Check Your Breasts

Check Your Breasts

The key is early detection

The key is early detection

Checking your breasts is all about getting to know what your breasts normally look and feel like.

There’s no ‘right’ way to check your breasts. It’s just important to know your normal and check regularly for any unusual changes. The best time to do a self-check is usually the week after your period, when your breasts aren’t as tender or lumpy.

The 5 year survival rate for women with early stage breast cancer in New Zealand is 91% which makes awareness early detection through self-check absolutely vital.

Follow the below steps to do your own self-check and put your health first. If you’ve found something that doesn’t seem normal, it’s important to consult your doctor.

Checking your breasts is all about getting to know what your breasts normally look and feel like.

There’s no ‘right’ way to check your breasts. It’s just important to know your normal and check regularly for any unusual changes. The best time to do a self-check is usually the week after your period, when your breasts aren’t as tender or lumpy.

The 5 year survival rate for women with early stage breast cancer in New Zealand is 91% which makes awareness early detection through self-check absolutely vital.

Follow the below steps to do your own self-check and put your health first. If you’ve found something that doesn’t seem normal, it’s important to consult your doctor.

How to self check

Check by touching

Step one: how to self check for breast cancer

1. Raise one arm above your head.

Step two: how to self check for breast cancer

2. Press into your breast with your fingertips, feeling for any changes.

Step three: how to self check for breast cancer

3. Check the entire breast area, moving in a circular motion.

Step four: how to self check for breast cancer

4. Repeat, moving up and down.

Check by looking

How to self check for breast cancer by looking
  1. With your hands on your hips, look at your breasts in a mirror. Notice their shape, colour and size.
  2. Raise your arms above your head to check underneath the breast.
  3. Look for skin changes, change in shape, new nipple inversion, dimpling on the skin or crusting on the nipple.
  1. With your hands on your hips, look at your breasts in a mirror. Notice their shape, colour and size.
  2. Raise your arms above your head to check underneath the breast.
  3. Look for skin changes, change in shape, new nipple inversion, dimpling on the skin or crusting on the nipple.

WHAT NEXT?

WHAT NEXT?

It can be scary to find a change that doesn’t feel or look normal, but it’s important to get any concerning signs checked out by your GP, even if you’ve had a mammogram recently.

Most breast changes aren’t caused by cancer but check with your doctor to be sure. If you’ve had a breast change checked out by your GP and they aren’t concerned but it continues to grow or change, it’s important to go back and have it checked again or seek a second opinion.

If you’re not sure about talking to your GP, tell someone you trust, like a girlfriend or your mum. They can support you to see your GP. BCFNZ also has nurses available, who can give you free advice. Get in touch at 0800 226 8773 or breastnurse@bcf.org.nz.

It can be scary to find a change that doesn’t feel or look normal, but it’s important to get any concerning signs checked out by your GP, even if you’ve had a mammogram recently.

Most breast changes aren’t caused by cancer but check with your doctor to be sure. If you’ve had a breast change checked out by your GP and they aren’t concerned but it continues to grow or change, it’s important to go back and have it checked again or seek a second opinion.

If you’re not sure about talking to your GP, tell someone you trust, like a girlfriend or your mum. They can support you to see your GP. BCFNZ also has nurses available, who can give you free advice. Get in touch at 0800 226 8773 or breastnurse@bcf.org.nz.