Self Breast Exam Screening

Do you really know what to look for in a self breast exam? SAMPA breast surgeon Dr. Dusty Smith wants you to know that Breast Cancer can have many signs you might discover during your monthly self breast exam, or none at all.

Breast exams as well as routine mammography starting at age 40, or sooner if you are higher risk, can make all the difference in early detection and treatment. Remember, breast cancer is not always detected through symptoms, so it is important not to skip your routine physicals and screenings.

Some symptoms to speak with your doctor about:

• Changes in skin texture
• Heat in the breast
• A mass or lump in the breast
• Swelling in all of part of the breast
• Inversion of or change in the nipple
• Unusual pain in the breast or nipple that does not go away
• Discharge from the nipple
• Scaly rash of the nipple
• Puckering in the breast

Learn more about breast cancer and surgical treatment