | Cardiology Interventional | Obstetrics & Gynaecology | Onco Radiation | Neurosurgery |  Interventional Cardiology | Gastroenterologist in Jaipur | Neuro Physician | Gynecologist in Kolkata | Best Neurologist in India | Liver Transfer | Best Cardiologist in Delhi