Dr. Neelesh Reddy

How to do Self-Breast Examination?

The best time to do your Breast self-examination is while having a shower. Soap your hands and body, then use the flat of your fingers and move them over the breasts step by step as indicated below:-

Step 1: Look at your breasts in the mirror with your shoulders straight and your arms on your hips. Observe the size, shape and colour of the breasts. Look for any deviation from normal – any visible distortion or swelling should be immediately brought to the doctor’s attention. Also, look for the following changes:-

• Dimpling or small depression on the breast
• Change in nipple position or inversion of nipple (nipple being inward instead of sticking out)
• Redness, soreness, rash, or swelling

Step 2: Raise your arms and look for the same changes. Sometimes, the changes in size and shape are more evident in this position.

Step 3: Look for any signs of fluid coming out of one or both nipples (this could be a watery, milky, a yellow or bloody discharge). Gently squeeze the nipples to check for discharge and observe the colour of the discharge.

Step 4: Lie down and feel your breasts using your right hand to feel your left breast and then your left hand to feel your right breast.

• Use a firm, smooth touch with the finger pads of your hand (ring finger, middle finger and index finger), keeping the fingers flat and together.
• Use circular motion (each motion measuring about the size of a coin) to palpate* the breasts.
• Cover the entire breast from top to bottom, side to side – from your collarbone to the top of your abdomen, and from your armpit to your cleavage.
• Follow a pattern (either horizontal – side to side or vertical – up and down) to be sure that you cover the whole breast.
• Squeeze the nipples and observe if there is any discharge.

Step 5: Repeat step 4 in standing and sitting position.

Fact- A woman who detects a lump on Self Breast Examination should undergo a mammogram [(if above 40 years of age) or an ultrasound (if she is below 40 years of age)].

Possible symptoms of breast cancer include:

• Swelling of all or part of a breast (even if no distinct lump is felt)
• Skin irritation or dimpling
• Breast or nipple pain
• Nipple retraction (turning inward)
• Redness, scaliness, or thickening of the nipple or breast skin
• Nipple discharge (other than breast milk)

Sometimes a breast cancer can spread to lymph nodes under the arm or around the collar bone and cause a lump or swelling there, even before the original tumour in the breast tissue is large enough to be felt. Swollen lymph nodes

Feeling a lump on your breasts can be a terrifying moment. 'Cancer' is the first thing that comes to mind but in reality, most lumps in the breast are not caused by cancer. Apart from cancer, breast lumps can be caused by non-cancerous growths, injuries and infections. The only way to correctly diagnose the cause of a lump in the beasts is through a biopsy.

Hence, this is the first step towards treating a breast lump. From here on, treatment will depend on the cause identified.

1. Mastitis or Breast Infection: Mastitis is a painful infection of the breast tissue often faced by women who are breastfeeding. It can be treated with heat treatment and antibiotics. Massaging the breast while taking a warm shower or applying a warm compress. This will open up the milk ducts and should be followed by nursing the baby or using a breast pump to relieve the swelling and pain.
2. Abscess: Antibiotics are the first line of treatment against an abscess but this is effective only if given in the initial stage of the infection. In later stages, an abscess will need to be surgically drained.
3. Fibroadenomas: This is a non-cancerous tumour often found in young women. It is often difficult to distinguish between a Fibroadenoma and a cancerous tumour and hence these are usually surgically removed.
4. Fibrocystic Changes: In some cases, the breast itself is composed of knotted, rope like tissue. This is known as having fibrocystic breasts. If a new lump presents itself on fibrocystic breasts, a mammogram and an ultrasound are performed to evaluate the lump. In most cases fibrocystic changes do not require any medication or surgery.
5. Breasts Cysts: Cysts can be defined as fluid filled lumps. In some cases, these cysts become apparent at the time of ovulation and disappear after the period. In other cases, it may need to be drained with a thin needle. Cysts often recur and need to be re-drained.
6. Fat Necrosis and Lipoma: Fat necrosis is a lump caused by an injury to the fatty tissue in the breast. Lipoma is a fatty growth within the fatty tissue. In both these cases, no treatment is required but if it causes any problems, it can be removed.
7. Breast Cancer: If the biopsy reveals the presence of a cancerous tumour, you must immediately consult an oncologist. Treatment options for breast cancer include chemotherapy, radiation, surgery and hormone treatment. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!