The procedure for performing a manual breast self-check has changed since it was first recommended, according to the American Cancer Society. The revised procedure, which is thought to improve a woman's chances of detecting any changes in breast tissue, is performed while lying down, applying varying degrees of pressure as you move your fingers in an up-and-down pattern across each breast. The goal is breast awareness and becoming familiar with what is normal for you so that you can detect even small changes in breast tissue if they occur and report them to your doctor.
Step 1
Lie down flat on your bed, facing the ceiling. Raise your right arm up and place your wrist under your head.
Step 2
Place the pads of the three middle fingers of your left hand to the side of your right breast, almost to the center of your underarm area. Make small circular motions as you move your fingers up and down from above the breast near your collarbone to the ribs below.
Step 3
Apply light pressure, then medium pressure, then firm pressure to each spot on the breast as you move up and down. Repeat with the same circular motions and varying pressure in a vertical pattern as you move your way across the breast to the center of your chest.
Step 4
Place your left arm behind your head. Repeat steps 2 and 3, using the middle three fingers of your right hand to examine your left breast.
Step 5
Stand in front of a full-length mirror. Press your hands down firmly on your hips as you do a visual check of your breasts for any changes in size or shape or any skin changes on the breast or nipple.
Step 6
Lift one arm just slightly and feel the underarm area for any changes. Repeat with the other arm.
Tips and Warnings
- If your breasts become tender or swollen just before your menstrual period, wait until after your period to perform a self-check. You may develop "hormonal lumps" that appear and disappear at certain times throughout your monthly cycle. These are normal and benign lumps that do not require a doctor's attention. If a lump does not disappear after one cycle, or feels as if it has grown or changed, you should be examined by a doctor, according to Cleveland Clinic.
- Although breast self-exams do occasionally detect cancer, this procedure can cause unnecessary worry. Most changes discovered during a self-check are benign, according to Mayo Clinic. Because breast self-checks alone have not reduced the number of deaths from breast cancer, the American Cancer Society now considers regular self-examination to be optional. For the most accurate results, it is best to rely on a combination of self-exams, physician's exams and mammograms and, for women at high risk of developing breast cancer, sonograms, MRIs, needle biopsies and other advanced tests.
