Self Assessment

Women should examine their breasts regularly to detect lumps or abnormalities that could signal breast cancer. An exam should be done once a month, several days after the last day of a woman's period.

Health Tip: Breast Self-Exams

(HealthDay News) -- Women should examine their breasts regularly to detect lumps or abnormalities that could signal breast cancer. An exam should be done once a month, several days after the last day of a woman's period.

Here are the five basic steps to a breast self-exam, courtesy of Breastcancer.org:

• Standing with your shoulders straight and your arms on your hips, face a mirror. Look for any differences in size, shape, color, swelling or bulging of the skin, changes in the nipple, or any signs of redness or rash.
• Raise your arms, and examine your breasts for any of those differences.
• Gently squeeze each nipple to check for any discharge.
• Lie down, and feel each breast with the hand of the opposite arm. Feel all the tissue, applying pressure to check deep tissue for any lumps or abnormalities.
• Examine the breasts while you are standing or sitting, gently examining the entire breast. You may want to try this method in the shower, while the skin is slippery.

The National Women's Health Information Center is Sponsored by the Office on Women's Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services