Breast examination, also known as clinical breast examination, is a

physical examination In a physical examination, medical examination, clinical examination, or medical checkup, a medical practitioner examines a patient for any possible medical signs or symptoms of a Disease, medical condition. It generally consists of a series of ...

performed by a medical professional on an individual presenting with signs and symptoms in a breast, periodically on some people with a family history of breast disease, or on a person with an incidental abnormal finding on imaging such as

mammography Mammography (also called mastography; DICOM modality: MG) is the process of using low-energy X-rays (usually around 30 kVp) to examine the human breast for diagnosis and screening. The goal of mammography is the early detection of breast cance ...

. Some organisations recommend a breast examination as part of routine screening, typically in some high risk groups. Techniques may vary from one medical professional to another, but essentially follow the principles of obtaining

informed consent Informed consent is an applied ethics principle that a person must have sufficient information and understanding before making decisions about accepting risk. Pertinent information may include risks and benefits of treatments, alternative treatme ...

, inspecting and then palpating the breasts, followed by looking for nearby

lymph nodes A lymph node, or lymph gland, is a kidney-shaped Organ (anatomy), organ of the lymphatic system and the adaptive immune system. A large number of lymph nodes are linked throughout the body by the lymphatic vessels. They are major sites of lymphoc ...

. A chaperone is offered prior to beginning the examination. The method is similar in both males and females. In 2024, the US

Department of Health and Human Services The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch department of the US federal government created to protect the health of the US people and providing essential human services. Its motto is ...

banned breast examination (and pelvic, prostate and rectal exams) without written informed consent, when such exams are done by medical students, nurse practitioners, or physician assistants for “educational and training purposes”.

Medical use

Breast examination is a physical examination performed by a medical professional on an individual presenting with signs and symptoms in a breast, periodically on some people with a family history of breast disease, or on a person with an incidental abnormal finding on imaging such as mammography. Frequently, the individual seeking medical attention has already examined their breasts themselves and found a lump, skin change, pain or nipple discharge.

Procedure

Techniques may vary from one medical professional to another, but essentially follow the principles of obtaining

, inspecting and then palpating the breasts, followed by looking for nearby

. File:Breast exam (series of 16) (2).jpg, Inspection File:Breast exam (series of 16) (14).jpg, palpation File:Breast exam (series of 16) (10).jpg, Assess for local lymph nodes

Findings

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To describe the location of a finding, the nipple is frequently used as a clock face centre and any abnormality is described by the position it would be on a clock, how far it is from the nipple and how deep it is from the skin. Examination findings are generally reported using particular terms; size, symmetry, texture, description of any lump and appearance of skin.

References

{{Reflist Physical examination Breast cancer awareness Breast procedures Breast cancer