Resources - Chosen Butterflies

What should you look out for? What are the symptoms of breast cancer?

Breast awareness is about becoming familiar with how your breasts look and feel, whatever your age, so that you can increase your chances of spotting breast cancer symptoms early.

A breast lump or thickening in the breast which is different to the rest of the breast tissue

Continuous breast pain in one part of the breast or armpit

One breast becomes larger or lower/higher than the other breast

A nipple becomes inverted or changes shape or position

Changes in the skin of your breasts including puckering or dimpling

Swelling under the armpit or around the collarbone

A rash on or around the nipple

Discharge from one or both nipples

Fair use. This image is being used for educational purposes only. Please visit Check4Cancer for more details.

Fair use. This image is being used for educational purposes only. Please visit American Cancer Society for more details.

How to reduce your risk?

A number of changes to your lifestyle can significantly reduce your risk of breast cancer including:

Having children, especially at a younger age, and breastfeeding

Reducing your weight if overweight or obese

Increasing your physical activity

Reducing your alcohol intake

Avoiding HRT or oral contraception where possible

Having regular breast cancer screening from age 40+, depending on your risk

Fair use. This image is being used for educational purposes only. Please visit Check4Cancer for more details.

How to perform a breast self-examination?

Self-examination is an essential part of being breast aware, it takes less than 10 minutes and you do not have to be an expert to perform it. The main purpose of breast self-examination is that you become familiar with what is ‘normal’ for your breasts, so you can spot any differences.

Fair use. This image is being used for educational purposes only. Please visit Check4Cancer for more details.

Recognizing signs of male breast cancer

Painless or tender lump, hard knot or thickening in the breast, chest, or underarm area

Change in the size or shape of the breast

Dimpling, puckering or redness of the skin of the breast

Itchy, scaly sore or rash on the nipple

Pulling in of the nipple or other parts of the breast

Nipple discharge

Fair use. This image is being used for educational purposes only. Please visit Male Breast Cancer Global Alliance for more details.