Be breast aware
Know what is normal for you
Worldwide, more than a million women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year, accounting for a tenth of all new cancers and 23% of all female cancer cases.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK. Each year, over 46,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in women and nearly 300 in men. Around 12,400 people, more than 12,300 women and around 70 men die from the disease each year.
However, while the incidence of breast cancer in British women is increasing each year, survival rates beyond five years are improving, largely because people are now more aware of breast cancer which along with the NHS screening service, leads to earlier detection. Improved treatments, due to advances in research, also mean that more people are living longer with the disease.
Being breast aware means knowing your breasts and the changes they go through during your life. You should know how your breasts look and feel normally so that you notice any changes quickly and report them to your doctor. While most changes in the breast will be benign, early detection can mean more effective treatment if breast cancer is found.
Even though breast cancer in men is rare, it is important that they are breast aware too.
The breast awareness 5-point code
- Know what is normal for you
- Know what changes to look and feel for
- Look and feel
- Report any changes to your GP without delay
- Attend routine breast screenings if you are aged 50 or over
There is no set way to check your breasts and you don't have to look and feel at the same time. But you should find the time to do it regularly. It's important to make sure that you feel all parts of the breast, from high on the front of your chest, down and around your armpit.
Changes to be aware of:
- Size
- if one breast becomes larger, or lower
- Skin changes
- puckering or dimpling
- Nipples
- if a nipple becomes inverted (pulled in) or changes position or shape
- Swelling
- under the armpit or around the collarbone (where the lymph nodes are)
- Rashes
- on or around the nipple
- Pain
- continuous, in one part of the breast or armpit
- Discharge
- from one or both nipples
- Lump or thickening
- different to the rest of the breast tissue
- Breast Cancer Campaign
- Find out more about the charity that specialises in funding independent breast cancer research throughout the UK.
- Find out more at the Breast Cancer Campaign website
- Breast Cancer Care
- Find out more about Breast Cancer Care. We’re here for anyone affected by breast cancer. We bring people together, provide information and support, and campaign for improved standards of care.
- Find out more at the Breast Cancer Care website
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