Breast self-examination
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Breast self-examination (BSE) is an easy but unreliable method for finding possible breast cancer.

BSE is important because if performed regularly it can help in early detection of some types of breast cancers. The method involves trying to feel breasts for possible distortions or swelling. The steps involved in self exam are

• Looking for visual cues of dimpling, swelling, soreness or redness in front of a mirror with arms on hips.
• Repeated with arms raised.
• Feeling breasts with fingers while lying on your back. The entire breast should be covered while examining. Both the area just below the skin and the tissues deeper inside should be felt for abnormalities like lumps.
• Repeated while sitting or standing.
• Gently squeezing nipples fingers to check for fluid discharge.

While around eight in ten lumps that are detected are harmless, any abnormality thus detected should immediately be reported to the doctor. Though most breast cancers are detected by women, BSE should be combined with an annual examination by a doctor for better chances of detection. Women can easily miss a breast lump that an expert can find. For the same reasons it is better to learn BSE from an expert. It is not a replacement for more trustworthy techniques like mammogram.

Note: consult a trustworthy site such as www.breastcancer.org for more complete and up-to-date information.

The original article can be found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breast_self-examination.
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