Breast cancer detection

EARLY DETECTION IS the single most important aspect in surviving breast cancer, and a large percentage of breast cancers are detected by a woman's partner, rather than by the woman herself. So read on to discover how you can help protect your partner--and there's no law against enjoying yourself while you're at it. For an animated demonstration, visit the Boarding for Breast Cancer Foundation Web site at www.b4bc.org.

* Have your partner lie on her back with a rolled-up towel under her shoulder and the outer side of her breast.

* Place the pads of the first three fingers of one hand on the collarbone, near her cleavage.

* Move your three fingers together in dime-sized circles. Go from light to medium to deeper pressure.

* Without lifting your fingers, walk them down to the next spot on her chest, just below the area you examined. Repeat.

* Continue the exam, moving in stripes up and down her chest.

* When you get to the nipple, remove the towel so she's lying flat on her back. Continue moving outward in this up-and-down fashion until you've examined the entire breast area.

* Repeat on the other side.

MEN'S FITNESS would add the following steps:

* Once you've finished the exam, add soothing caresses to defuse her discomfort.

* Repeat frequently or as desired.

* Up to 1% of breast cancers are found in males, so it wouldn't hurt to let her check you out, too.