There are different
patterns or methods used for carrying out BSE. Whatever technique
applied, the aim is to look for any new
changes, lumps or thickenings of the breast, any rapidly growing lump or hot
areas.
patterns or methods used for carrying out BSE. Whatever technique
applied, the aim is to look for any new
changes, lumps or thickenings of the breast, any rapidly growing lump or hot
areas.
According to Shin, Park and Kim (2012), there are three different patterns commonly use in breast self-examination, they
are:
are:
·
Circular motion or
“small circles” pattern.
Circular motion or
“small circles” pattern.
·
“Strips”
or “up and down” pattern.
“Strips”
or “up and down” pattern.
·
“Wedges”
or radial spokes pattern.
“Wedges”
or radial spokes pattern.
Circular motion pattern
In this pattern, the woman
places one hand behind the head or under the breast to be examined. With the other hand, she begins with a careful examination
from the armpit using the flat part of the fingers gently to the top part of the breast. Then the woman
moves the hand in a circular fashion,
clockwise around the breast. When the hand reaches the top of the breast, the fingers are moved a bit and continue circling around the breast feeling all breast tissues. This continues inward until to the nipples then end by
gently squeezing the nipples (Shin et al., 2012).
places one hand behind the head or under the breast to be examined. With the other hand, she begins with a careful examination
from the armpit using the flat part of the fingers gently to the top part of the breast. Then the woman
moves the hand in a circular fashion,
clockwise around the breast. When the hand reaches the top of the breast, the fingers are moved a bit and continue circling around the breast feeling all breast tissues. This continues inward until to the nipples then end by
gently squeezing the nipples (Shin et al., 2012).
Lines,
“up and down” or “stripes” pattern
“up and down” or “stripes” pattern
This pattern requires the
woman to start examination from the armpit to the top of the breast, then moving the hand from the top of the breasts to the bottom of the breast feeling
all tissues in between. For women with large breast, one hand is used to hold on the same side of the breast (that is left hand on the left breast,
right hand on the right breast) to hold up the breast so that proper examination of the upper portion of the breast carefully carried out. It is advisable to always start at the top of the breast and go as far as possible down in feeling the breast
tissue between the
“palpating” fingers. After completing
palpation of the top part of the breast, the area that can most easily be felt, then the take her left hand (for the left breast) or the right (for the right breast) and
use it to push up against the upper part of the breast pulling the top part of the breast upward so that she can now use her opposite hand to
palpate the lower portion (underside) of the breast in the exact same way. Women with smaller breasts can examine
the entire breast in up and down motion from the top of the breast to the
bottom of the breasts without having to hold up the breast (Shin et al., 2012).
woman to start examination from the armpit to the top of the breast, then moving the hand from the top of the breasts to the bottom of the breast feeling
all tissues in between. For women with large breast, one hand is used to hold on the same side of the breast (that is left hand on the left breast,
right hand on the right breast) to hold up the breast so that proper examination of the upper portion of the breast carefully carried out. It is advisable to always start at the top of the breast and go as far as possible down in feeling the breast
tissue between the
“palpating” fingers. After completing
palpation of the top part of the breast, the area that can most easily be felt, then the take her left hand (for the left breast) or the right (for the right breast) and
use it to push up against the upper part of the breast pulling the top part of the breast upward so that she can now use her opposite hand to
palpate the lower portion (underside) of the breast in the exact same way. Women with smaller breasts can examine
the entire breast in up and down motion from the top of the breast to the
bottom of the breasts without having to hold up the breast (Shin et al., 2012).
Wedges or radial
stroke pattern
stroke pattern
Once again after completing the examination of the armpit, the woman moves her hand to a starting
point at the top. Begin moving the hand from the top of the breasts to the bottom of the breast by feeling all tissue in
between by considering that the breast is divided into a series of wedge-shaped areas, like one cut up a
pie and so on are all wedges
shaped areas each of which must be examined thoroughly (Shinet al., 2012).
point at the top. Begin moving the hand from the top of the breasts to the bottom of the breast by feeling all tissue in
between by considering that the breast is divided into a series of wedge-shaped areas, like one cut up a
pie and so on are all wedges
shaped areas each of which must be examined thoroughly (Shinet al., 2012).