Doctor evaluation

Clinical breast exam

In addition to regular breast self exams, a clinical breast exam (CBE) performed by a health professional, such as a physician, nurse or nurse practitioner, is recommended for women starting at age 20; clinical breast exams are vital for early detection of breast disease and are typically performed once a year.

A clinical breast exam may resemble the self breast exam. Using the pads of the fingers, the examiner will apply slight pressure to feel for breast lumps in the outside, middle and around the nipple of the breast. He or she also will examine under the armpit and check for any discharge coming from the nipple. A trained health professional can often detect a breast abnormality before a woman feels something irregular through a breast self exam.