Dr. Ernie Bodai
Women as young as 20 years of age should perform Breast Self-Exams on a monthly basis.
Breast Self-Exam (BSE) | How to Perform a Breast Self-Exam with or without the LIV aid
When to Perform a Breast Self-Exam | Breast Changes to Watch for During a Breast Self-Exam
There is a Learning Curve for Self-Examination | Why Self-Checking Matters
Breast Self-Exam (BSE)
If you check your breast tissue regularly, you will know your breasts the best! For that reason alone, Dr. Bodai states, breast self-examination is a very important long-term screening strategy for finding problems early. Check your breasts regularly— at the same time each month–in a careful, consistent way.
The breast health standard how to do breast self-examination has changed. The current recommendation for BSE is to lie down (so the breast tissue flattens out). This position allows women to check the area under their arms.
There is controversy about self-examination. Some studies from Shanghai, China and St. Petersburg,
Russia have questioned whether women who perform regular breast self-exams have an improved survival rate over women who don’t. They suggest that many women do breast self-examination incorrectly and that they often find a larger amount of benign (not-cancerous) lumps— creating unnecessary worry and extra doctor visits.
Dr. Bodai believes that such studies do more harm than good. First, breast self-examination unquestionably catches a significant number of breast cancers that otherwise might have gone undetected for possibly up to a year in between doctor visits and annual mammograms. Second, a woman herself is the best position to detect subtle changes in her own breasts.
How to Perform a Breast Self-Exam
with or without the LIV® aid.
- How to perform a breast self-examination using the LIV.
It’s Simple: The LIV breast self-exam has just a few easy steps.
First Look
Then Feel
The LIV molds to the skin and provides a smooth surface for your fingers to glide easily over the breast without friction.
Click here for step-by-step instructions on how to perform a breast self-exam using the LIV.
Click here to purchase a LIV.
- Breast self-examination performed with your bare hands.
Dr. Bodai recommends the women’s health resource Imaginis.com as a great online source of information to learn how to do breast self-examination correctly. Click here to visit Imaginis.com for detailed information on how to perform breast self examination.
The BSE Instructional Video
This video provides good information on breast self-examination and how to do it correctly if you do not have a LIV (This video runs 7 Minutes and 15 Seconds). Click here to visit Imaginis.com and watch the video.
When to Perform
a Breast Self-Exam
The general recommendation is to perform breast self-examination the same day each month. Depending on your stage of life, here are some tips on how to select the optimal day for self-examination.
Women age 20 with a monthly cycle: During a woman’s cycle, mostly in the second half, usual hormonal changes can cause lumpiness, swelling or pain of the breast. Dr. Bodai recommends performing monthly breast self-examination 2–4 days after the period has ended and the breast tissue is less tender or swollen. If your cycle is irregular, just pick a day that is easy to remember and stick to it until your cycle becomes regular.
Women off the monthly cycle (menopause): Try to pick a day that is easy to remember, such as the day of your birthday, your anniversary, the first day of the month... mark that day each month for performing your breast self-exam.
Women using oral contraceptives (birth control pills): Dr. Bodai suggests that a correct and easy way to remember monthly breast self-exams is to perform them each month on the day you begin a new package of the birth control pills.
Women with breast implants or reconstructive surgery: If you have breast implants, have your doctor, during a clinical exam, help you feel where the implants are so that you get to know how they feel. Getting familiar with what feels normal for you is very important.
Women who are pregnant or breast feeding: It is recommended that women continue monthly breast self-exams during pregnancy. Pregnancy and breast feeding do not protect you from breast diseases or breast cancer. You might want to choose the day your baby is born and keep that day of the month your breast health day until your cycle starts again.
Consistency and routine are the two key words in your optimal breast self-exam procedure. The more consistent your approach is to the exam, the easier it will be. Before long, it will become second nature and part of your regular health routine.
Breast Changes to Watch for During a Breast Self-Exam
- Any new lump or hard knot found in the breast or underarm
- Any lump or thickening that does not shrink or lessen after your next period
- Any change in the size, shape or symmetry of your breast
- A thickening or swelling of the breast
- Dimpling, skin irritation or other change in the breast skin or nipple
- Redness or scaliness of the nipple or breast skin
- Nipple discharge (fluid coming from your nipples other than breast milk), particularly if the discharge is bloody, clear and sticky, dark and occurs without squeezing your nipple
- Nipple retraction: turning or drawing inward or pointing in a new direction
If you find any of these changes, Dr. Bodai advises you to see your health care provider as soon as possible for a clinical evaluation. It is important to keep in mind that most breast lumps women find, as Olivia Newton-John’s early ones, are normal. So, don’t be afraid to get to know your body and to follow up with your doctor.
It’s time to LIV.
There is a Learning Curve for Self-Examination.
Self-examination is about “storing information about your breast tissue” in the brain, so you can be aware of changes. If you self-examine for the first time, chances are that you feel very little. This is because the brain has no former memory about how your breast tissue feels and “needs to learn about it” (what is called “conditioning“).
How does the brain learn? Repetition! If you keep self-examining once a month, within a few times only, your brain will remember and you will start recognizing how your breast tissue feels. You will be so much more
aware of how your breasts feel normally (don’t forget to do it the same day each months!) This can help you to possibly recognize changes early on.
If you find something that feels not right, contact your health care provider right away. Most of the time it is nothing, but you need to get a professional opinion.
Take charge of your health. Self-exam. Once a month. Every month.
Why Self-Checking Matters
Throughout a woman’s life, her breast tissue goes through many natural changes, such as menstruation, puberty, pregnancy, breast feeding, menopause, and normal weight changes. There can be lumpiness, swelling, and discomfort, unique to each woman. It is important to be aware and know what is normal to you,
so that you have a better chance of recognizing changes. Immediately discuss any changes with your doctor. Every woman’s breasts are as unique as the woman herself, it is important to know what is normal for oneself.
SPECIFIC USE DISCLAIMER: There is no guarantee that the LIV will detect breast cancer, breast lumps or any other breast diseases. Breast self-examination is a part of good breast health care but is not a substitute for regular medical examination. Clinical breast examination and mammograms should be regularly performed by a qualified physician. Changes found during breast self-examination should be promptly reported to your physician for proper evaluation.
