Early Signs and Symptoms of Breast Cancer May Include:

• Nipple tenderness or a lump or thickening of tissue on or around the breast or underarm.
• Changes in the size or shape of the breasts or nipples. This can include an inward turned nipple, texture changes that include pitting, inflammation, redness or scaly patches on the skin of the breast, nipple or areola.
• Nipple discharge

In general, breast cancer does not cause pain in its early stages. However, you should always seek the advice of your physician whenever you experience breast pain.

Breast Self-Exam

Get to know your breasts! By using a step-by-step approach and performing Breast Self-Exam on a regularly scheduled basis, you will gain breast awareness. Knowing the normal shape and texture of your breasts will make you keenly aware of changes when performing Breast Self-Exam. Always consult your health care provider as soon as you detect any changes in your breasts or nipples. Although changes in breast shape, size, or texture is not definitive for a diagnosis of breast cancer, early detection can lead to early diagnosis and greatly improve treatment outcomes.

The best time to examine your breasts is when they are not tender or swollen. If you have breast implants, please review your technique with your surgeon. This will help you identify the difference between the implants and the natural breast tissue. If you are breast-feeding or pregnant, you can also perform Breast Self-Exam.

How to perform Breast Self-Exam

Lie down so the breast tissue is spread evenly over the chest wall. Place your right arm behind your head and use your left hand to examine the right breast. Using the pads of your 3 middle fingers, make small circular motions to feel for lumps.

Use varying levels of pressure. Light pressure is used to detect changes just underneath the skin’s surface; medium pressure helps you feel tissue that’s just a little deeper; and firm pressure will assist in detecting changes closest to the chest wall. It is normal to feel a firm ridge in the lower curve of each breast. Use light, medium and firm pressure to examine all the tissue in each spot prior to moving on to the next.

Examine your entire breast in an up and down (vertical) pattern. Starting at your underarm, follow an imaginary line down your side until you feel ribs. Then, move your hand about the width of a dime towards the middle of your chest and begin the circular motions back up the breast until you reach the collar bone. Continue advancing across the breast in this up and down motion until you have reached the middle of the chest or the sternum.

Now use the pads of your fingers on the right hand to perform Breast Self-Exam on the left breast.

While in a sitting or standing position, slightly raise your arm and examine the underarm area on each side.

Now that you have felt for changes, it’s time to look for them.

Stand in front of the mirror and press your hands firmly down on your hips to contract the muscles in the chest wall and make it easier to see any changes in your breasts. Look for changes in size, shape, contour, or texture. Do you see any dimpling, redness, swelling or scaly areas on your nipples or breasts?

This technique for performing Breast Self-Exam is different than previously recommended. Evidence suggests that this technique increases your ability to detect breast changes and abnormal areas in an around the breast. Have your technique reviewed by your health care provider during your regularly scheduled exams.