Breast Self-exam (BSE)
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Breast Self-exam (BSE)

What Is a Breast Self-exam?

A breast self-exam is an examination of your breasts that you do yourself. It's a way for you to notice any changes, lumps, or abnormalities in your breasts. It's also a chance for you to become familiar with what is normal for your breasts.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends that all women over the age of 20 talk to their doctor about the benefits and limitations of breast self-exams. Moreover, women between the ages of 20-39 should have a clinical breast exam every three years. After age 40, a woman should have a clinical breast exam with a screening mammogram every year.

While breast self-examination continues to be widely promoted, there is no evidence showing a decrease in death among women who perform breast self-exams. The prestigious US Preventive Services Task Force says that evidence is still insufficient to recommend for or against breast self-examination.

If you and your doctor decide you should do breast self-exams, here is the best way to go about doing it: Do your breast self-exam every month, two or three days after your period ends. If you do not have regular periods, pick a day that you can remember (like the first day of each month) to do your breast self-exam.

Steps for a Breast Self-exam

A complete breast self-exam involves both standing and lying down. It is important that you do both exams.

Standing Examination

  1. Stand in front of a mirror so that you can see both of your breasts clearly. Check each breast for anything unusual. Check the skin for puckering, dimpling, or scaliness. Look for a discharge from the nipples.
  2. Watching closely in the mirror, clasp your hands behind your head and press your elbows forward. Look to see if there is any change in the shape or contour of your breasts.
  3. Press your hands firmly on your hips and bend slightly toward the mirror as you pull your shoulders and elbows forward. Look to see if there is any change in the shape or contour of your breasts.
  4. Gently squeeze each nipple and look for discharge.
  5. Raise your right arm. Use the pads of the fingers of your left hand to check the right breast and the surrounding area firmly, carefully, and thoroughly. You may want to use lotion or powder to help your fingers glide easily over the skin. Feel for any lump or mass under the skin.
  6. Feel the tissue by pressing your fingers in small overlapping areas the size of a dime. To be sure to cover your whole breast, take your time, and follow a definite pattern, such as vertical lines, a continuous circle, or a wedge pattern.
  7. Check the upper and outer part of the right breast and the right armpit as well.
  8. Repeat the exam on your left breast, using the finger pads of your right hand.

Lying Down Examination

  1. Lie down with a pillow under your right shoulder and place your right arm behind your head.
  3. Press firmly enough to know how your breast feels. A firm ridge in the lower curve of each breast is normal.
  4. Move around the breast in a continuous circle, vertical lines, or a wedge pattern. Be sure to do it the same way each month. Check the entire breast.



American Cancer Society

National Women's Health Information Center


Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation

Canadian Cancer Society



CancerNet. National Cancer Institute, United States National Institutes of Health website. Available at:

