How To Give Yourself A Breast Exam In Six Easy Steps
Plus other common questions about breast cancer asked and answered
By Farisia Thang -
As we step into October and into the month of Breast Cancer Awareness, it's another reminder that there are other health crises aside from COVID-19 — especially ones that have been around for decades.
One in 14 women is diagnosed with breast cancer every year, and six women are diagnosed with breast cancer every day. Yet Breast Cancer Foundation found that only 62 per cent of women have ever done a breast exam.
Doing a breast self-exam might seem unnecessary or intimidating to some. But regularly examining your breasts is incredibly important to detecting breast cancer early. It's a useful tool, especially when combined with regular physical exams, and in some cases ultrasound and or MRI. But doing a breast self-exam is one of the most convenient (not to mention free) ways of detecting breast cancer early.
We spoke to Dr Tan Yia Swam, a General Surgery specialist with an interest in Breast Surgery, and asked her to share the easy steps of doing a breast self-exam at home, plus details like how often we should be doing this and what breast cancer signs to look out for.