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What Affects the Test
Reasons why the results may not be helpful include:
- Changes in your breasts or breast tenderness that occur during your menstrual cycle.
- Examining your breasts at different times in your menstrual cycle. This may make it difficult to compare results of one examination with those of another.
- Having fibrocystic lumps. These may make a breast self-examination difficult because lumps occur throughout the breast. The fibrocystic lumps can also become tender before your menstrual cycle.
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| Last updated: | February 22, 2007 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Jan Nissl, RN, BS |
| Reviewed By: | Joy Melnikow, MD, MPH - Family Medicine, Deborah A. Penava, BA, MD, FRCSC, MPH - Obstetrics and Gynecology |
| Editors: | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer |
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