BREAST AWARENESS
It is important to check your breasts whatever your age, size or shape.
Looking at and feeling your breast on a regular basis will give you greater confidence at knowing what is normal for you so that any change can be detected early on. Some women find checking their breasts when in a shower or bath or when using body lotion or getting changed as the best time for breast self-examination.
Recognised signs and symptoms of breast cancer include:
A change in size or shape
A lump or area that feels thicker than the rest of the breast
A change in skin texture such as puckering or dimpling (like the skin of an orange)
Redness or rash on the skin and/or around the nipple
Your nipple has become pulled in or looks different, for example changed its position or shape
Liquid that comes from the nipple without squeezing
Pain in your breast or your armpit that’s there all or almost all of the time
A swelling in your armpit or around your collarbone
“I had to have surgery under Mr Basu following the discovery of DCIS in one of my breasts. My surgery was first class.”
BREAST LUMPS
This is one of the main symptoms for accessing the breast clinic.
There are a number of reasons why women develop breast lumps and a “triple assessment” of this (history and examination, imaging and tissue diagnosis) may be required to confirm a diagnosis.
Common non-cancerous (benign) causes for lumps include:
Fibroadenoma
Cyst
Fibrocystic change
Lipoma
Other benign conditions of the breast include:
Duct ectasia
Periductal mastitis
Phyllodes tumour
Fat necrosis
Breast Calcifications
Breast pain (mastalgia)
