Breast Health & Mammograms

Self breast exam (SBE) is an inspection of your breasts to increase your awareness of how they look and feel when you are in good health so that you can report any changes or concerns to your doctor. Monthly self-exams also let you take action to help protect yourself against cysts, cancers, and infections that affect the breasts. The monthly BSE should be done along with annual clinical breast exams at the doctor’s office and mammograms according to the recommended schedule.

See your doctor if you notice any of the following during your monthly breast self-exam:

• Any hard knots or lumps near your underarm.

• Any changes in the way your breast looks or feels.

• Any thickening or prominent fullness in the breast tissue that is different from the surrounding tissue.

• Any bulges, ridges, puckers, or dimples that appear on your breast skin.

• Any changes in your nipple causing it to be inverted (pushed in) rather than sticking out.

• Redness, pain, swelling, or warmth anywhere on, in, or around your breast.

• Skin changes on your breast, such as rashes, sores, scaliness, or itching.

• Nipple discharge, including bloody discharge.

The doctor will probably do a clinical breast exam and may order more tests to investigate these changes. The tests may include blood tests, an ultrasound of the breast, or a mammogram. The doctor may also want to do a procedure called a biopsy, where a small piece of the suspicious breast tissue is removed and examined in a laboratory.

A healthcare professional like your doctor or their nurse performs a clinical breast exam. They are trained to spot warning signs and abnormalities. You probably receive a clinical breast exam as part of your annual physical already. The doctor will do many of the same things you did during your breast self-exam, including visually examining your breasts in different positions, checking for unusual textures or lumps, and checking your nipples for unusual discharge.

Mammograms can detect lumps and tumors even before trained professionals can detect them. For this reason, women with a family history of breast cancer and women who fall in the age range for routine mammography should get their mammograms regularly after age 40. Your doctor can advise you about the schedule to follow and how to schedule a mammogram. Your first mammogram is often considered the “baseline” mammogram—the one used to compare future mammograms to help identify changes in your breast tissue.