BREASTSELFEXAMI

NATI
ON(
BSE)

Whati
sbr
eas
tsel
f-exami
nat
ion(
BSE)
?

BSEi
sap
roc
edur
einwhi
chb
reas
tandac
ces
sor
yanat
omi
cals
truc
tur
esar
eob
ser
ved

andp
alp
atedt
odet
ectc
hangesorp
res
enc
eofmal
ignanc
y.I
tisas
creeni
ngmet
hod

us
edi
nanat
temp
ttod
etec
tear
lyb
reas
tcanc
er.Themet
hodi
nvol
vest
hewoman

her
sel
flooki
ngatandf
eel
ingeac
hbr
eas
tforp
oss
ibl
elump
s,d
ist
ort
ionsors
wel
li
ng.

ABSEi
sat
echni
quewhi
chal
lowsani
ndi
vid
ual
womant
oexami
neherb
reas
tti
ssuef
or

anyp
hys
icalorv
isualc
hanges
.Iti
sof
tenus
edasanear
lyd
etec
tionmet
hodf
orb
reas
t

c
anc
er.I
tisr
ecommend
edt
hatev
erywomanab
ovet
heageof18und
ert
aket
heb
reas
t

s
elf
-examonmont
hlyb
asi
stob
ecomeac
quai
ntedwi
thb
reas
tandf
ost
ergoods
elf
-

examhab
itf
ort
hef
utur
e.I
tal
sohel
pst
oinc
reas
eherb
reas
tawar
enes
s,b
yus
ingher

ey
esandherhand
stod
eter
minei
fther
ear
eanyc
hangest
othel
ookandf
eelofher

b
reas
t.I
fther
eisanynewb
reas
tchangest
hiss
houl
dber
epor
tedwi
thoutd
elayt
othe

heal
thp
rof
ess
ionali
nthehos
pit
al.

Theb
estt
imet
odoamont
hlyBSEi
sab
out5t
o7d
aysaf
tert
hemens
truat
ionhas

s
top
ped
.Its
houl
dbed
oneatt
hes
amet
imeev
erymont
hbec
aus
ebr
eas
tsar
enotas

t
end
erorl
ump
yatt
hist
imei
nthemont
hlyc
ycl
e.

Forwomant
hathav
egonet
hroughmenop
aus
eBSEs
houl
dbed
oneont
hes
amed
ay

ev
erymont
hi.
e.p
ickap
art
icul
ard
atei
namont
hsuc
hast
hef
irs
tdayofeac
hmont
hto

r
emi
ndher
sel
ftod
oBSE.Forwomenwhoar
eonhor
monalt
reat
ment
,shemus
tdi
scus
s

wi
thherheal
thc
arep
rov
iderab
outwhent
odoBSE.
 CHANGETOLOOKFOR

Awomanmus
tchec
kwi
thherheal
thc
arep
rov
ideri
fshef
ind
sanyoft
hes
e

c
hanges

1.Dev
elop
mentofal
ump

2.Ad
isc
har
geot
hert
hanb
reas
tmi
lk(
inanur
singmot
her
,ifnott
her
eshoul
dn’
t

b
eanyd
isc
har
geatal
l,y
ell
owi
sh,b
lood
yorwhi
ti
shd
isc
har
ges
houl
dber
epor
ted

3.Swel
li
ngoft
heb
reas
t

4.Ski
nir
rit
ati
onord
imp
ling

5.Ni
ppl
eab
nor
mal
it
ies(
suc
hasp
ain,r
ednes
s,s
cal
ines
sort
urni
ngi
nwar
dand

war
mth)

6.Ahar
dlumporknotneart
heund
erar
m

7.I
tchi
ngs
cal
es,s
oresorr
ashes

8.Changesi
nthewayt
heb
reas
tlooksorf
eel
,inc
lud
ingt
hic
keni
ngorp
romi
nent

f
ull
nes
sthati
sdi
ffer
entf
romt
hes
urr
ound
ingt
iss
ue.

