Finding breast cancer early

In the UK every woman between the ages of 50 and 70 is invited for a mammogram every 3 years as part of the UK NHS breast cancer screening programme. The screening programme is extending the age range for breast screening from 47 to 73 and this will cover the whole of the UK by 2012. Even so, many breast tumours are first spotted by women themselves. This may be because the woman is too young to have been screened. Or is no longer getting invitations from the screening programme because she is over 70. Or it could be that a breast cancer starts to cause symptoms between mammograms (known as an interval cancer). However it is found, the earlier a breast cancer is diagnosed, the easier it is likely to be to treat it and the better the chance of cure.

Being breast aware simply means getting to know how your breasts normally look and feel at different times of the month. If you notice a change that isn't normal for you, talk it over with your doctor.

You don't need to examine your breasts everyday or even every week. You just need to get to know how your breasts normally feel, and how that changes with your periods. Some women have lumpier breasts around the time of a period. If this is the same on both sides, don't worry. Just check your breasts again the following month, a few days after your period is over. If the lumpiness comes and goes with your menstrual cycle, it is nothing to worry about.

It is easiest to check your breasts in the shower or bath. Run a soapy hand over each breast and up under your arm. The NHS breast awareness five point code says

• Know what is normal for you
• Look and feel
• Know what changes to look for
• Report any changes without delay
• Attend for breast screening if you are aged 50 or over

You are checking for changes to the size, shape or feel of your breast. This could mean a lump or thickening anywhere in the breast. Most people naturally have one breast bigger than the other. It is a change in size or shape that you need to watch out for. The page in this section about symptoms of breast cancer gives more details of other changes to look out for, such as puckering of the skin or dimpling.

If you are worried that you don't know how to feel your breasts properly, there are people who can help. Talk it over with

• Your doctor or nurse
• Staff at your local well woman clinic - your GP or practice nurse will be able to give you the telephone number
• Staff at one of the breast cancer organisations

They can tell you

• What changes you can normally expect in your breasts
• About ways of learning how your breasts should look and feel

There are books and booklets about breast self awareness, some of which are free. Look at our breast cancer reading list for details. Cancer Research UK produce a leaflet called Breast cancer - spot the changes early. You can download a copy from our website by clicking on this link and then clicking on the picture of the leaflet. You can also watch the video Spot breast cancer early on the Cancer Research UK website.