Breast Cancer is Sh*tty, Check Your Titties: How to Perform a Self-Breast Exam

Celebrate HCUVA Breast Cancer Awareness Week with us on our Instagram! @hercampusatuva

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, something that you probably knew if your high school also had annual “pink” games for literally every fall sport. The problem is, wearing pink to a volleyball game never taught me that it was important to screen myself for breast cancer, let alone let me know how to do it. Breast cancer under the age of 30 is very rare, but the National Breast Cancer Foundation states that it’s still important for women of all ages to self-examine their breasts every month. The National Cancer Institute estimates that 12.4% of American women will have breast cancer at some point in their lives. Early detection is really important for survival rates, and a great way to do that is to feel your lumps for bumps.

Image Courtesy of USPS

Take a Look

The first thing to do when conducting a self-exam is to visually inspect your breasts. Look for puckering, dimpling, or changes in size. Are your nipples turned in when they’re usually turned out? Is there any new asymmetry? Look from multiple angles: front forward, hands on hips, arms above your head, etc.

Get in There

Time for lump searchin’. There are two common recommended ways to manually examine your breasts: lying down or in the shower. Lying down is helpful because the breast tissue spreads out, making it easier to feel. Sudsin’ up in the shower makes it easier for your hand to glide along the skin and detect bumps. The Mayo Clinic recommends using the pads of your three middle fingers to examine your breast using different levels of pressure. Make sure you don’t go too quickly or miss any spots!

What’s Normal?? What’s Cancer?? Am I a Hypochondriac???

Firstly, yes, you probably are a hypochondriac. I think we all are. But don’t start freaking out too fast before you know what’s actually normal and what’s not. Finding a firm part in the breast or an asymmetrical lump is pretty normal. Breasts change literally every day in accordance with your period, and honestly, they’re just doing their own thing. You should probably contact your doctor, though, if you find:

• A hard lump/knot near your underarm (you have a lymph node there and cancer will use your lymph system for metastases)
• Dimples, puckers, or bulges
• Inverted nipples when your nipples aren’t usually inverted
• Redness, warmth, swelling, pain, itching, scales, sores, etc.
• Bloody nipple discharge

Image Courtesy of Pink Ribbon Foundation

Listen. I’m not a doctor. I’m guessing you’re not a doctor (if you are, I’m sorry that this is probably all review for you). The person with the most answers here will be…you guessed it… your doctor. Doctors will have the fancy mammogram machines and can take biopsies and actually went to medical school instead of me pretending that my slight background in cancer research makes me qualified to teach people about it. TLDR: if you think there’s a problem, go to your doctor. If you’re under 30, you probably have nothing to worry about, but still, LEAVE THAT UP TO THE DOCTOR. Also, just because we’re young and sprightly and in our 20s doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be doing early screening. Our risk is low but early detection will make our chances of survival even higher. Make October your first monthly screening, and your future self might thank you.

Image Courtesy of Wikipedia

Breast Exam Guide, Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/breast-exam/about/pac-20393237

• breast cancer
• breast cancer awareness