METHODSOFBSE

BSEc
ons
istof2met
hod
snamel
y

 I
nsp
ect
ion(
obs
erv
ati
on)4s
tep
s

 Pal
pat
ion

I
nsp
ect
ion(
Obs
erv
ati
on)
St
ep1:St
and
ingi
nfr
ontofami
rror

Begi
nbyob
ser
vingorl
ooki
ngatt
heb
reas
tint
hemi
rrorwi
tht
hes
houl
der
sst
rai
ght

andt
hear
msont
hehi
ps

Whatt
olookf
or:

 Br
eas
tthatar
ethei
rus
ual
size,s
hap
eandc
olor

 Br
eas
tthatar
eev
enl
yshap
ed(
symmet
ry)wi
thoutv
isi
bled
ist
ort
ionors
wel
li
ng

 Di
mpl
ing,p
ucker
ingorb
ulgi
ngoft
hes
kin

 Ani
ppl
ethathasc
hangedp
osi
tionorani
nver
tedni
ppl
e

 Red
nes
s,s
orenes
s,r
ashors
wel
li
ng.

St
epI
I:Whi
ler
ais
ingt
het
wohand
sab
ovehead
,inl
ikemanners
hel
ooksatt
hes
hap
e,

s
ymmet
ry,d
imp
ling,p
ucker
ing,enl
argedgl
and
se.
t.c

St
epI
II:Wi
thhand
sont
hehi
ps,whi
les
tand
ings
hep
lac
esherhandonherhi
ps,p
res
s

d
ownandb
endf
orwar
d(al
lowsb
reas
ttod
angl
e).Shenot
esany
thi
ngt
hatl
ooksunus
ual

orab
nor
mal
oranyoft
heab
ovec
hanges
.

I
fanyoft
hec
hangesab
ovei
sob
ser
ved
,thewomans
houl
drep
ortt
oherheal
thc
are

p
rov
iderwi
thoutd
elay
.

St
epI
V:Gent
lys
queezeeac
hni
ppl
eandl
ookf
orad
isc
har
ge.

PALPATI
ON

Chec
kingt
heout
erhal
foft
her
ightb
reas
t
 Li
edownandr
ollont
othel
efts
idet
oexami
net
her
ightb
reas
t

 Pl
acet
her
ighthand
,pal
mupont
hef
orehead
.

Theb
reas
tshoul
dli
easf
latasp
oss
ibl
eont
hec
hes
t.I
tmayb
eeas
ierandmor
e

c
omf
ort
abl
eonap
ill
owb
ehi
ndt
hes
houl
derorb
ack.

 Us
ingt
hef
latp
art
soft
hef
ourf
inger
sort
hreemi
ddl
efi
nger
s(nott
het
ips
)

 Mov
ethep
oint
soft
hef
inger
sinl
it
tlec
irc
les

Foreac
hli
ttl
eci
rcl
e,c
hanget
heamountofp
res
sur
e,s
oyouc
anf
eelal
llev
elsof

t
heb
reas
tti
ssue

 Makeeac
hci
rcl
ethr
eet
imes
.Onel
ightp
res
sur
e,onemed
iump
res
sur
eandone

d
eeporf
irmp
res
sur
ebef
orey
ouc
anmov
eont
othenexter
a.

Fort
hes
kinandt
iss
uej
ustb
eneat
h,us
eli
ghtp
res
sur
e

Us
emed
iump
res
sur
efort
iss
uei
nthemi
ddl
eoft
heb
reas
t

Us
efi
rmp
res
sur
eford
eept
iss
uei
ntheb
ack.Wheny
ouhav
ereac
hedt
hed
eep

t
iss
ue,y
ous
houl
dbeab
let
ofeel
downt
oyourr
ibc
age.

 St
artt
hec
irc
lesi
nthear
mpi
tandmov
edownt
ojus
tbel
owt
heb
ral
ine(
abov
e

ab
domen)

 Thens
li
dey
ourf
inger
sov
erj
ustt
hewi
dthofonef
ingerandmov
eupagai
n.

