The goal of BSEs is to detect breast cancers when they are at their earliest stages. Once breast cancers are large enough to cause symptoms, they are often more advanced than those detected during routine screening. Breast cancers caught during screening are usually smaller and less likely to have spread. For this reason, many health experts recommend monthly breast self-examinations as part of the screening process for breast cancer.
For those who are at in increased risk of developing breast cancer, such as having a mother, sister or daughter diagnosed with the disease, additional screening options should be discussed with a physician.
About Breast Self-Examination
A breast self-examination (BSE) is a technique that women can use to check their breasts and underarms using varying degrees of pressure to monitor for any possible changes. The BSE is part of a three-step process, including clinical breast examinations (CBEs) and screening mammography, advocated by the American Cancer Society to screen for breast cancer.
BSE may be recommended for women starting in their 20s, even though the incidence of breast cancer in this age group is extremely low. In addition to annual screening mammograms and clinical breast examinations (CBEs) for women over 40, some experts also recommend performing a monthly breast self-examination.
Performing monthly BSEs was first advocated in the 1950s by Columbia University breast surgeon, Cushman Haagensen. At the time, mammography had yet to be developed and women were usually diagnosed when the breast tumor had become large and inoperable. Haagensen hoped that encouraging breast self-examinations would help catch tumors earlier when they were still treatable.
