breast self examination

breast self examination

1. breast self examination

2. INTRODUCTION Breast self examination can be taught to individuals or to groups . BSE is best performed after menses (day 5 to day 7) For postmenopausal women once a month . Many women have grainy-textured breast tissue, but these areas are usually less nodular after menses . Women should begin practising BSE at their late teens or early 20s.The nurse plays a pivotal role in preventive education.

3. DEFINITION Breast self-examination is a screening method used in an attempt to detect early breast cancer. The method involves the woman herself looking at and feeling each breast for possible lumps, distortions or swelling .

4. PURPOSES Help to increase breast awareness , It helps to early detection of breast cancer

5. STEPS OF BREAST SELF EXAMINATION

6. Step 1 : Begin by looking at your breasts in the mirror with your shoulders straight and your arms on your hips. Here's what you should look for: Breasts that are their usual size, shape, and color Breasts that are evenly shaped without visible distortion or swelling

7. If you see any of the following changes, bring them to your doctor's attention: Dimpling, puckering, or bulging of the skin A nipple that has changed position or an inverted nipple Redness, soreness, rash, or swelling

8. Step 2 :  Now, raise your arms and look for the same changes . Step 3:  While you're at the mirror, look for any signs of fluid coming out of one or both nipples (this could be a watery, milky, or yellow fluid or blood).

9. Step 4:  Next, feel your breasts while lying down, 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 first few finger pads of your hand, keeping the fingers flat and together. Use a circular motion, about the size of a quarter

10. 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 to be sure that you cover the whole breast. You can begin at the nipple, moving in larger and larger circles until you reach the outer edge of the breast. You can also move your fingers up and down vertically, in rows, as if you were mowing a lawn. This up-and-down approach seems to work best for most women. 

11. Be sure to feel all the tissue from the front to the back of your breasts: for the skin and tissue just beneath, use light pressure; use medium pressure for tissue in the middle of your breasts; use firm pressure for the deep tissue in the back. When you've reached the deep tissue, you should be able to feel down to your ribcage .

12. Step 5:  Finally, feel your breasts while you are standing or sitting. Many women find that the easiest way to feel their breasts is when their skin is wet and slippery, so they like to do this step in the shower. Cover your entire breast, using the same hand movements described in step 4.

13. PREPARATION The best time to do a breast self-exam is a few days after your monthly menstrual cycle ends. Hormonal changes can affect the size and feel of your breasts, so it’s best to perform the exam when your breasts are in their normal state . Women who don’t menstruate should choose a certain day to perform the exam, such as the first day of each month . You should also keep a journal of your self-exams. This will help you track and record any changes you have noticed in your breasts

14. ADVANTAGES Allows each woman control over her own health, Provides each woman knowledge of what her own breast tissue feels like, Is a non-invasive, simple procedure, and. Can detect breast cancer at an earlier stage than if a woman does not perform BSE.

15. DISADVANTAGES Fear and anxiety about what may be found during the exam, and False-positive (“false alarm”) finding, which is a result that indicates that a condition is present (i.e., breast lump or possible cancer) when it is not (i.e., non-cancerous breast tissue).

16. CONCLUSION The evidence on breast self-examination is clear, there is no benefit to breast cancer mortality and results suggest that breast self-examination may do more harm than good.