| Many women know that they should do a self | | | | your breast. |
| breast examination every month, but how many | | | | Performing a monthly self breast exam will allow |
| actually do it? Not nearly enough women perform | | | | you to get to know your breasts pretty well. This |
| the self breast exam because they are either | | | | is important because then it will be easy for you |
| embarrassed or do not know what they are | | | | to detect when there is a problem. It will be easy |
| looking for. | | | | for you to realize that something in your breast |
| Self breast exams are useful in detecting changes | | | | has changed since last month, and then you can |
| in your breast. Women’s breasts change | | | | bring it to the attention of your physician. |
| throughout the month due to the rise and fall of | | | | Despite your monthly breast examination, you |
| hormones during a menstrual cycle. It is best to | | | | can still miss detecting a lump. It is critical to use |
| do a self exam a few days after your period | | | | more than one method of screening for breast |
| ends because your breasts are not going to be | | | | cancer. It is recommended for women to do |
| tender. If you no longer menstruating then select | | | | monthly exams, physician exams, and a |
| a date such as the first or the last day of the | | | | mammography and magnetic resonance imaging |
| month so that you will remember to do it. | | | | (MRI) to detect breast cancer. The earlier that |
| Did you know that most women have lumpy | | | | breast cancer is detected, the better chance a |
| areas in their breasts all of the time? Statistics | | | | woman has of surviving. Please visit your doctor |
| show that 80% of breast lumps that have been | | | | to learn how you can properly perform your own |
| detected turn out to be non-cancerous or benign, | | | | monthly breast exams. |
| so don’t panic if you think you have a lump in | | | | |