Monthly breast self-exams should be part of every woman's health routine, medical providers say

You know the diagrams. You've seen them in every doctor's office, health magazine and informational pamphlet since you reached puberty: how to do a breast self-exam.

But do you remember your exams on the regular? And do they really do any good?

Local medical providers say yes, they definitely do.

"We see a large number of women that find their own lumps. They know something is wrong, and that's why they go to their doctor and come to us to get a mammogram," says Julie King, a registered nurse at Womancare of Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. "With really young women, (self-exams) are so important. A monthly breast exam and knowing what your normal is can mean the difference between life and death."

Monthly exams have long been recommended by health professionals, but in October 2015, the American Cancer Society changed its breast cancer screening guidelines, stating it no longer recommends self-exams or breast exams by medical providers.

King says she was disappointed to read the new ACS guidelines, and she still recommends monthly self-exams for girls and women as soon as they start having periods, along with annual breast exams from a health professional.

"One of the reasons that organizations are saying breast exams are not as important anymore is because mammograms have improved so much. They can find breast cancer so much earlier and when it's tinier. They're doing a better job, but at the same time, mammograms aren't 100 percent perfect," King says.

The ACS also changed its guidelines last year to recommend annual mammograms for women starting at age 45 -- five years later than previously recommended -- and then every other year beginning at age 55.

"Now that they've changed the guidelines for mammograms, it's even more important for ladies to do the breast exams at home," King says.

Women who do self-exams also are likely to notice changes sooner than a doctor would.

Imagine if you noticed a lump in January, but didn't see a doctor until your annual exam in July, says Amy Glueck, a mammography technologist at Southeast Breast Care and Diagnostic Center in Cape Girardeau.

"A lot can happen in six or seven months. Early detection saves lives," she says. "We know our bodies more than anyone else does. If you get familiar with how your breasts feel and look, especially with monthly breast exams, you're going to find changes and detect lumps or anything abnormal sooner."

Glueck and King advise women to do a self-exam in the week after their period.

Women who no longer have periods should pick a day that's easy to remember, such as the first of the month or the date of their birthday, to do a self-exam each month.

Mark it on the calendar if it helps you remember, King says.

Womancare even hands out laminated diagram cards to hang in the shower, which also is a good place to do self-exams, she says.

During a self-exam, observe how your breasts look and feel, and take note of any puckering, dimpling or thickening of the skin, or bloody nipple discharge, nipple inversion, swelling, color changes or lumps.

"It will be a hard, fixed, painless mass," King says. "It has a real distinct feel. It will feel a lot harder than your normal breast tissue. They don't move and they don't hurt, in most cases."

Keep it up on a monthly basis, Glueck says, and see your doctor about any concerns.

"Don't think twice about calling your doctor, even if you feel like it's probably nothing," she says. "Be on the safe side and get it checked out. It may be nothing, but if it is something, we can get it taken care of quicker."