Equally as important as visiting your doctor or specialist, you’ll need to give yourself regular checkups for signs of cancer. These three self-checkups may help you catch issues long before they become dangerous, especially if you perform them once a month as directed.
Skin Checkups
Prior to checking your own skin, it may help to visit a dermatologist first. He or she can tell you your risks, especially if you have a family history of skin cancers, and help you know what to look for.
Begin in front of a full-length mirror. You should examine your face, neck, lips, and ears. Use a hand mirror to check the back of your neck and ears. Then, using a comb and maybe a blow drier, lift your hair to examine your scalp thoroughly. You may want help for this part, especially on the back of your head.
Move to your hands and arms, checking the fronts and backs and between your fingers. Be sure to get under your fingernails as well. In front of a mirror, check the underside of your upper arm, making sure to examine your armpits as well.
Examine your torso–front and back–next. Women should lift their breasts to view underneath. Use a hand mirror combined with the full-length mirror to look behind you again. Scan your lower back, upper legs, and buttocks, again using the hand mirror.
Finally, sit down and examine your legs. Check the undersides of the feet with a hand mirror, making sure to pay attention to the areas between your toes and under your toenails.
While looking, keep an eye out for these:
- Skin growths that change size and appear tan, brown, black, multicolored, pearly, or translucent.
- A mole or birthmark that changes size, color, or texture, or appears after age 21.
- A sore spot that hurts, itches, scabs, or bleeds and does not heal in three weeks.
Testicular Checkups
Though most commonly found in men between 20 and 35, testicular cancer can occur at any age. Still, though it’s a less usual cancer, it’s still good to keep consistent with your checks.
You should perform a self-check for testicular cancer after a warm shower, when your genitals are most relaxed. Holding your penis out of the way, check your testicles one at a time. Look for:
- Hard lumps
- An enlarged or unusually shrunken testicle
- Pain in the testicle or a dull ache in the abdomen
You should get to know how your testicles look and feel so that you can keep an eye out for any of these changes. Perform this check at least monthly to catch any warning signs before they can become serious. If you have concerns, speak with your doctor to set up an appointment.
Breast Checkups
Like testicular cancer, breast cancer can occur at any age. It is most common, though, in people over 50. Plus, it’s not exclusive to women, though it is rarer in men.
If you menstruate, it’s best to do this exam one week afterwards. If not, feel free to perform this checkup at any time.
Start by looking at your breasts in the mirror to make sure no apparent changes have occurred. Check that they are about the same size and evenly shaped. Raise your arms as you check them because the adjustment may reveal something new.
Watch out for:
- Nipples that have changed position or inverted
- Redness or rash
- Bulging or dimpling of the skin
- Discharge from one or both nipples
Lie down and feel your breasts all over. This change in position makes the tissue lie flat and thin, helping to detect abnormalities faster. Using the tips of your fingerpads, follow a pattern you can keep track of as you examine yourself. This could be in a spiral inwards or outwards, or up and down like a lawnmower.
Repeat this process while standing, such as in the shower. Use differing pressure as you examine your breasts: light pressure for beneath, medium for the tissue in the middle, and firm pressure for the deep muscles and tissue at the top of your breasts. You should be able to feel your rib muscles at this point.
Keeping up with these three self-examinations once a month–or even just more regularly than you do right now–can help you keep an eye on the way your body should be. You’ll be able to find abnormalities quickly and report them to your doctor–even if it’s not cancer.