A helping hand

Natural Health, Feb, 2007 by Sarah Schmidt

There's a new tool in the fight against breast cancer: the In Touch glove ($9; www.bathandbodyworks.com), sold at Bath and Body Works stores nationwide. Use the reusable liquid-filled glove during a monthly breast self-exam; it's designed to help your fingertips glide across the surface of your breast and detect abnormalities more easily. "Combining a self-exam, an annual clinical exam, and age-specific mammography is still a woman's best defense in early detection of breast disease--and early detection saves lives," says Nell B. Friedman, M.D., director of the Hoffberger Breast Center at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore and a proponent of the In Touch glove.

Because women often experience breast tenderness and swelling before and during their periods, most experts recommend doing a monthly exam the week after your period ends. Make small circles with your fingertips to examine every part of your breast, from your armpit to your breastbone. If you need a refresher course, visit the American Breast Cancer Foundation's website (www.abcf.org) and click on "Keys to Early Detection" under the Breast Cancer Info tab for an instructional video.