Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a good time to remind all women to regularly perform breast self exams.
While breast cancer risk is low for women in their 20s, it does occur. Beginning at age 20 women should have a clinical breast exam performed by a physician or other health professional once every three years.
Women 40 and older should have a clinical breast exam as well as a screening mammogram yearly; more often if you are at high risk due to family history of breast cancer, hyperplasia or other non-cancerous breast conditions. A mammogram is your best defense against this disease.
In addition, breast self exams can play a role, albeit a minor one, in finding breast cancer. Becoming familiar with your own breasts can help you detect signs early – and early detection is the key to increasing your chance of being a survivor.
The signs of breast cancer vary among women. The Susan G. Komen for the Cure® website lists the following symptoms to look for when performing a self exam. Also, these changes may not signal cancer; but if you experience any of them, see your doctor as soon as possible to rule it out:
- Lump, hard knot or thickening inside the breast or underarm area
- Swelling, warmth, redness or darkening of the breast
- Change in the size or shape of the breast
- Dimpling or puckering of the skin
- Itchy, scaly sore or rash on the nipple
- Pulling in of your nipple or other parts of the breast
- Nipple discharge that starts suddenly
- New pain in one spot that doesn’t go away
