Breast Cancer Self Exam Wedge Method

Series Summary

Breast cancer is the fifth most common cause of cancer death in the world and is the leading cause of cancer death among women. In the United States, women have a 1 in 33 chance of breast cancer causing their death. With statistics like that, knowledge of breast cancer symptoms and early detection is crucial. Some early breast cancer cases are discovered due to pain in the breast or a painful lump, however, most frequently breast cancer is discovered on a mammogram before any breast cancer symptoms are present. No matter how it is found, early detection is crucial to a patients prognosis if breast cancer is found. In this free health care video series, our expert, Dr. Susan Jewell, will explain the various risk factors for developing breast cancer and explain breast cancer symptoms. You will then learn easy step-by-step instructions on how to do a breast cancer self exam. There are several methods for self exams which will each be explained. Self exams can be very helpful in early detection of breast cancer and other breast related diseases, so it is very important to know how to do a breast cancer self exam properly. Breast cancer awareness is very important and the tips in this free video series could help save your life or the life of a loved one.

Video Transcript

"Hello my name is Dr. Susan Jewell and I am going to show you how to do a breast self examination. In this clip I am going to show one of the three methods that we use to do a breast examination and its called the wedge method. Before we start I want to remind you that before you do any palpating of the breast you always use the right three correct digits of your hand and that is the index finger your middle finger and your third finger. And always only use the fleshy part of your fingers and this area here, this area here and this area here. Now, let's orientate ourselves and look at this diagram of the wedge method that I have drawn for you now here is the right shoulder and the left shoulder and here is the armpit we're looking at the front of the female's body and I have enlarged one of the breast this is the right breast closest to the right side of the body. I have enlarged the right breast for you to show you how to do the wedge method so always remember also start at the area called the axillary region or the arm pit region when you do your breast examination using your three digits as I mentioned press down on the breast tissue not too hard and not too soft and slowly work your way into the center towards the nipple or the areola of the breast and work your way back to the outside of the breast, feeling all the time for any irregularities for lumps or bumps and they keep going around the breast like this wedge like fashion feeling and palpating the tissue carefully and noting anything that you're feeling is a bit abnormal work your way all around all over the top of the breast tissue until you get back to the beginning of the start area in the axillary or arm pit region. Now I recommend that you do this several times repeat the process again doing this whole wedge like fashion movement all the way over the whole of breast tissue using these three fingers as I mentioned and noting down any irregularities. Keep a log or a diary and write down anything that you noted that was unfamiliar with you something that you have not noticed in your previous exams keep a date and log line so that you can remind yourself when you go in and see the doctor when the first time that you actually noticed that lump or that symptom. So this is the wedge method one of the three methods that we use to do a breast self examination."