BSE

Being well-acquainted with your breasts is crucial in the early detection of breast cancer. Eventually, it will also influence your chances of survival from such disease.

Breast self examination (BSE) has been on the limelight following controversial issues regarding its efficiency in breast cancer detection. Since breast cancer is more difficult to treat in its later stages, there has been extensive campaign for a more reliable breast cancer detection technique than the conventional breast self examination.

Breast self examinations or BSE used to be highly recommended for women who are 20 years old and above. However, since various studies have revealed that these were not successful in lowering the number of breast cancer deaths, and were even responsible for unnecessary biopsies, experts have decided to recommend breast awareness instead.

There are several techniques in performing breast self examinations. One technique requires you to stand in front of the mirror while checking each of your breasts for any variation in size or nipple appearance. Check if there is any dimpling, bulge, or lump. Inspection should be done in 4 easy steps: inspection with arms at the sides; inspection with arms above the head; inspection with hands pressed firmly on the hips flexing the chest muscles; and inspection by bending forward.

Another technique in performing breast self examination is by lying down. To inspect the right breast, put a pillow underneath the right shoulder while putting the right hand underneath the head. Massage the whole breast area using the fingers on the left hand. Inspection should be done by massaging the breast with the second to the fourth fingers in small, round movements starting from the nipple towards the outer area. Squeeze the nipple gently to check for any discharge.

To check the left breast, follow the same steps and massage using the fingers on the right hand. The pressure placed over each breast should be either light or moderate, but firm.

Self examination for breast cancer may also be done while in the shower. Most women find it easier to feel lumps or any changes in their breasts when the skin is moist. To check the right breast, you have to elevate the right arm. With a wet and soapy left hand, check the right breast using the same circular motions earlier mentioned. Do the same procedure on the left breast using your right hand to feel for lumps.

Breast self examination is supposed to be a monthly screening test for women ages 20 and older. However, some women, who do not understand breast cancer all that well think that this self examination for breast cancer should not be made as an alternative to more reliable methods of breast cancer detection such as clinical exams or mammograms.

Women can still continue the practice of performing breast self examinations as long as they understand that whatever unusual changes they discover themselves do not really mean that they have the disease. Likewise, they should also remember that whatever little change they observed, as long as its out-of-the-ordinary, deserves to be attention of a health professional.

BSE is actually a part of the “breast awareness” that is being pushed by some organizations who are authorities on the subject. For one to be truly aware of her breasts, she needs to know how it normally feels and looks like. To do this, breast self examinations are necessary.

But the bottom line is, BSE does not make the diagnosis. Breast self examination only exists to spot changes. It is up to the doctor to single them out as either symptoms or mere false alarms. If we look at BSE this way, then it will probably serve to decrease cancer deaths in women.