This is how you check your breasts for lumps: ‘It is important to always compare the right with the left’ | Healthy

Regularly, or just occasionally. How often should you check your breasts for lumps and how do you actually do that?

“Breasts are very changeable, so if you look for something that is different, you will always come across something,” says Claudia van het Kaar, breast tissue therapist and author of the book. BOOBs. Van het Kaar is therefore not in favor of systematic self-examination. For a long time, the idea was that self-examination would contribute to the earlier detection of breast cancer, resulting in higher survival rates. Several scientific studies show that this is not the case.

“There are many different types of lumps, which are by no means always bad,” says Van het Kaar. “Think of a cyst; a cavity in the body filled with fluid. It’s not dangerous, but it can feel intense. A cyst can grow up to five centimeters in size and almost feel like a chicken egg.”

Everyone’s breasts feel different

“The benefits of systematic self-examination are indeed very relative,” says nurse specialist Feia Hoving. ,,Because very small nodules you feel less well. We therefore say that it is especially important that you know your breasts well. If you know how they feel and look, you will notice it faster when changes occur.”


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If you know how your breasts feel and look, you will also notice changes faster

Breast tissue therapist Claudia van het Kaar

Van het Kaar: ,,As a breast tissue therapist, I notice that everyone’s breasts feel different. With one woman it is a smooth mass, with another it feels as if there are sand or pebbles in between. This is due to the natural variation of the glandular tissue. In the latter case, women can quickly think that they feel a lump, but that is not necessarily the case.”

Don’t feel during ovulation

According to Van het Kaar, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t do anything. ,,I am very much for chest contact. By touching your breasts daily, you know how your body feels and is put together and you also realize more quickly that something is not right.” The breast tissue therapist continues that you should do what you like. “And if that comes down to systematically checking your breasts, then that’s what you should do.”

What’s the best way to do that? The best time to feel is in the week after your period. Preferably not around ovulation, about fourteen days before your period. Then your breasts can be very sensitive and feel different under the influence of hormones. Breasts are like your womb: as you ovulate, they build themselves up to feed a child if necessary. If this does not happen, you menstruate and your breasts become softer and in some cases less sensitive. For example, women who no longer menstruate can continue on the first of the month.”

A breast prosthesis such as a breast prosthesis can be reimbursed from the basic insurance if there is a medical necessity. Read more on Independer about the conditions.

Looking is also important

“It is important to always compare right with left. If you feel a lump on both sides, there is a good chance that no cancer is growing, but it depends on the lumpiness of your tissue.” And always feel with your flat hand, says Hoving: ,,Many women grab breast tissue between their fingers, then you always feel something. Divide your chest into quarters and continue pushing and stroking each quarter.”


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Don’t check your breasts on Friday afternoon. If you feel something you’ll be stressed all weekend

Nursing specialist Feia Hoving

Feel not only standing, but also lying down. Especially if you have large breasts, you can feel the bottom more easily this way. “And don’t forget your armpits, there is also breast tissue there,” says Van het Kaar. In addition to feeling, looking is also important. “Breast cancer can also manifest itself in fluid or eczema around the nipple, through a dent in the skin, a retracted nipple or if the breast suddenly feels warm or turns red,” explains Hoving. “And don’t do it on Friday afternoon, if you feel something you’ll be stressed all weekend.”



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