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Your guide to examining your breasts for signs of breast cancer
Being breast aware
Women should decide what they are comfortable with and when is convenient for them. It doesn't have to be once a month as it's good to get to know your breasts at different times.
Being breast aware is about becoming familiar with your breasts and the changes that they go through throughout your life. It means knowing how your breasts look and feel normally so that you notice any change that might be unusual for you. Get into the habit of looking at and feeling your breasts from time to time. There is no set way to do this. You can decide what you are comfortable with and when it is convenient for you. You don't have to look and feel at the same time.
The breast awareness 4-point code
1. Know what is normal for you
2. Know what changes to look and feel for
3. Report any changes to your GP without delay
4. Attend for routine breast screening if you are aged 50 or over
Changes to be aware of
You need to be aware of any changes that are new or different for you, such as:
- a change in size - it may be that one breast has become noticeably larger or noticeably lower
- a nipple has become inverted (pulled in) or changed its position or shape
- a rash on or around the nipple
- discharge from one or both nipples
- puckering or dimpling of the skin
- a swelling under your armpit or around your collarbone (where the lymph nodes are)
- a lump or thickening in your breast that feels different from the rest of the breast tissue
- constant pain in one part of your breast or in your armpit.