 Don’
tmov
eyourf
inger
sfr
omt
heb
reas
tasy
oumov
ethemt
omakes
urey
ouf
eel

t
heent
irear
ea
  Cont
inuet
hisupandd
ownv
ert
ical
str
ipp
att
ersf
romt
hec
oll
arb
onet
ojus
t

b
elowt
heb
ral
ineorab
ovet
heab
domenunt
ily
our
eac
htheni
ppl
e.

Chec
kingt
hei
nnerhal
foft
her
ightb
reas
t

 Wheny
our
eac
htheni
ppl
e,r
emov
epi
ll
owandr
ollont
oyourb
ack

 Remov
eyourhandf
romt
hef
oreheadandp
lac
ethi
sar
matar
ightangl
e

 Car
eful
lyc
hec
ktheni
ppl
ear
eaus
ingt
hes
amec
irc
ularp
res
sur
easb
efor
e

wi
thouts
queezi
ng

 Thenexami
net
her
emai
ningb
reas
tti
ssueus
ingt
heupandd
ownv
ert
icals
tri
p

p
att
ern,unt
ily
our
eac
hthemi
ddl
eoft
hec
hes
t.

 Pl
acet
henon-p
alp
ati
nghandd
ownaty
ours
ide

 Makear
owofc
irc
lesab
oveandb
elowt
hec
oll
arb
one,wor
kingf
romt
hes
houl
der

t
othemi
d-l
ine

 Rol
lont
othes
ideandr
epeatt
hes
tep
sont
hel
eftb
reas
tus
ingt
her
ighthand
.

NOTE

Somer
esear
chess
ugges
tmanywomend
oBSEmor
ethor
oughl
ywhent
heyus
eap
att
ern

ofupandd
owns
tri
psorl
ines
.Ot
herwomenf
eel
mor
ecomf
ort
abl
ewi
thot
herp
att
erns
.

Thei
mpor
tantt
hingi
stoc
overt
hewhol
ebr
eas
tandp
ays
pec
ialat
tent
iont
othe

und
erar
m.Chec
kthear
eaab
ovet
heb
reas
t,upt
othec
oll
arb
oneandal
lthewayt
oov
er

t
hes
houl
der
.

Anyoft
hef
oll
owi
ngp
att
ernc
anb
eus
ed.
  LI
NES:Upandd
own

 CI
RCLES:Begi
nni
ngatt
heout
ered
geoft
heb
reas
t.

Mov
efi
nger
ssl
owl
yar
oundt
hewhol
ebr
eas
tinac
irc
le

Mov
ear
oundt
heb
reas
tins
mal
lerands
mal
lerc
irc
les
,gr
adual
lywor
kingt
owar
ds

t
heni
ppl
e.

Don’
tfor
gett
ochec
ktheund
erar
mar
ea

 WEDGES:St
art
ingatt
heout
ered
gesoft
heb
reas
t,mov
efi
nger
stowar
dthe

ni
ppl
eandb
ackt
otheed
ge.

Chec
kthewhol
ebr
eas
t,c
over
ingones
mal
lwed
ge-s
hap
eds
ect
ionatat
ime

Bes
uret
ochec
ktheund
erar
mar
eaandup
perc
hes
t

I
ntheent
ire3p
att
ernab
ovet
hreed
iff
erentl
evel
sofp
res
sur
emus
tbeus
edt
o

exami
net
heb
reas
t(Ac
cor
dingt
otheAmer
icanCanc
erSoc
iet
y).

Li
ghtp
res
sur
e–Exami
net
het
iss
uec
los
estt
oski
n

Med
iump
res
sur
e–Tof
eelal
it
tled
eep
er

Fi
rmp
res
sur
e–Tof
eeld
eep
ert
iss
uec
los
ert
othec
hes
twal
l

I
ndi
cat
ionf
orBr
eas
tExam

1.Comp
lai
ntofb
reas
tpai
n

2.Ski
nChanges

3.Ni
ppl
edi
schar
ge
4.Lump
s

5.Gr
ossc
hangesi
nsi
zeors
hap
e

6.Anyc
aus
eofc
onc
ern.