Breast Cancer Awareness Months - Know What Symptoms To Look For

Breast Cancer Awareness Month:

• One in seven women in the UK will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.
• Breast cancer mainly affects older women.
• Most breast cancers (80%) occur in women over the age of 50. And the older you are, the higher your risk.
• Men can also get breast cancer, but this is rare. Most men who get breast cancer are over 60.
• Breast cancer is caused by a combination of our genes, environment and lifestyles.
• The earlier breast cancer is diagnosed, the better the chance of successful treatment. So it's important to check your breasts regularly and see your GP if you notice a change.

What are the symptoms of breast cancer? Signs and symptoms of breast cancer include:

• A lump or swelling in the breast, upper chest or armpit.
• A change to the skin, such as puckering or dimpling.
• A change in the colour of the breast - the breast may look red or inflamed.
• A nipple change, for example it has become pulled in (inverted).
• Rash or crusting around the nipple.
• Unusual liquid (discharge) from either nipple.
• Changes in size or shape of the breast.
• On its own, pain in your breasts is not usually a sign of breast cancer, but look out for pain in your breast or armpit that's there all or almost all the time.
• Although rare, men can get breast cancer. The most common symptom of breast cancer in men is a lump in the chest area.

How to check your breasts:

• Touch your breasts: can you feel anything new or unusual?
• Look for changes: does anything look different to you?
• Check any new or unusual changes with a GP.
• Everyone will have their own way of touching and looking for changes.
• Get used to checking regularly and be aware of anything that’s new or different for you.
• Check your whole breast area, including up to your collarbone (upper chest) and armpits.

Breast Cancer in Men:

• Many people don’t know that men can get breast cancer because they don’t think of men as having breasts. But men do have a small amount of breast tissue.
• Breast cancer in men is cancer that starts in this small amount of breast tissue.
• Breast cancer in men is very rare. Around 370 men are diagnosed each year in the UK.
• Most men who get breast cancer are over 60, although younger men can be affected.

Symptoms of Breast Cancer in Men:

• The most common symptom is a lump in the chest area which is often painless.
• Liquid, sometimes called discharge, that comes from the nipple without squeezing and which may be blood-stained.
• A tender or inverted (pulled in) nipple.
• Ulcers (sores) on the chest or nipple area.
• Swelling of the chest area and occasionally the lymph nodes under the arm.