Instructing clients to do monthly breast self-exams

Article written by Doctor Tran Thi Thanh Huong - Medical Department, Vinmec Times City International Hospital

The incidence of breast cancer tends to increase gradually and it has become one of the common malignancies affecting women's health, so prevention measures have been a matter of concern to everyone. .

Experience has proven that just every month we conduct breast self-examination, detect abnormalities, promptly go to the doctor, can greatly improve the rate of detecting breast cancer in the early stages. Every year, there is a plan to go for regular health check-ups every 6-12 months for timely detection and treatment.
>>> When should I have a Breast exam?
Self-examination of breasts is very simple, everyone can learn, the key is to be patient, you will get good results. The method of breast self-examination is as follows:
Take off your shirt, stand in front of the mirror, look at the shape of your breasts, pay attention to whether the breast circumference has changed, whether the skin is wrinkled, concave, whether the nipples are clear. Is it flat, is it high and low, or is the nipple atrophied, is there any discharge at the nipple, when there is fluid in the nipple, it will often stick and dirty the bra. Ten fingers are raised on the shoulder to intersect at the back of the occipital slightly forward, stooped, then put both hands on the hips while observing the breast, is the breast skin abnormally wrinkled? Raise one arm, take the index, middle, and ring fingers of the other hand together, use these fingers to press against the chest in the direction from outside to inside, from top to bottom, and press from light to strong the entire udder, leaving no part of the udder. In particular, carefully examine the upper outer and axillary areas, compare with the previous examination, see if there are any abnormal changes, and finally gently press the breast and nipple boundary to see if there is any fluid. flow no. When checking, we should not scratch the breast with our fingers, otherwise it will be easy to mistake the mammary gland for a breast tumor, but we must use our fingers to feel abnormal sensations, thickening or lumps. After completing the examination of one breast, proceed with the same procedure as above for the other breast. If you choose to lie on your back, put your arm over your shoulder and rest on a small pillow to make the breast stretch so it's easier to check and more effective. Each time you check, it is best to compare with the previous examination status, if you find any abnormality, you must go to the doctor for re-examination and diagnosis, thus achieving the purpose of early detection, early diagnosis.
After self-examination of the breasts, it is necessary to examine the lymph nodes in the axillary and supraclavicular fossa: use the tips of the index, middle and ring fingers to palpate the bilateral axillary fossa, deeply in the axillary fossa to see if there are any lumps. , does it hurt? Palpate the supraclavicular fossa on both sides to see if there is anything abnormal.
Each person must self-examine their breasts once a month, the best time to check is 7-11 days after the menstrual cycle, at this time the breasts are relatively soft, not painful, easy to detect abnormalities. For postmenopausal women, they can choose a fixed date of the month to conduct self-examination.