Breast exams are physical and visual inspections of the breasts. They are an important part of your checkup because breast exams can help identify any unusual lumps or suspicious growths around the breasts. In addition, your doctor can teach you how to perform these exams at home every month in order to recognize any changes on your own. Breast exams can be a very useful tool for the early diagnosis of breast cancer.
You may be asked to place your arm in several positions during the exam to ensure your doctor can see your bare breast from various angles. For the physical portion of the exam, your doctor will rotate his or her fingers around the entire breast, applying changing levels of pressure to feel areas near the surface as well as deeper within the breast. Both breasts will be examined.