Regularly checking your breasts for lumps is hugely important to spot signs of breast cancer, but did you know less than half of UK women do this regularly? With Breast Cancer Awareness month kicking off in October, there isn't a better time to give your breasts some TLC.
The most common reason that women don't check their breasts is forgetfulness, while others state they don’t feel confident. “Being aware of your breasts is important at all stages of life,” says Dr Bana Haddad, medical advisor at Breast Cancer UK.
While there’s no definitive ‘right or wrong way’ to check your breasts, getting to know how yours look and feel personally can be an important step to spotting any signs of breast cancer early and getting treatment. Between the age of 50 and 53 you’ll be invited for a breast screening, which you’ll then be called to every three years until you turn 71. However, whether you've had these screenings or not. it’s still important to check your breasts all the same.
Keep on reading for Dr Haddad’s step-by-step guide on how to do this.
How to check your breasts for lumps at home
“Check your breasts at the same time every month using your index and middle fingers and walk around the whole breast in a spiral motion including under your armpit and then repeat on the other side,” Dr Haddad tells us. Also, take the time to look at your breasts with your arms either side of you and with them raised in the air.
“Check for changes you can see in your breast such as swelling, inflammation, dimpling or any rashes. Then, check for changes in your nipple such as a sunken nipple, a crusty nipple, or any discharge from the nipple.”
It's also important to check the area right up to your collar bone and under your armpits too, incase there's swelling.
While Dr Haddad states that 9 out of 10 lumps are usually completely harmless, if you have any symptoms worrying you she advises not to wait for your breast screening letter and to get in touch with your GP.
“Any small changes, any breast lumps, any pain, anything that makes women worry about their breasts or men. We examine you, make a decision together and take appropriate action from there.”
Hope for the future
Technology is developing quickly, and a device to help detect breast cancer has won the prestigious UK James Dyson Award. The Dotplot is designed to help check their breasts at home.
It's linked to an app where you can track any changes. It's designed to be used once per month and uses soundwaves to analyse tissue changes and abnormalities in a similar way to how mammograms work.
It's still advised that you should always visit a doctor if you're concerned about any changes, but it's a great step towards using technology to monitor our health from home.
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