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Why Early Detection is Your Best Teammate

Writer: Hailey Larson
Hailey Larson
Oct 12
3 min read

In sports, a great teammate has your back, watches for blind spots, and steps in before a small mistake turns into a major loss. When it comes to your health, your absolute best teammate is early detection.


October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time when a wave of pink reminds us to check in on our health and the health of the women we love. While breast cancer is a serious opponent, catching it early completely changes the game. When breast cancer is detected in its earliest, localized stages, the five-year survival rate is incredibly high—reaching nearly 99%.


Let’s talk about how to team up with early detection through regular medical screenings and routine self-exams.


The Medical Lineup: Regular Screenings

Medical screenings are designed to find changes in the breast tissue long before they can be felt by hand or cause any symptoms.

  • The Mammogram: This is a low-dose X-ray of the breast. It is the gold standard for early detection because it can spot tiny clusters of calcium or small tumors that are otherwise invisible.

  • When to Start: General medical guidelines recommend that women at average risk begin annual mammograms at age 40. However, if you have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, you should speak with your doctor much sooner to build a personalized screening schedule.


Your At-Home Strategy: The How-Tos of Self-Exams

While regular medical imaging is essential, your own hands are incredibly powerful tools. Performing a Breast Self-Exam (BSE) once a month helps you understand what is normal for your body, making it much easier to notice if something changes.


The best time to do a self-exam is about a week after your menstrual cycle ends, when breast tissue is least likely to be swollen or tender. Here is a simple, three-step guide:


Step 1: The Visual Inspection

Stand in front of a mirror with your shoulders straight and your arms on your hips. Look closely at your breasts.

  • What you are looking for: Changes in size, shape, or color; visible swelling; dimpling or puckering of the skin (resembling an orange peel); or a nipple that has inverted (turned inward).

  • Next, raise your arms high overhead and look for the same changes.


Step 2: The Physical Check (In the Shower)

Many women find it easiest to feel their breast tissue when their skin is wet and soapy. Using the pads of your three middle fingers (not the very tips), move around your entire breast in a systematic pattern.

  • The Pattern: You can move in circles from the outside edge inward, or move up and down in vertical rows. Make sure to cover the entire area from your collarbone down to the bottom of your ribs, and from your breastbone all the way into your armpit.

  • The Pressure: Use light pressure for the skin surface, medium pressure for the tissue underneath, and firm pressure to feel deep down near the rib cage.

  • What you are feeling for: A hard lump, a thick knot, or any unusual thickening that feels distinctly different from the rest of the tissue.


Step 3: The Physical Check (Lying Down)

Lie down flat on your back and place a small pillow or folded towel under your right shoulder. Place your right arm behind your head. Use your left hand to examine your right breast using the same finger-pad technique and patterns described in Step 2.

  • Switch the pillow to the left side and repeat the process using your right hand on your left breast.


If You Notice a Change: Don't Panic, Take Action

If you find a lump or notice a change during your self-exam, the most important thing to remember is not to panic. The vast majority of breast lumps turn out to be completely benign (non-cancerous), such as fluid-filled cysts or harmless fibrous tissue.

However, you should never ignore it. Schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider right away so they can look into it.


By practicing monthly self-exams and staying on top of scheduled screenings, you are actively putting early detection to work. Team up with your health this October—and encourage the women in your life to do the same!


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