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Breast Changes and Warning Signs To Watch for During Breast Self-Exam:
- Any new lump or hard knot found in the breast or armpit
- Any lump or thickening that does not shrink or lessen after your next period
- Any change in the size, shape or symmetry of your breast
- A thickening or swelling of the breast
- Any dimpling, puckering or indention in the breast
- Dimpling, skin irritation or other change in the breast skin or nipple
- Redness or scaliness of the nipple or breast skin
- Nipple discharge (fluid coming from your nipples other than
breast milk), particularly if the discharge is bloody, clear and sticky, dark or occurs
without squeezing your nipple
- Nipple tenderness or pain
- Nipple retraction: turning or drawing inward or pointing in a new direction
- Any breast change that may be cause for concern
If any of these changes or other abnormalities are noted, women should see their physicians as soon as possible for
clinical evaluation. However, it is important to note that in the majority of cases (80%), breast lumps and changes
are not cancerous. Therefore, women should not allow their fear of breast cancer to keep them from visiting their
physician if a lump or change is found.
Women with Normally Lumpy Breasts Should Also Perform BSE
Even if a woman has normally lumpy breasts (typically called fibrocystic breasts), she can still learn the usual
pattern of lumps and then point out new or unusual lumps to her physician. While lumpy
breasts or breasts with benign (non-cancerous) masses or cysts can be more difficult to
examine, monthly breast self-exams are still essential. In fact, without
knowledgeable direction from the patient, it may be more difficult for a physician to
differentiate between a new mass and a stable lump. If a woman’s breasts are normally
lumpy, she should note how many separate lumps she feels and their corresponding locations
when performing self-exams. Then, during subsequent exams, she should check for any
changes, particularly an increase in the size of lumps that persist after her period. Any
changes should be reported to a physician or healthcare provider.
Breast Examination During and After Pregnancy Is Critical
Women should continue monthly breast self-exams during pregnancy. Vigilant, monthly breast self-exams during
pregnancy and afterwards, during breast-feeding, can help prevent a delayed diagnosis of breast cancer and improve
the chances of successful treatment.
Clinical breast exams should also be
performed by a healthcare professional on a monthly basis during
pregnancy. It is especially important that a clinical breast exam be performed during the first doctor
visit of the pregnancy, before the breasts go through significant physiologic changes. Some changes or
lumps are more difficult to evaluate once the breasts have enlarged and become more nodular.
 Click here to learn more about pregnancy and breast cancer.
Click here
to learn how to perform breast self-exam (BSE).
Click
Here to View Breast Self-Examination Video 
Updated: June 29, 2008
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