How to perform a proper breast self-exam?

Look, you gotta keep checking back constantly if you actually want to spot the shifts and catch any changes before they slip past you..

So, quick question for the group... when was the last time one of you actually had your breasts checked during a routine OB-GYN visit?!

Honestly, I don't think any doctor has ever bothered to do it for me. Isn't that supposed to be a standard part of the exam, or am I just totally off base here?
Since they seem to skip it—probably because they just can't be bothered—I think next time I'm going to actually insist on an exam or at least ask if they have some kind of screening brochure. But seriously, shouldn't a physical checkup be the norm?

And what about ovarian ultrasounds? Shouldn't those be mandatory too?? Or am I missing something obvious?
The only reason I even found out anything was because my last doctor did an ultrasound on my ovaries, and she mentioned they looked a little 🙄 polycystic. Like, really? And she only even did the scan because she had a med student shadowing her. If it wasn't for that random intern, I probably would've gone my whole life without ever knowing I had PCOS... 😲 😕

Is it time to start looking for a new doctor??!

Margaret said:But how are we actually supposed to tell if something is "serious"

They really are quite ridiculous...

The general logic seems to be: if it doesn't hurt, it's nothing—which is total nonsense.

A colleague of mine, who was only 27 at the time, went to see her doctor specifically because she felt a lump in her breast, and it turned out to be cancer. It was devastating...

She ended up losing her entire left breast. To make matters worse, she had three kids and had just gone through a divorce right before the surgery.

She’s doing wonderful now, though; she finished her degree in the meantime and is healthy and happy.

Margaret, I can hardly believe it...
It is often suggested that women who have given birth tend to have lower rates of certain illnesses. 😲 😢

copperridge912 said:I couldn't sleep, there was absolutely nothing on TV, so I ended up doing some self-exams.🙂
A friend of mine—she actually had a cyst found during her mammogram—was telling me that the "right" way to check your breasts is to press right where the nipple is and dig deep into the tissue... apparently, her OB-GYN told her that's how it's done.
It sounds simple enough, I guess—no harm, no foul—but how am I supposed to tell the difference between a harmless cyst or something actually pathological and just regular glandular tissue? It's not like I have a medical degree to distinguish one from the other.

Honestly, you can't. My doctor was pretty blunt about the fact that most women aren't actually capable of palpating something truly concerning.

My own tissue is just incredibly dense, so every little bump I find sends me into a total panic. I make it a habit almost every time I shower; I'll put on some lotion and work my way from the armpit area forward, circling everything.

I never seem to find anything definitive either.😁

At the end of the day, I'd rather just leave that part to the professionals.

That’s just how it goes, Nathaniel

I felt a little lump for the first time, so I rushed straight to my doctor, only for him to tell me he couldn't see anything at all...
He sent me off for an ultrasound, where the technician gave me a look like I had just dropped in from outer space—she didn't say it out loud, but she clearly thought I was wasting her time.

It seems when they see your age, they simply don't take you seriously.
Even the professionals seem unsure themselves; just look at what darkviper5 wrote...

It’s always the same story: when you're young, you think you're invincible, yet it's the younger generation that keeps getting hit with these issues...

Alright—your measurements were tiny, but mine were peach-sized, so I got mocked on the forum again. And my primary care physician joined in on the joke too. 🙄

It’s honestly just so heartbreaking reading everything going on here 😢
I mean, unfortunately, it feels like so many doctors out there still seem convinced that breast cancer is mostly an older person's problem, so they don't really take it seriously when a young woman comes in totally panicking because she felt "something" during a self-check 😢
If only all of them actually did their jobs competently (and let's be real, there are plenty who probably don't even know how to perform a proper exam themselves!) and treated every tiny little lump as serious enough to run every possible test until they could confirm if it was malignant or not—believe me, I think there would be way fewer "incurable" cases among both younger and older women 😢
Like, when I went to see my OB-GYN after I felt that lump (after I'd poked around and found it), he just goes: "Hmm... I don't feel anything here" 🙄
It wasn't until I actually pointed to it with my own hand that he was like: "Oh, yeah, okay, it's a small lump..."
And immediately after that: "Well, it's probably just a cyst or a fibroadenoma, but if it makes you feel better, I can send you for an ultrasound..."
As if that would make me feel better! I mean, it's his actual job to figure out what's going on and to order tests for any suspicious lump, even if it turns out to be 100% harmless
Not to mention those frequent stories I read on forums where doctors, even when a lump is physically felt, won't do any follow-up testing and just say: "Come back in six months and we'll see if the shape changes or grows" 🙄 ... and then it just keeps going like that until it's truly too late and the disease has spread through the whole body 😢
Or even cases where radiologists miss malignant cell changes on mammograms—I don't know if it's a lack of expertise or just a lack of interest?
I actually ditched my doctor the second I walked out of the hospital; I did some digging and found a specialist who has tons of experience dealing with patients facing these kinds of illnesses (which obviously isn't a total guarantee, but after our first appointment where she spent almost an hour just talking to me and explaining everything about the disease and the treatments I wanted to know, I feel like I can totally trust her 🙂)
So today, after learning everything I have, my advice to any woman who has even the slightest suspicion of an irregular shape in her breasts (no matter how old you are!!!) is please, do not give up until you get clarity
And if a doctor laughs at you or doesn't take you seriously, just fire them. Find someone who will actually treat you with respect
For younger girls and women, a good ultrasound is usually more than enough (specifically a high-resolution one; I assume those are mostly only available at private clinics, since even in Germany you don't see them everywhere—at least my first radiologist didn't have one); it gives much better results because younger breast tissue is so dense, making the images much easier to analyze than a mammogram
I still firmly believe that doing self-exams is such a vital habit: if you do it regularly, maybe once a month a few days after your period (it's probably best to use a little oil and gently massage the area), you'll eventually—like someone else mentioned before—get to know your breasts well enough to tell if something you feel is actually new or if it's always been there
And if you do find something, try not to panic, because lumps in the breast are actually more often benign than dangerous
But you absolutely have to get the necessary tests done to be sure 🙂
Love, darkviper5

