Standing Up

Step 1

Place your hands at your sides and look at your breasts for any changes in colour, size, shape, dimpling or texture of the skin

Step 2

Now raise both your hands above your head.  Check if both breasts rise together

Step 3

Place your hands around your waist, pressing waist, shoulders and elbows forward.  Bend forward and check if both breasts fall forward together

Now raise your left arm.  With the flat part of the fingers if your rights hand, carefully examine your left breast.  In a circular pattern, start from the outer top, pressing firmly enough to feel the tissue beneath. After one full circle, move in towards the nipple a few centimeters and circle again, continuing until you reach the nipple. Check the area above the breast, especially the armpit area, for lumps or hard knots. Repeat on right breast.

Lying down

With a pillow under your left shoulder, place your left hand behind your head to flatten the breast tissue. Examine your entire breast in the circular motion described in step 4.With your right hand behind your head, repeat the procedure with your right breast. Also gently squeeze each nipple to check for discharge

Breast self examination should be done once a month.  Report any changes or irregularities to your doctor or primary health care clinic.

Visit your clinic is you find:

• any lumps
• bleeding or discharge from nipple
• dimpling of skin
• change in the shape, or size or skin texture of your beast or nipple

To identify early signs of breast cancer:

• do monthly breast examinations
• see your doctor or go to the nearest health clinic for a breast examination annually
• if there is a family history of breast cancer, inform your doctor or clinic sister