Each year more than 211,000 American women will learn that
they have breast cancer. Early detection is key
to living the
best life you can.
Women should receive a Clinical Breast Exam by a doctor or nurse every year
Step 2: Clinical Breast Examination (CBE)
Despite the improvements in screening technology, early detection of breast cancer still requires skillful physical evaluation of the breast tissue by a trained medical expert.
Especially for younger women, screening technology is less effective. Mammography has a sensitivity of about 75% for women between the ages of 40 and 50 and is probably lower in women younger than age 40. This means that mammography will miss 1 in every 4 breast cancers in women between the ages of 40 and 50. Clinical Breast Examination is required to address this gap in screening sensitivity.
A Clinical Breast Examination (CBE) is a physical examination of your breasts by a trained health professional such as your doctor or a nurse. CBE includes looking at and feeling of the entire breast/chest area including the lymph node areas above and below the collarbone and under each arm.
You will be lying down. Using the pads of the fingers, the examiner will gently feel each breast. Special attention
will be given to the shape and texture of the breasts, location of any lumps, and whether such lumps are attached to the skin or to deeper tissues. The armpits and areas under both arms will also be examined.
At the CBE appointment, women should explain how they perform breast self-exams and share all personal findings with the healthcare professionals. This is a good opportunity to learn how to do self-examination correctly. If you have a LIV, Dr. Bodai encourages you to show it to your doctor and have the health care provider use it as well. The LIV can be also used to assist CBE.
A Few Tips
The best time of the month to schedule your annual clinical exam is the week after your period. Breasts are usually less swollen and lumpy.
If your recommended screening routine includes mammography, Dr. Bodai highly recommends you have the clinical exam and the mammogram at the same time or within in a few days.
