BREAST SELF EXAMINATION

PREPARED BY:
DIANA A. ANENIAS, RN,MAN
 PRE-TEST
1. Women must perform BSE 5 days before
menstruation. (True or False)
2. Regular mammograms must be done to all women
for early detection and treatment. (True or False)
3. Men are not affected with breast cancer. (True or
False)
4. What month do we celebrate the National Breast
Cancer Awareness
5. Give 1 risk factor how one develops breast cancer.
BREAST CANCER: WOMEN’S ENEMY NO.1

• Among Asian countries,

the Philippines has the No.1
incidence of breast cancer.
• According to Philippine Society of
Medical Oncology, “Three out of
100 (Filipino) women will
get breast cancer before age 75
and one out of 100 will die before
reaching 75”
 CLINICAL VALUE
• Experience has verified that 90% of breast cancers
are found by women themselves
• When women discover lumps in their breasts at a
very early stage, surgery can save 70-80% of
proven cases
 RISK FACTORS
• Being overweight
• Having no children at the
age of 30
• Having a family history of
breast cancer
• Drinking excessive
alcohol
• Having early
menstruation and later
menopause.
 RECOMMENDATIONS
• All women age 20 years and older perform
BSE on a monthly basis.
• All women ages 29 to 39 should have
clinical examinations every 3 years
preferably be part of a periodic health
examination.
• All women ages 40 years and older have
regular mammograms (every 1-2 years)
Why Do a Breast Self Exam?
 Breast Self Exam Information
• It is easy to do and the more you do it, the better you will
get at it.

• When you get to know how your breasts normally feel, you
will quickly be able to feel any change, and early detection
is the key to successful treatment. A breast self-exam could
save your breast - and your life.

• Most breast lumps are found by women themselves, but in

fact, most lumps in the breast are not cancer.
 When to do a Breast Self-Exam
• The best time to do breast self-exam is
right after your period, when breasts are
not tender or swollen.
• If you do not have regular periods or
sometimes skip a month, do it on the
same day every month.
• There are two basic
steps in conducting
a Breast Self Exam
(BSE):
a. first you look
at your breasts
(inspection)
b. and then you
touch them
(palpation)
BY INSPECTION, THE BREAST
SHOULD BE:
• Symmetrical, full, rounded, smooth in all
portions, without retractions or masses
• Even vascular pattern and striae are noted
• Nipples everted, areola even
• Axillae even color, without masses or rash
 IN PALPATION, BREASTS
SHOULD BE:
• Firm and without masses, lumps, local
areas with warmth, or tenderness
• Nipples should have no discharges
• Axillae should be smooth and node are
nonpalpable
 SIGNS OF BREAST CANCER
• swelling of all or part of the breast
• skin irritation or dimpling
• breast pain
• nipple pain or the nipple turning inward
• redness, scaliness, or thickening of the
nipple or breast skin
• a nipple discharge other than breast milk
• a lump in the underarm area
 STEP 1: INSPECTION
• Stand in front of a mirror
and look for the above
changes in your breasts
(from both a frontal and
profile view) in 3 different
positions:
1. With your arms up behind
your head
2. With your arms down at
your sides
3. Bending forward
 STEP 2: PALPATION
• You use the pads
(where your
fingerprints are) of
your three middle
fingers on your right
hand pressed
together flat to check
your left breast, and
do the opposite for
the right breast.
 PATTERNS
• Spiral (concentric circles): begin
with a large circle around the
perimeter of your breast and make
smaller and smaller circles as you
work your way toward the nipple.
• Pie shape wedges: pretend your
breast is divided into sections like
pieces of a pie, begin in the nipple
area and feel your breast in a small
circular motion within one pie shape
section, then move on to the next
wedge starting in the nipple area
again.
• Up and down: pretend your breast
is divided into vertical stripes, begin
on one side and feel your breast in a
small circular motion up and down in
a zig zag pattern.
• When using any of the 3 patterns,
you should always be using a circular
rubbing motion (in dime-sized
circles) without lifting up your
fingers.
• Once you've performed the tactile
examination while standing up in
front of a mirror, you should do the
whole examination again, this time
while lying down.
• Put your left arm behind your head and use your right
hand to examine your left breast.
• Put a small pillow or towel under your left shoulder
to aid you.
• Again, use the pads of your 3 fingers of your right
hand to check your left breast in the pattern of your
choice (spiral, pie shape wedges, or up and down).
• Be sure to always use the same pattern (it's the best
way to know if there are changes).
 FINDINGS
• Noticeable or indentation on the breast;
• A change in the contour, texture, or
temperature of the breast;
• A change in the nipple, such as an
indrawn or dimpled look, itching or burning
sensation; and
• Unusual discharge from the nipple that
may be clear, bloody, or another color.
 Health experts are recommending
the following:
• Doing regular exercise (three times a week for one
hour each) has been found to lower breast cancer
by up to 40 percent. Breast-feeding and having
children at a younger age also lower breast-cancer
risk.
• Taking plant estrogens that come from soy
products; they reportedly protect against breast
cancer especially when taken regularly early in life.
• Eating healthy foods. A study conducted in the
US said that high consumption of fruit during
adolescence, 2.9 serving per day, can lower
breast cancer by 25 percent in middle
age. Prefer vegetables rich in folic acid (vitamin
B9). Dark green leafy vegetables, beans and
peas are all rich in folate.
• Avoiding smoking and unhealthy practices. Tobacco and its
many components such as nicotine and tar are proven
carcinogens. If you drink, do it moderately. In addition,
avoid unprotected sex, drug use and other high-risk
behaviors.
• Cutting down on saturated “bad” fats. Examples include
fatty meats, cheese and butter. Instead, eat nuts and
avocado, which are common sources of monounsaturated
“good” fats.
• Know your family’s medical history. Having a history of
breast cancer in one’s family greatly increases one’s risk
and should make one extra vigilant.
THANK YOU