Erasing the Fear of Self-Exams

If Linda Fingleson had her way, each woman would know her own breasts. “I want to get up on the rooftop and scream,” she said.

Five years ago, Fingleson and her twin sister, Lisa Richman, 37, lost a close friend to breast cancer. Soon after, a mother at her son’s school was found to have cancer.

“I was completely paranoid of dying of breast cancer. What could we do?” said Fingleson.

The twins began research and came up with one recurring theme--early detection. But early detection usually means self-exams, which many women fear, Richman said.

“A lot of women don’t do breast examinations because they’re afraid to find breast cancer. You don’t do a breast examination to find breast cancer, but to learn to know what you look and feel like.”

So the Calabasas homemakers brainstormed and came up with the Breast Tee, a cotton bib with directions for self-exams. Four years later, they say they have sold thousands.

Fear, but also modesty, prevent women from doing self-exams, the sisters said. “You don’t look at yourself, you don’t touch yourself, especially with older generations. In some religions as well,” Fingleson said.

The bib allows a woman to follow the lines without stripping bare. The twins surveyed their customers last year, many of whom said the bib gave them self-confidence to make exams part of their monthly routine.

“Every woman from 18 on should do self-examination once a month. It should be like brushing your teeth. It’s so important,” Fingleson said.

Both sisters feel empowered by the Tee. “For me, it took the fear away . . the control was with me,” said Richman.

The Breast Tee comes with the circular exam design and also the new horizontal design supported by the American Cancer Society.

How to Order a Breast Tee

To order, write: Twin Marketing, 21755 Ventura Blvd., Suite 286, Woodland Hills, CA 91367, or call (800) 554-EXAM. The tees are $19.95, including shipping, and one size fits 32A to 44DDD.

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Breast Self-Examination

Feel for changes: To recognize changes in the way your breasts feel, do a thorough breast self-exam (BSE) at the same time each month. Once you know how your breasts feel normally, you can detect even minor changes. Perform BSE while lying down or showering (Hands glide easily over wet, soapy skin.)

Lie down and place a pillow under the shoulder of the breast you’re examining. Keep the arm on that side raised as shown.

Mentally divide the breast area into strips or circles. The area should include your collarbone to your bra line and your breastbone to your underarm.

Feel with the sensitive pads of your three middle fingers held flat.

Use small curcular motions to cover each area of the strip or circle. Go over each area three times, using varying degrees of pressure as shown.

1. Use light pressure to feel for changes below the skin.

2. Use deeper pressure to feel for changes in breast tissue.

Source: Krame’s Communications