Breast examination. Nurse conducting a breast examination on a young woman. Lying on her back, the woman has stretched her arms out behind her head. The nurse palpates one breast at a time, using the flat of a hand to feel for underlying disease, cysts or tumours. Lymph nodes in the armpit might become swollen. Such manual inspection conducted regularly is recommended to women as a method of detecting early breast cancer. After visual examination for changes in breast shape & surface texture, careful palpation over each breast to under the arm will test the tissue more closely for lumps. Early detection of abnormalities gives better chance of a cure.