STEP 1

Begin by looking at your breasts in the mirror with

your shoulders straight and your arms on your hips.
Here's what you should look for:

Breasts that are their usual size, shape, and color.

Breasts that are evenly shaped without visible distortion or swelling.

If you see any of the following changes, bring them to your

doctor's attention:

dimpling, puckering, or bulging of the skin.

a nipple that has changed position or an inverted nipple (pushed
inward instead of sticking out).
redness, soreness, rash, or swelling.

Step 2
Raise your arms and look for the same changes

STEP 3
While you're at the mirror, look for any signs of fluid coming
out of one or both nipples (this could be a watery, milky, or
yellow fluid or blood).

STEP 4
Feel your breasts while lying down, using your right hand to
feel your left breast and then your left hand to feel your right
breast. Use a firm, smooth touch with the first few fingers of
your hand, keeping the fingers flat and together.

Cover the entire breast from top to bottom, side to side

from your collarbone to the top of your abdomen, and from
your armpit to your cleavage.

 Follow a pattern to be sure that you cover the whole

breast.
You can begin at the nipple, moving in larger and larger
circles until you reach the outer edge of the breast.
You can also move your fingers up and down vertically,
in rows, as if you were mowing a lawn. This up-anddown approach seems to work best for most women.
Be sure to feel all the tissue from the front to the back of
your breasts:
o for the skin and tissue just beneath, use light
pressure;
o use medium pressure for tissue in the middle of
your breasts;
o use firm pressure for the deep tissue in the back.
When you've reached the deep tissue, you should
be able to feel down to your ribcage.

STEP 5
Finally, feel your breasts while you are standing or sitting.
Many women find that the easiest way to feel their breasts is
when their skin is wet and slippery, so they like to do this
step in the shower. Cover your entire breast, using the same
hand movements described in Step 4.

What Every Woman Needs to Know

The Philippines is at the center of the fight against breast cancer in Asia.
The country has the highest incidence of breast cancer in the continent and
an estimated 3 out of 100 Filipino women will contract the disease before
age 75; 1 out of 100 will die before age 75, according to the Philippine
Society of Medical Oncology in 2012. This complements the Department of
Health and Philippine Cancer Society, Inc. report, which states that breast
cancer is the most common cancer in the country, comprising 16 percent of
the 80,000 new cancer cases in 2010.
Early detection is important, because when a cancer is detected in the
early stages, treatments can be more effective. You may have heard about
different ways to test for breast cancer. One of the easiest is the breast
self-exam (BSE), a physical examination of your own breast tissue .
The BSE is something you can do by yourself, in private, on your own
schedule.
How Often Should I Perform my Breast Self-exam?
You should perform a BSE each month. By becoming more familiar with
your normal breast tissue and appearance, it may make it easier for you to
notice changes if and when they occur.
When Should I Perform my Self-exam?
The ideal time for a BSE is seven to 10 days after the first day of your
menstrual period. Your breasts are naturally less lumpy and tender at
this time.
If you are pregnant, or no longer have menstrual cycles, you can
perform your BSE at any time, but make it the same time during the
month.
If you are breast feeding, you should also perform your monthly BSE
at the same time each month. Be sure to do it after you have fed the
baby, not before. Any time of the day is okay.