The red flag signs
Most breast changes are not cancer. That is worth saying first, because it is true and because it is the thing people most need to hear before they read a list like this one. But some changes are worth getting looked at, and knowing which ones means you can stop wondering and get an answer.
Most malignant lumps are painless. Do not wait for a lump to start hurting before you have it checked — and equally, breast pain on its own is usually benign.
What to look for
- A lump in the breast or the armpit
- Asymmetry of the breast or the nipple that is new
- Skin dimpling, an ulcer, redness or thickening
- Nipple discharge that is not milk, especially if it is blood-stained
- Nipple inversion, retraction, scaling or ulceration
- An abnormal screening mammogram
- In some cases, pain, appetite loss, weight loss or generalised weakness
How you would notice these changes
A monthly self-examination is the most reliable way to notice a change early, because you are looking at the same thing each time and you learn what is normal for you.
Look
Stand in front of a mirror and inspect both breasts three times: with your arms at your sides, then above your head, then pressed firmly against your hips. You are looking for changes in shape, in the skin, or in the nipple.
Feel
Palpate systematically with the flat of your fingers rather than the tips, using the opposite hand — right hand for the left breast, left hand for the right. Do it standing, then lying down, covering the whole breast and up into the armpit each time.
Check
Finish by checking for nipple discharge.
If you find something
Finding a change does not mean you have cancer — most breast lumps turn out not to be. It means it is worth an examination. At the One Stop Breast Clinic that examination, any imaging you need and, if it is indicated, a tissue sample all happen in the same visit, so you leave with an answer rather than another appointment.