Breast cancer affects approximately 1 in 7 women in the UK during their lifetime, with over 55,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Survival rates have doubled in 40 years — largely due to earlier detection. Self-examination and prompt reporting of changes are genuinely life-saving habits.
Normal Breast Changes to Know
Breast tissue changes throughout life and throughout the menstrual cycle. In the week before menstruation, rising oestrogen and progesterone cause increased glandular density, lumpiness and tenderness — entirely normal. Examining breasts in the week after a period, when hormonal effects are minimal, gives the most neutral baseline. During pregnancy, significant enlargement and increasing nodularity occurs. After menopause, breast tissue gradually becomes less dense (replaced by fat), making self-examination and mammography more straightforward.
How to Check Your Breasts
There is no single mandated technique — the goal is regular familiarity. Practically: in the shower (wet skin makes changes easier to feel), use the flat of your fingers (not the fingertips) in a systematic pattern — circular, up-and-down or wedge-section — covering the entire breast from the collarbone to below the breast and from the armpit to the breastbone. Also check both armpits. Examine in front of a mirror, arms raised and lowered, looking for visible changes in shape, contour, skin texture, or nipple appearance. Monthly self-examination creates the familiarity from which any change can be identified. Frequency matters more than precise technique.
Changes That Always Need Medical Assessment
Any unexplained change should be assessed — the vast majority will be benign, but all deserve a medical opinion: a new lump or thickening in the breast or armpit; change in size, shape or contour of either breast; skin changes — puckering, dimpling, redness, orange-peel texture (peau d’orange); nipple changes — new inversion, persistent discharge (particularly blood-stained, clear and single-duct, or persistent unilateral); a rash on or around the nipple (Paget’s disease mimics eczema); persistent localised breast pain (particularly new pain in a post-menopausal woman).
NHS Breast Screening
The NHS Breast Screening Programme invites women aged 50–70 for mammography every 3 years. Women over 70 can self-refer. Mammography detects cancers too small to feel — typically 12–18 months before they become palpable — which is why screening saves lives. However, mammography has a 10–20% false negative rate (missed cancers), making self-examination between screenings important. Women with strong family history (multiple close relatives with breast cancer, BRCA mutation family history) may qualify for earlier or more frequent screening — ask your GP about referral to a family history clinic.
Frequently Asked Questions About Breast Health
What does breast cancer feel like?
Most breast cancers present as a painless, firm, irregular lump that doesn’t move easily under the skin (unlike the smooth, mobile fibroadenomas common in younger women). However, not all breast cancers present as a palpable lump — some cause skin changes, nipple discharge, or are detected only on mammography. This is why self-examination looks for any change — not specifically “a lump.”
Is breast pain a sign of cancer?
Breast pain (mastalgia) is very common — affecting up to 70% of women — and in the vast majority of cases is benign and hormonal. Cancer is a rare cause of breast pain. However, new persistent localised pain in a specific area, particularly in a postmenopausal woman (for whom cyclical hormonal pain is not expected), always warrants assessment. Cyclical breast pain related to the menstrual cycle that is bilateral, affects the outer breast, and is worse premenstrually is almost always benign and often responds to evening primrose oil or dietary change.
Can men get breast cancer?
Yes — male breast cancer accounts for approximately 1% of all cases, affecting around 350 men per year in the UK. Risk factors include age, BRCA2 gene mutations, Klinefelter syndrome, liver disease, and obesity. Any breast lump in a man should be assessed by a GP promptly without the delay that sometimes occurs because men may not consider breast cancer as a possibility.
Does wearing an underwired bra increase cancer risk?
No — this claim has been comprehensively investigated and rejected by multiple epidemiological studies. There is no plausible mechanism and no statistical association. Similarly, deodorant aluminium compounds and mobile phone use are not supported as breast cancer risk factors by evidence.
Browse women’s health products at Huncoat Pharmacy. Related: Menopause Guide, PCOS Guide.
At Huncoat Pharmacy: NHS health screening services, Home health testing kits.