In 2021, more than 284,000 people are estimated to get breast cancer. Of those, 99% will be women. It’s a harsh reality that 6% of women diagnosed with breast cancer will be diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer upon first diagnosis, with only a 28% five-year survival rate.
This is why early detection is key. Women should be doing all that they can to learn what their breasts normally feel like to identify any unusual changes that they can speak with their doctor about. One of the most important things you can do is learn how to do a breast self-exam.
Early detection is key: Breast self-exams
What do lumps in the breast feel like: When to see your doctor
It certainly can be alarming if you feel something irregular. But not every lump in your breast is cancerous. Benign cysts can feel like a grape with some mobility in the cyst. Contrary to a benign cyst, a cancerous tumor often feels like a rock, rigid and firm with angular edges. If you feel this, it’s time to see your doctor.
Other symptoms to be concerned with are changes in the size or feel of the breast. Talk to your doctor if the nipple’s look and feel suddenly change — it may dimple, look inverted, or have discharge. When skin dimples or puckers, this is also a cause for concern and you should seek a professional opinion. A sign of cancer may also be a rash on the nipple or warmth, redness, or dark spots on the skin. Essentially, anything that is unfamiliar and doesn’t go away in a day or two should be examined by your doctor.
One breast cancer survivor, Patryce Sheppard, recalled that her first symptoms were not something she thought was a problem. “My bra was uncomfortable in the area, not pain, just a little uncomfortable,” told Mom.com.
This wasn’t something that prompted a breast exam, but she discovered a lump when doing a regular monthly exam in the shower that fortunately led to her contacting her doctor. The lesson is that we should all pay attention to the little changes in our breasts to have the highest chance of discovering cancer early.
