Breast Exam

Breast Exam Q & A

What is a breast exam?

A breast exam is a preventive health care tool that protects the health of your breasts and reduces your risk for breast cancer.

The providers at Highland Park Ob-Gyn Associates also offer breast exams as a diagnostic procedure to identify the cause of unexplained breast pain (mastodynia), lumps, or other unusual symptoms due to hormone changes, cysts, or breast cancer.

What can I expect during a breast exam?

During a manual breast exam, your provider physically examines your breasts for tenderness, swelling, or lumps. They can also identify nipple discharge or other unusual symptoms that may indicate an underlying condition.

If you have suspicious lumps that need further evaluation, your provider may refer you for a mammogram. This test uses special X-ray technology to take pictures of your breast tissue.

When your mammogram reveals abnormal tissue within your breast, your physician may schedule you for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or use the on-site ultrasound testing available at Highland Park Ob-Gyn Associates to closely examine suspicious breast tissue.

If these noninvasive tests aren’t enough to rule out cancer, you may need a biopsy, a procedure to surgically remove a sample of the abnormal tissue. The providers offer in-office breast cyst aspirations to extract a fluid sample from a cyst to check it for cancer.

How often do I need a breast exam?

The experienced gynecologists at Highland Park Ob-Gyn Associates can recommend a timeline for your breast exam and other preventive care strategies based upon your health history, age, family history, and other factors. 

They perform an initial cancer risk assessment and offer hereditary cancer screenings to determine how often you need preventive exams.

Generally, you can expect a breast exam at each of your annual well-woman exams. Women over 40 and those with a personal or family history of cancer should also schedule routine mammograms. 

The providers at Highland Park Ob-Gyn Associates can provide you with resources to do breast exams on yourself at home each month.

You may also need a breast exam if you’re being treated for mastodynia or other breast issues to identify changes in your breast health over time.

To schedule your next routine breast exam, call Highland Park Ob-Gyn Associates or request an appointment through the online booking feature today.