The key to breast cancer cure is early detection. The longer it takes for a patient to know, the harder the cancer is to treat. To detect the illness, conducting a personal check is the fastest and easiest way. In fact, self-examination has led to the detection of nearly ninety-five percent of breast cancer cases. That is why it is important for every woman, regardless of age, to know how to do a breast cancer personal check.

When to Start

Any woman from age 20 up should know how to do a monthly personal check. It is at this age when one should start. From then on, aside from self-examination, it is advised that clinical breast exams be conducted every three years until one reaches the age of 40. At age 40 up, mammogram and clinical breast exam must be conducted yearly. For those aged 50 and above, you should have routine breast screening.

Self-examination must be done a week after menstrual period. This is because it is during this time when your breasts are no longer swollen and have returned to their usual form. After menopause, examine yourself at the same time or day every month, for consistency. If pregnant or nursing, consult your doctor, as self-examination is not feasible with your breasts feeling tender and lumpy.

How to do a Personal Check

There are two points in a breast self-exam: knowing how your breasts look and how they feel, known as breast familiarity.

Look. The first part of a breast self-exam is by checking the appearance of your breasts. With hands placed on your hips, stand before a mirror and look closely at both breasts. Some points to note:
- Breasts must be free from any redness, swelling or rash, or any dimpling or puckering of the skin. Both breasts must be their usual size, contour and color. It is not necessary, though, that both be perfectly symmetrical.
- Nipples must not be inverted or have not turned in.
- When nipples are gently squeezed, there must be no discharge, whether blood or fluid.

Then raise both arms above your head place your hands together. Check for the same changes as discussed above.

Feel. This is performed while lying down or while standing/sitting.

Lie down in a flat surface, with a pillow under your shoulder. Examine one breast at a time. With your right hand, inspect the left breast by first placing your left hand at the back of your head. With three big fingers flat, press them firmly at your left breast in a slow, circling motion. There may be three patterns to follow, all to ensure that you cover the whole breast - from collarbone to the ribcage and from armpit to cleavage. The three patterns are clock, wedge and sweeping technique. The clock pattern is done by moving your fingers around the nipple in a clockwise manner, from the outer edge moving in smaller circles towards the nipple. With the wedge pattern, you mentally divide your breast into wedges, like pie slices. You then work on each slice from the outer part moving in towards the nipple. With the sweeping technique, you move your fingers vertically up and down. The same procedure goes for the right breast. Check for any lumps or thickening. Follow the same pattern for each monthly exam.

Stand or sit straight, and examine each breast with one hand at the back of your shoulder and using the same pattern as when you were lying down. Some prefer to do this exam while in the shower, where skin is slippery.

Some personal checks may be incorrectly done. It is best to ask your doctor to evaluate your method of self-examination in order to gain maximum benefit from it.

Performing a breast cancer personal check regularly will increase breast familiarity. If you are familiar with your breasts, it will be easy for you to detect changes. And as soon as you see any changes, consult a doctor. After all, self-examination alone is not a fool-proof guarantee that all tumors are detected. Medical experts insist that a combination of breast cancer screening methods be conducted. Aside from self-examination, one may undergo a clinical breast exam, mammography, or, for a few women, magnetic resonance imaging. Whichever way it is, what is important is for breast cancer to be detected at its early stage, when it still can be treated.