“The greatest wealth is health.”
– Virgil
Breast Self-Examination
From age 20 you can start with breast self-examination. This should be done once a month. Because breasts can often swell and become tender, it is best to do a self-exam 10 days after menstruation when your breasts are back to normal.
Don’t think of a breast self-exam as a hunt to find cancer, but to understand the normal landscape of your breasts. This involves both looking and feeling.
Stand in front of a mirror and inspect both breasts. Look for anything unusual, such as nipple discharge, change in shape, or skin erosions.
Raise your left arm. Use three fingers of your right hand to examine your left breast. Beginning at the outer edge, press the flat part of your fingers in small circular motions around the breast. Gradually work towards the nipple. Make sure that you cover the entire breast. Feel for any lumps under the skin. Pay special attention to the area between the breast and the armpit, seeing as this area contains the most breast tissue. Also feel for lumps in the armpit itself. Repeat the self-exam on your right breast.
Warning Signs
A cancer lump is often hard and immovable, like a lemon seed. Normal lumps (milk lobes and lymph nodes) feel like soft peas. Many symptoms of breast cancer are found by the patient, so reporting symptoms to a doctor is smart. Signs to look out for include the following: Thick mass, skin indentation, skin erosion and dimpling. Redness or heat. Nipple discharge and nipple retraction. Growing veins and bumps. Change in shape and size of the breast or nipple.
