Breast cancer screening means checking a woman’s breasts for cancer before she has signs or symptoms of the disease. When breast cancer is detected early it is easier for doctors to treat.

Today, the best method to detect breast cancer early is with mammograms. A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast. Having regular mammograms can lower your risk of dying from breast cancer. If you are 40 years of age or older, be sure to have a screening mammogram every one to two years.

Most insurance covers mammograms
Many women over age 40 don’t get mammograms as often as they should. Many low income women have never had a mammogram. Sometimes that’s because they don’t know that their health insurance covers mammograms. Most health insurance companies pay for the cost of breast cancer screening tests. Medicaid and Medicare pay for mammograms.

You can get screened for breast cancer at a clinic, hospital, or doctor’s office. Call your doctor’s office to schedule an appointment.

The City of Milwaukee Health Department’s Well Woman Program offers mammograms at no charge for qualifying women ages 45 to 64 years. Call 286-2133 to learn if you qualify and to schedule an appointment.

Steps to Breast Self-Examination
Step 1: Lying Down

• Lie down on your back with a pillow under your right shoulder
• Use the pads of the three middle fingers on your left hand to check your right breast.
• Press using light, medium and firm pressure in
  a circle without lifting your fingers off the skin.
• Follow an up and down pattern
• Feel for changes in your breast, above and below your collarbone and in your armpit.
• Repeat on your left breast using you right hand

These steps may be repeated while bathing or showering using soapy hands.

Steps 2: In Front of the Mirror
Look for any changes from the normal. Inspect your breast in four steps:

• Hold arms at your side
• Hold arms over your head
• Press your hands on your hips and tighten your chest muscles
• Bend forward with your hands on your hips.