How to Check Your Breasts
The signs of breast cancer are not the same for all women. It is essential to know how your breasts normally look and feel so you are able to notice any changes. Breast self-exam can help detect breast cancer early.
How to do a breast exam
Self-exams are recommended every month. To perform a self-breast exam:
- Put your left hand behind your head.
- With the finger pads of your right hand, feel your entire left breast and armpit area.
- Switch arms and repeat the exam for your right breast
What to look for in a self-breast exam
- Lump, hard knot, or thickening inside the breast or underarm area
- Change in the size or shape of the breast
- Itchy, scaly sore, or rash on the nipple
- Nipple discharge that starts suddenly
- Swelling, warmth, redness, or darkening of the breast
- Dimpling or puckering of the skin
- Pulling of your nipple or other parts of the breast
- New pain in one spot that does not go away
What if I found a lump?
If you find anything of concern during your exam, do not hesitate to call your doctor. Most women have lumpy areas in their breasts that are benign (not cancer). The best doctor to call is your gynecologist, who has performed an exam on you before, or your primary care doctor. At your appointment, your doctor will do a physical breast exam and may order additional tests such as 2D or 3D mammograms.
What is a 3D mammogram?
Firelands Center for Breast Care offers 3D mammograms. 3D mammography captures multiple slices of the breast to produce a clear, 3-dimensional reconstruction of the breast, allowing radiologists to review the breast tissue one layer at a time. This procedure complements standard 2D mammography and is performed simultaneously, using the same positions and compression.
The benefits of 3D mammography are:
- Increased detection of breast cancers
- Decreased number of women recalled for additional testing
- More effectively pinpoint the size, shape and location of abnormalities
- Requires no additional compression compared to a traditional mammogram
- Confidence and peace of mind in your results
To schedule a 2D or 3D mammogram, call 419-557-7840.
For more breast health resources, visit firelands.com/breastcare or call the Center for Breast Care at Firelands at 557-5239.
