The Importance of Breast Self Examination (BSE)

As you know a breast self  examination is not a substitute for mammogram breast screening test, but many health professionals encourage women to know what is normal for their breasts. Do you know why it is important to perform self examination of breasts? Acknowledging the normal feel and look can help in the detection of possible anomalies. If you carry out self examination of your breasts on regular basis, you can become familiar with the normal appearance, which helps in early detection of breast anomalies.



Breast cancer is one of the most common diseases in the UK. Due to concerns over this disease, many women have started carrying out breast examination to know how their breast changes occur over time. It is not so simple to detect the unusual changes unless you perform self examination. This is because breasts experience numerous changes through the course of time and to know which change is usual you have to do self examination on a regular basis.



Catch Breast Cancer Symptoms Early It is vital to catch breast cancer early so its treatment can become easy and effective. According to research, this disease at its early stage is not easy to detect, but a breast aware woman can identify any unusual change right away. Although, self examination does not help in cancer detection but it can help you detect breast abnormalities which might be signs of breast cancer. It is equally important to improve your breast cancer awareness by knowing breast cancer facts and statistics.


The research has shown that this disease has become a global epidemic. Each year, more than 49,000 cases are diagnosed in the UK and this figure is rising. This is not an alarming fact because the rise in number of diagnosed cases is due to improved awareness and better treatment methods. In fact, the rise in the number of diagnosed cases is decreasing the number of deaths caused by breast cancer. The research conducted by Cancer Research UK has shown that one in eight women is diagnosed with this disease at some stage of her life.


It is also important to know what changes to observe during self examination of your breasts. If you do not know what changes to observe you will not get any advantage from self examination. Changes you need to look for are mentioned below:


- Any change in the size or shape of your breasts - Any change in the shape or position of the nipples - Rash on or around the nipple - Nipple discharge - Skin puckering or dimpling - Lumpiness or thickening of the skin - Swelling under armpit or around the collarbone.