darkviper5, I really appreciate you sharing your experiences with us 😘

Look, you’re way better off seeing a private doctor if you want things handled quickly... but what about mammograms? I feel like the wait times for those appointments are absolutely brutal lately..
how often do you guys actually go for your screenings, or do you even bother going at all?

In the US, the standard advice is to get your first mammogram at 35. That way, you establish a baseline—basically a photo of what healthy tissue looks like for you—so if anything shifts later, they have something to compare it to. My gynecologist also does an annual breast exam. I’ll be honest, though; I’m not exactly the most diligent person when it comes to self-exams. 🙄I actually had my first mammogram at thirty because I felt some suspicious lumps, which ended up disappearing on their own. It seems like there might be a link between taking antioxidants (especially Vitamin E) and seeing fewer of those "lumps" popping up.

My mammogram wasn't particularly helpful since my tissue was too young; the glands didn't show up clearly on the scan. They followed up with an ultrasound just to make sure nothing malignant was hiding in there, and everything looked fine. We decided against a biopsy. Fast forward a few years, and everything is still looking good. 🙏

copperridge912 said:So, it’s probably best to stick with a private gynecologist for checkups... but what about mammograms? I feel like the wait times for those appointments are endless.
How often do you guys actually go for mammograms—do you even bother?

copperridge912, not necessarily. Where you are now, you can just use a decent public clinic. Honestly, in my few years living in Germany, I haven't even needed a private doctor once—mostly because here, the patients are the ones with private insurance, rather than the doctors being private practitioners. But it ends up being the same thing.

I have a "public" hospital—my wife's soulmate 👍 ...she’s sorted out every single one of my fears and questions. 🙂

She even ordered a breast exam without me asking; to her, that's just common sense.

I’m honestly wondering what the deal is with healthcare in America right now... like, how long are you actually waiting in a place like Chicago just to get a mammogram? My guess is we're looking at a minimum of several months before anyone even sees a doctor.
easy for people in Germany or Switzerland to say😁

copperridge912 said:I'm actually wondering what things are like back home... how long is the wait for a mammogram in a city like Chicago? I'd imagine it takes at least a few months..
Checking on Germany or Switzerland would be easy enough😁

Actually, it just clicked why you're asking😉 ....just go ahead and ask🙂 👋

And hey, if you ever find yourself traveling through Germany, I'll take you to see my 😉

The wait times for mammograms are endless, and getting the actual results takes even longer. Honestly, you might be better off just paying for a private appointment; it isn't nearly as expensive as people make it out to be (I believe my mother went through a private screening at $67)

I’m not sure how old you are, but I’d argue that a mammogram isn't even the most effective tool for younger women; an ultrasound is generally a much better option.

Ugh, I was 30 and feeling like a total wreck... honestly, I didn't even want to talk about it privately..$67 Seriously though, an exam like that isn't even that pricey.. thanks🙂

placidjackal97 said:it actually just clicked why you're asking 😉 ....go ahead, ask if you really want to know 🙂 👋

and hey, if you ever find yourself over in Germany, I'll take you to my 😉

anyway, what's it actually like in Germany? I have zero interest in dealing with that mess—medical stuff is way too pricey there. Like, if you see a doctor for the first time in a year, you're looking at a $300 bill easy. 😠
I haven't even had to see a doctor here yet... and honestly, fingers crossed I never do. 🙂

I can't say for certain that the price is accurate, though I have a nagging feeling my mother mentioned paying something in that ballpark.

Besides, it seems a bit premature for you to be scheduling a mammogram just yet.

I was just wondering, though... can you actually get this done through a private practice?
sweet..

darkviper5 said:I guess for younger women, just getting a really good ultrasound might actually be plenty, you know? Like, if it’s a high-resolution one... I mean, I assume most of us can only find those kinds of machines at private clinics here in the States, since even in Germany they aren't exactly everywhere— at least my first radiologist didn't have one on hand! But yeah, it gives much clearer results because breast tissue in younger ladies is so firm, so those scans are probably way easier to read than mammogram shots.

Just to clear things up though: when I said "here," I was talking about America, not Germany
Even over in Germany, I still see public doctors and honestly, I haven't had to pay out of pocket for a single checkup yet, not even for an MRI

copperridge912 said:What’s it like over there? I really don't want to deal with the costs here—checkups are way too expensive, and even if you just see a doctor for the first time in a year, you're looking at a $300 bill.😠
I haven't actually had to see a doctor yet... and honestly, I'm hoping it stays that way.🙂

Around here, it's more like a $10 quarterly fee—and you don't even pay that if you go through your primary physician to get a referral for a specialist. I opted for supplemental insurance, which basically covers my co-pays and most of the usual out-of-pocket stuff.