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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffBreast exam methods vary, but generally they involve using your eyes and hands to observe the appearance and feel of your breasts. A breast exam may be done while standing in front of a mirror, and while either lying down or taking a shower. Breast exams can help identify potential breast problems.
Doing routine breast exams can give you a greater awareness of the condition of your breasts. You can learn how your breasts vary in sensitivity and texture at different times during your menstrual cycle and throughout different stages of life.
Breast exams, once thought essential for early breast cancer detection, are now considered optional. What's now stressed is breast awareness — being familiar with the normal consistency of your breasts and the underlying tissue.
- How to perform a breast self-exam. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_6x_How_to_perform_a_breast_self_exam_5.asp. Accessed June 3, 2009.
- Breast awareness and breast self-exam. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/breast-self-exam.cfm. Accessed June 3, 2009.
- Breast self-exam. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp145.cfm. Accessed June 3, 2009.
- The five steps of a breast self-exam. Breastcancer.org. http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/testing/types/self_exam/bse_steps.jsp. Accessed June 3, 2009.
- Breast self-exam. Breastcancer.org. http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/testing/types/self_exam/. Accessed June 3, 2009.
- Hampton T. Oncologists advise breast awareness over routine breast self-examination. The Journal of the American Medical Association. 2008;300:1748.
- Knutson D, et al. Screening for breast cancer: Current recommendations and future directions. American Academy of Family Physicians. 2007;5:1660.
- Fletcher, SW. Screening for breast cancer. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 2, 2009.
- Pruthi S (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. June 13, 2009.
