Experts recommend checking skin, breasts, and testicles regularly for lumps or growths. Finding cancer early can improve treatment and outcomes.
In addition to getting routine screenings recommended by healthcare professionals and experts, regularly checking your body for changes and communicating with a doctor can support your overall health and self-care.
Early detection of cancer (or growths that could become cancerous later on) can be lifesaving. Performing regular self-checks can be quick.
Some medical organizations, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, do not recommend breast self-checks. However, experts do recommend routinely checking for skin cancer and testicular cancer.
Keep reading to learn how to perform self-checks on the breasts, testicles, and skin, including what to look for and what to do if you notice something unusual.
In addition to getting any recommended breast cancer screening tests, depending on your age and risk factors, you can check your own breasts regularly.
A breast self-check involves looking at your breasts for any changes that could indicate cancer and feeling your breasts for lumps.
You’ll need a wall mirror to perform this full check:
- Visual check with hands on hips: Stand in front of a wall mirror, keep your shoulders straight, and put your hands on your hips. Examine your breasts in the mirror.
- Visual check with your arms raised: Raise your arms above your head and examine your breasts in the mirror.
- Feel for lumps while lying down: Using the first few finger pads and keeping your fingers flat and together, press them down on your breast. Move them in a circular motion about the size of an inch around.
- Check the entire breast area: It can help to follow a pattern (either up and down or around in a clockwise motion) that covers the entire breast from your armpit to your cleavage and from your collarbone to the top of your abdomen.
- Repeat on your other breast: It can help to use the opposite hand (right hand for left breast, left hand for right breast).
- Feel for lumps while standing or sitting: Repeat the above steps while standing or sitting.
You will need to vary the amount of pressure you use when checking for lumps. This can include:
- light pressure for the skin and tissue just beneath it
- medium pressure for tissue in the middle of your breasts
- firm pressure for the deep tissue in the back of your breasts
What do I look for during a breast self-check?
During a visual exam, you should look for:
- any changes in your breast size, shape, or color
- any distortion, soreness, or swelling
- any dimpling (like an orange peel), puckering, or bulging of the skin
- a nipple that has changed position or pushed inward (inverted nipple)
- discoloration or rash
When checking for lumps, it’s best to talk with a doctor if you feel a hard mass that may:
- be painless
- have irregular edges
- be immobile (doesn’t move when pushed)
- appears in the upper outer portion of your breast
- grows over time
If you notice something, it’s best to schedule a follow-up appointment with a primary care doctor or gynecologist as soon as you can. A gynecologist is a doctor who specializes in the female reproductive system. But keep in mind that breast lumps can be benign.
How often should I check my breasts?
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists 2017 guidelines do not recommend breast self-exams. Instead, they recommend breast self-awareness. This involves being familiar with your breasts and talking with a healthcare professional if you experience any changes.
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The American Cancer Society also notes that most lumps are identified by individuals when washing or dressing.
According to 2022 research that also discussed past findings, between 25% and 67% of breast cancers were identified initially by individuals rather than their healthcare professionals.
In addition to regular testicular cancer screenings by a healthcare professional, you can do self-checks at home.
It’s best to do a self-testicle exam after a warm bath or shower. The skin is more relaxed, and you may be able to feel the testes more easily.
To perform a testicle self-exam, you’ll want to stand in front of a full-length mirror. Then:
- Visual check: Look for swelling or discoloration in the scrotum.
- Feel for lumps: Gently feel the scrotal sac to find a testicle. Gently and firmly roll your testicle between the thumb and fingers of both hands to feel the whole surface. You may feel a cord-like structure (epididymis) on the top and back of each testicle.
- Repeat on your other testicle: Make sure to feel the whole surface. It’s typical to have one testicle that’s slightly larger than the other.
What do I look for during a testicle self-check?
During your exam, pay special attention to any:
- small, hard lumps (could be pea-sized)
- swelling, pain, or soreness
- other changes
If you notice anything unusual, it’s best to schedule an appointment with a primary care doctor or urologist, a doctor who specializes in urinary and pelvic conditions.
How often should I check my testicles?
The American Urological Association recommends performing a testicle self-check monthly.
In addition to skin cancer screenings by a dermatologist (skin doctor), you can check your skin for growths at home.
