Breast cancer

For many people, the first sign of breast cancer is a lump in the breast. Most breast lumps are benign, but you should still make an appointment with your GP if you notice one. Screening with a mammogram can also detect breast cancer before a lump appears. 

Other symptoms include: 

• A lump or thickening in your breast. This will feel different from the rest of your breast tissue. 
• Discharge or bleeding from your nipple. The discharge is new and isn’t milky. 
• A change in the look or texture of your skin. Your skin might be red, puckered or look dimpled like the skin of an orange. 
• Inflammation or a rash on or around your nipple. There may be redness, a rash or crusting on your nipple or around it. 
• A change to your nipple. This might be a change to its shape, or if it becomes sunken or inverted. 
• A lump or pain in your armpit. You might notice a lump in your armpit or feel pain there. 
• A change in the size or shape of your breast. You may notice this more so when you move your arms. 

The causes of breast cancer aren’t fully understood, but there are several risk factors that can increase your likelihood of developing it. These include: 

• Being over 50 years old 
• Having close relatives with breast cancer or ovarian cancer 
• Previous breast cancers or lumps 
• Exposure to estrogen 
• Use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or the contraceptive pill for long periods of time 
• Being overweight 
• Drinking alcohol 
• Having very dense breasts or a previous biopsy in the past