Breast Self Awareness

Early detection is essential to surviving breast cancer.

4 Steps to Breast Health Awareness: Protect Yourself with 4 Easy Steps!

1. Know your risk by learning about your family health history and talking to your health care provider about your own personal risk.
2. Ask your doctor which screening tests are right for you if you are at a higher risk. Have a mammogram every year starting at age 40 if you are at average risk. Have a clinical breast exam at least every 3 years starting at age 20, and every year starting at age 40.
3. Know how your breasts look and feel and report any changes to your health care provider right away. It is important to examine your breasts monthly. View an excellent multimedia demonstration on how to do a breast self-exam English | Spanish (Adobe Flash required).
4. Make healthy lifestyle choices that may reduce your risk of breast cancer.
   
   Practice these steps and spread the word to those you love!

Breast Self Exams

Breast Self Exam (BSE) is a tool that may help you learn what is normal for you. BSE includes looking at and feeling your breasts. The following is a guide to performing a Breast Self Exam. For an interactive BSE how-to, visit www.komen.org/bse. This online tool provides BSE instruction through animation, audio clips and text in both English and Spanish.

Just as your period ends (or at the same time each month if you do not have periods), check for any change in the normal look or feel of your breasts. Report any changes to your doctor or nurse. Go for regular breast exams and ask about a mammogram.

Step One: Lying Down
Feel for a hard lump, thickening or any change in your breast tissue.

• Lie down on your back with a pillow under your right shoulder
• Use the pads of the three middle fingers on your left hand to examine your right breast
• Press using light, medium and firm pressure in a circular motion
• Follow an up and down pattern
• Feel for changes in your breast, above and below your collarbone and in your armpit area
• Repeat on your left breast

The steps may be repeated while bathing or showering using soapy hands.

Step Two: In Front of the Mirror
Look for changes in the shape, size or appearance of your breasts. Look for dimpling, rash or puckering of the skin or nipple, nipple discharge or any change from normal. Inspect your breasts in four steps:

• Holding arms at sides
• Holding arms overhead
• Pressing hands on hips to tighten chest muscles
• Bending forward with hands on hips

For any and all things relating to breast health, breast cancer and Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, please call the Komen National Toll-Free Breast Care Helpline 1-877 GO KOMEN (1-800-465-6636) or visit www.komen.org. The Komen Organization does not provide medical advice.

Download a PDF of the Breast Self Exam (English and Spanish). This card illustrates and describes the technique of breast self-examination in both English and Spanish