According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), women should
begin giving themselves breast self-exams (BSEs) in their 20s.
Getting to know how your breasts normally look and feel will
help you detect subtle changes (if they occur) that could signal
breast cancer. The following BSE tips are recommended by the
ACS. These tips apply to women with breast implants and pregnant
women, too. 1. Choose a day of the month when your breasts are
not tender or swollen. 2. Lie down (so your breast tissue
spreads evenly over your chest wall and is as thin as possible).
Place your right arm behind your head. 3. Feel for lumps in the
right breast by making overlapping, coin-sized circular motions
with the pads of your three middle fingers on your left hand. 4.
Use three different pressure levels, one at a time: light
pressure to feel the tissue closest to the skin; medium pressure
to feel a little deeper; and firm pressure to feel the tissue
closest to the chest and ribs. 5. Cover the entire breast by
moving in an up-and-dow