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Make sure you check all of the following areas:
- Head: While looking in a wall mirror, check your face, ears, and neck.
- Upper body: In the mirror, check the chest and abdomen; if you have breasts, lift them to view the area underneath.
- Arms: Looking in the mirror and directly at your skin, check your arms, underarms, tops and palms of your hands, between each finger, and under your fingernails.
- Front of your legs: While standing or sitting, check the front of your thighs, tops of your feet, between each toe, and under your toenails. Check one leg and then the other.
- Back of your legs: Using a hand mirror, check the bottoms of your feet, the backs of your thighs, and the back of your lower legs. Check one leg and then the other.
- Back and behind: Using a hand mirror and the full-length mirror together, check your buttocks, genital area, lower and upper back, the back of your neck, and the back of your ears.
- Scalp: Using a comb, move your hair in sections to check your scalp.
What do I look for during a skin cancer check?
Pay special attention to any moles, blemishes, or birthmarks that may have changed since the last time you looked at your skin. You can follow the ABCDE rule for skin cancer checks. This stands for:
- Asymmetry (odd shape)
- Border (irregular border)
- Color (different colors)
- Diameter (large or growing)
- Evolving (changing over time)
Skin cancer can
- a new, expanding, or changing growth
- a sore that bleeds and may not heal after several weeks
- a rough or scaly red patch, which may crust or bleed
- a wart-like growth
- a growth that’s new or changing in size, shape, or color
- a mole with an odd shape, irregular borders, or areas of different colors within it
You can also visit a dermatologist yearly for an in-depth skin check. They typically take photos of your skin each year to note changes and may also examine it under different types of light.
If you do not have a dermatologist, you can ask a primary care doctor for a referral (if you need one based on your insurance plan) or find a dermatologist in your area and book an appointment directly with them.
How often should I check my skin?
While there isn’t an established frequency for skin self-checks, the American Academy of Dermatology Association (AAD) recommends regularly checking your skin.
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- are immunocompromised (have less effective immune systems, often due to underlying health conditions or the medications used to treat them)
- have had skin cancer before
- have lots of moles or other skin spots
- have a strong family history of skin cancer
If you’re already checking your breasts or testicles, checking your skin at the same time could be a good way to bundle your self-checks together and make it part of your routine.
If you find something concerning during a self-check for breast, testicle, or skin cancer, it’s best to contact a doctor as soon as you can. If you already have a primary care doctor, they are a good place to start.
If you can, try to remain calm (growths and lumps can be benign), but take your concerns seriously. You know your body best.
If you find a breast lump, schedule an appointment with a primary care doctor or a gynecologist. They will typically recommend additional tests to determine what the lump is. Tests may include:
- a breast ultrasound, which uses sound waves to create an image of your breast tissue; this may take place in the practitioner’s office
- a mammogram, which takes an X-ray of your breasts; you may need to schedule this separately
- a breast biopsy, which involves removing a small sample of tissue from your breast and sending it to a laboratory for testing
- a breast MRI, which uses magnets and radio waves to create a detailed image of your breast tissue
If you find a lump on your testicle, schedule an appointment with a primary care doctor or a urologist. They may recommend the following tests:
- a testicular ultrasound, which uses sound waves to create an image of your testicles, scrotum, and abdomen
- a blood test, which involves testing a sample of your blood for the presence of tumor cells, infections, or other signs of problems
- an STI screening, which involves collecting a sample of fluid from your penis with a swab or from your urine and sending it to a laboratory for analysis to identify sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like gonorrhea and chlamydia
- a testicle biopsy, which involves removing a small tissue sample from your testicle for laboratory testing
If you find an abnormal growth on your skin, it’s best to visit a dermatologist, who can evaluate it and potentially remove it in the office. Depending on the size and depth, a doctor may be able to remove some growths with a thin razor, while others may require surgery.
If you receive a diagnosis for any cancer, your treating doctor will usually refer you to an oncologist and other members of a cancer care team.
Checking your body and skin can help you find certain types of cancer early, while they are easier to treat. This can improve your outlook and treatment.
Outside of regular checks, if you notice any changes to your skin, breasts, or testicles, it’s important to reach out to a doctor for a more in-depth examination. They can recommend additional diagnostic tests if needed.
If you find something, it’s important to remain calm. Many lumps on the body are benign. A doctor can order tests to help you know for sure.