Breast Cancer: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise
Most breast changes are benign, and survival for those that are not has improved substantially with early detection.
Key takeaways
- Screening: women aged 50 to 71, every 3 years
- Changes to report: a lump, skin dimpling, nipple change, discharge, persistent pain
- Most useful single change: Check regularly enough to know your own normal.
- Commonest mistake: Waiting to see whether a lump resolves.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.
What it is
Cancer of the breast tissue, the commonest cancer in women in the UK. It sits within Cancer Awareness. What follows are the published numbers, not the ones that get passed around.
The numbers, in one place
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Screening | women aged 50 to 71, every 3 years |
| Changes to report | a lump, skin dimpling, nipple change, discharge, persistent pain |
| Men | can also develop breast cancer, though far less commonly |
| Family history | may warrant earlier or more frequent screening |
What helps
Here is what the evidence supports doing. Some of it will already be familiar.
- Check regularly enough to know your own normal
- Look as well as feel, including with arms raised
- Attend screening when invited
- Tell your GP about close relatives diagnosed young
What to avoid
Things that seem reasonable and are not.
- Waiting to see whether a lump resolves
- Assuming a painless lump is less concerning
- Skipping screening because you check yourself
Where to go next
- Breast Cancer in Five Minutes
- What Breast Cancer Is, and Why It Matters
- Breast Cancer — the reference entry
- Living With and Beyond Cancer: What Published Guidance Supports
- Cancer and Family History: What Published Guidance Supports
When to speak to a doctor
See a GP promptly for a new lump or thickening, a change in size or shape, skin dimpling or puckering, a newly inverted nipple, nipple discharge, a rash around the nipple, or persistent pain in one breast or armpit. These usually have benign causes and all need checking.
Where this comes from
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarised or generalised beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to a GP, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 999.
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