Breast Exams
In observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month will be sharing articles and resources to help raise awareness about the impact of breast cancer. Breast self-exams, or BSEs, are extremely helpful measures in detecting abnormalities and sometimes even catching cancer in its earliest stages. Clinical exams, breast self-exams (BSEs), and mammograms should all be done on a regular basis to see if there are any changes in the breast tissue that could indicate breast cancer or other potentially dangerous disorders.
Clinical Exams and Mammograms
The American Cancer Society recommends clinical breast exams every three years for women between 20 and 40, and annually for women 40 and older. Starting at age 45, healthy women should have yearly mammograms.
Breast Tissue Changes
Contact your doctor if you notice any of the following changes to your breast or nipple tissue while doing a BSE:
- Lumps
- Dimpling, red or scaly skin
- Nipple discharge or pain
It is normal for breast tissue to change during menstrual cycles, pregnancy, menopause, or while taking birth control pills or other hormone therapy. However, if you notice changes at other times in your life, it is strongly suggested that you visit a doctor immediately.
More in-depth information on how to perform a BSE is available at www.komen.org. This website also provides a Breast Self-Awareness Interactive Tool that you can view. Or, check out this diagram on www.breastcancer.org, which illustrates how to perform a thorough self-exam.
Performing Self-exams
In between clinical exams and mammograms, women should complete BSEs to become familiar with the look and feel of their breasts when healthy, so that changes can be detected as early as possible.
- Lie down and place one arm behind your head.
- Use the pads of your middle three fingers on the opposite hand to check your breast tissue in overlapping, dime-sized circular motions.
- Use an up-and-down pattern starting at your underarm and moving all the way to the middle of your breastbone to feel for changes.
- Standing with your hands on your hips, look in a mirror for changes in size, shape, contour or coloring of your breasts.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. For further information, please consult a medical professional. © 2007-2009. 2012, 2014, 2017-2018 Zywave, Inc. All rights reserved.
About the Author
Share This Story
Related Blogs
OSHA’s Safe and Sound Week Scheduled for Aug. 12-18
Each year, more than 5,000 workers are killed on the job. Additionally, more than 3.6 million employees are seriously injured each year while at work. Because of this, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) holds a nationwide event each August called Safe and Sound Week, which promotes the importance of companies incorporating safety and health programs into their workplace. This year, the event runs Aug. 12-18, 2024.
2024 Midyear Market Outlook: Workers’ Compensation
Profitable underwriting results have generated favorable conditions across the workers’ compensation insurance market for nearly a decade. According to the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI), the segment produced combined ratios of 84.5 and 84.9 in 2022 and 2023, respectively, demonstrating continued profitability.
CrowdStrike, the Most Important Cyber Accumulation Loss Event Since NotPetya, Highlights Single Points of Failure
In what is being called “the most important cyber accumulation loss event since NotPetya,” the July 19, 2024, global technology outage (CrowdStrike) will produce scores of insurance claims across a range of policies, test cyber policy wordings,and sharpen the industry’s focus on single points of failure.