Perform the following examinations on both breasts. Use your right hand to examine your left breast, and vice-versa.

Raise one arm. With fingers flat, touch every part of each breast, gently feeling for a lump or thickening.

With arms at your sides, then raised above your head, look carefully for changes in the size, shape, and contour of each breast. Look for puckering, dimpling, or changes in skin texture. Gently squeeze nipples and look for discharge.

Place a towel or pillow under your right shoulder and your right hand behind your head.

Fingers flat, press gently in small circles, starting at the outermost top edge of your breast and spiraling in toward the nipple. Examine every part of each breast.

With your arm resting on a firm surface, use the same circular motion to examine the underarm area. This is breast tissue, too.

This self-exam is not a substitute for periodic examinations by a qualified physician.