October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and it made me want to reach out to make sure you know what to look for, when you are doing a self-breast exam.
It is so VERY important to know ALL 13 signs and symptoms of breast cancer.
Fellas – learn these 13 symptoms and perhaps you can help with a breast exam? 😊
All jokes aside, the number of women who become aware there is something wrong by means of their partner feeling or noticing a change is right up there, so your perspective is actually vital! AND let’s not forget that you, too, can get breast cancer guys!
Ladies, I am going to take you through what to be looking for during your own breast checks. It is all well and good to be doing a regular self-breast exam (by the way, monthly is GOLD STAR vigilance), but if you don’t REALLY know what you are looking for, then perhaps you’ll miss how your body is telling you there is something wrong.
Before we go through all 13 signs that breast cancer may be lurking, I must mention the importance of KNOWING YOUR NORMAL. How can you notice a change, if you don’t LOOK and FEEL regularly, and bank the feel and look of your breasts, into your brain. If you are not a regular self-checker, then NOW is a good time to start.
Oh. You think you’re too young/fit/healthy to get breast cancer and it will be a waste of time checking? Yes, that sounds familiar. I thought that too, as do most BC survivors. My diagnosis was unexpected and a complete shock. The youngest person I have met with breast cancer was 22. I also know vegetarians, vegans and marathon runners who have been diagnosed. Breast cancer does not discriminate.
Let me give it to you straight – if you have breasts (entire post-pubescent population of the world) then you can get breast cancer. It is true to say that certain factors increase your risk – but that’s another blog topic for another day.
So, let’s rock and roll with the 13 signs and symptoms of breast cancer:
HARD LUMP: This is the most common sign. Did you know that you are not really feeling for a spherical shape, but more like a cylinder? Breast cancer grows faster in one direction. A breast cancer lump will feel hard and usually immovable. It can be deep in the breast and difficult to palpate. It may also be in your lymph nodes right up into your armpit.
THICK AREA: You might notice a part of your breast that feels thicker or denser. It might be a thickening of the skin or deeper tissue in the breast. This is caused when cancer cells are blocking circulation or when a tumour is growing near the skin.
INDENTATION: Also look out for a dimple. This is caused when a tumour in the breast pulls the skin inward. This sort of symptom is best seen when you lift your arms above your head, so make sure this is part of your regime.
NIPPLE CRUST: If your nipple starts to form a scab-like red or white crusted surface, then this could be a sign of Paget’s Disease – cancer of the nipple.
RED or HOT: If you breast is uncharacteristically hot or red, it could be an indicator of Inflammatory Breast Cancer. This type of cancer blocks the flow of lymph in the breast and causes redness, heat and swelling without an obvious lump. This cancer is a very aggressive form, so report any change like this IMMEDIATELY to your GP.
NIPPLE DISCHARGE: If you are experiencing new fluid leaking from your breast it could be a sign of breast cancer. It should be checked out – especially if the fluid is clear or contains blood.
SKIN SORES: Breast cancer can sometimes break down the skin and form an open wound.
BUMP: Sometimes cancerous lumps form on the surface of the breast. Important here to know your normal, because many women do have lumpy and bumpy breasts.
ENLARGED VEINS: This is a rarer symptom, but can happen due to the tumour drawing more blood to itself and the vein swelling in size to allow for more blood flow.
NIPPLE CHANGES: If you notice your nipple sinking, turning or flattening, it could be a sign of a tumour growing behind the nipple, pulling the nipple towards it as it grows.
NEW SHAPE or SIZE: It is common for one breast to be larger than the other, but if one breast changes size, flattens, swells or droops unexpectedly it could be a sign of breast cancer.
ORANGE PEEL SKIN: A tumour can be growing and causing the breast to swell, which in turn causes the hair follicles to look like lots of tiny dimples. The skin may or may not also change colour. This type of change is another sign of the aggressive Inflammatory Breast Cancer.
PAIN: Unusual or new pain in your breast. Aching or sharp pain. Not linked to any sort of injury. It can come and go too, so if you feel unexplained breast pain, it should definitely be checked out.
There you have it – 13 ways your body can be telling you that breast cancer is growing. Of course, these may be symptoms of other less sinister things like cysts, fibroadenomas, eczema and even linked to your normal menstrual cycle. There is NO HARM in playing it safe and getting these things checked out. There could however, definitely be harm in sweeping it under the carpet and hoping it will go away. Please act immediately because if it is breast cancer, you want that thing found ASAP!
My breast cancer was detected by a regular, routine mammogram at age 46. I had no sign or symptom, yet I already had one tumour of 3cm in length, plus two others measuring about 1cm. In Show Us Your Tits, I talk about reflecting on the months before diagnosis and how I DID feel pain in my left breast – like an achy feeling – but I put it down to travelling around in a camper trailer with a thin camping mattress, as I most often sleep on my left side.
This can be how subtle things start.
I hope I have got your attention and perhaps have you running to the bathroom mirror to whip up your top, fling off your bra and have a good check of your rack. That would be great! I’ll consider my job here done, if you also promise to set some sort of alarm or write it on your calendar, making it a monthly ritual.
Go on. Off you go.
Much love,
Jo x
Here is a great guide to help you along from Women’s and Breast Imaging:
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