OverviewA breast self-exam for breast awareness is an inspection of your breasts that you do on your own. To help increase your breast awareness, you use your eyes and hands to determine if there are any changes to the look and feel of your breasts. Show
If you notice new breast changes, discuss these with your doctor. Though most breast changes detected during a self-exam for breast awareness have benign causes, some changes may signal something serious, such as breast cancer. Most medical organizations don't recommend routine breast self-exams as a part of breast cancer screening. That's because breast self-exams haven't been shown to be effective in detecting cancer or improving survival for women who have breast cancer. Still, doctors believe there is value in women being familiar with their own breasts, so they understand what's normal and promptly report changes. Why it's doneA breast self-exam that you do for breast awareness helps you understand the normal look and feel of your breasts. If you notice a change in your breasts that seems abnormal or if you notice one breast is different when compared with the other, you can report it to your doctor. There are many conditions that can cause changes in your breasts, including breast cancer. Although the breast self-exam technique isn't always a reliable way to detect breast cancer, a significant number of women report that the first sign of their breast cancer was a new breast lump they discovered on their own. For this reason, doctors recommend being familiar with the normal consistency of your breasts. Sign up for free and
receive the latest on breast cancer treatment, care and management. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health
information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail. RisksA breast self-exam for breast awareness is a safe way to become familiar with the normal look and feel of your breasts. However, there are some limitations and risks, including:
Discuss the benefits and limitations of being familiar with the consistency of your breasts with your doctor. How you prepareTo prepare for your breast self-exam for breast awareness:
What you can expectBegin with a visual examination of your breastsSit or stand shirtless and braless in front of a mirror with your arms at your sides. To inspect your breasts visually, do the following:
If you have a vision impairment that makes it difficult for you to visually inspect your breasts, ask a trusted friend or a family member to help you. Next, use your hands to examine your breastsCommon ways to perform the manual part of the breast exam include:
When examining your breasts, some general tips to keep in mind include:
If you have a disability that makes it difficult to examine your breasts using this technique, you likely can still conduct a breast self-exam. Ask your doctor to show you ways you can examine your breasts. ResultsWhat's normalMany women find lumps or changes in their breasts, since some of these are normal changes that occur at various points in the menstrual cycles. Finding a change or lump in your breast is not a reason to panic. Breasts often feel different in different places. A firm ridge along the bottom of each breast is normal, for instance. The look and feel of your breasts will change as you age. When to contact your doctorMake an appointment with your doctor if you notice:
Your doctor may recommend additional tests and procedures to investigate breast changes, including a clinical breast exam, mammogram and ultrasound. Clinical trialsExplore Mayo Clinic studies of tests and procedures to help prevent, detect, treat or manage conditions. What position is most appropriate for a patient having a breast examination?The breasts are first visually inspected with the patient in a seated position facing the examiner. The patient is instructed to place their hands on their hips as well as raise them above their head.
Which of the following is the most appropriate position for the patient to be in to wait for general physical examination?Most appropriate position to be in to wait for a general physical examination? In a sitting position at end of the exam table.
In what position is the patient typically placed during the examination of the breast abdomen and extremities?The abdominal examination is performed with the patient lying supine.
When preparing the patient for a vaginal examination you would position them in the position?Knee-Chest Position. Used for rectal and vaginal examinations and as treatment to bring uterus into normal position. Patient is on knees with chest resting on bed and elbows resting on bed or arms above head. Head is turned to one side.
|