Breast cancer awareness: know the symptoms

The good news is more women than ever before are surviving breast cancer.

This is due to several factors – the national breast screening programme which can diagnose breast cancer at an earlier stage; better treatments; and awareness campaigns which encourage women to regularly check their breasts.

If you get to know your own body, and learn what is normal for you, you will be able to spot any unusual changes quickly:

- The best time for self-examination is around a week after a period as this would be the time of least hormonal stimulation.

- Never use two hands and fold breast tissue between hands/fingers as this would give the impression of lumpiness. It is easier in a bath when the skin surface is softer and slippery to allow the flat of your hand to glide in a circular motion whilst examining the different areas of the breast. Raise your arms above your head and look carefully at the shape of each breast. Then lie down and with your fingers flat, feel over the whole surface of both your breasts for anything which is different from the last time.

- Never squeeze the nipple to check for discharge.

But it’s not just about lumps – there are other signs and symptoms of breast cancer to look out for too:

- Nipple discharge: this can be caused by a wide range of conditions, most of which are harmless or easily treated. Discharge that is greenish/yellow is usually due to inflammation of the ducts and not cancer. However, seek advice from your GP if the nipples discharge spontaneously.

- Painful breasts: This is a common symptom in many ladies and is usually due to hormones just before a period. If this is not normal for you, then seek advice from your GP.

- Other symptoms can include - a change in size or shape of the breast; a change in skin texture such as puckering or dimpling; redness or rash on the skin and/or around the nipple; the nipple has become pulled in or looks different; a swelling in the armpit or around the collarbone.

If it’s not normal for you, see your GP: You will be given an urgent referral to a local breast unit, although the vast majority of ladies referred don’t have a diagnosis of breast cancer. Tests to diagnose cancer include mammography (an x-ray of the breast) an ultrasound scan, or a needle biopsy in which a thin needle is used to remove a small number of cells.

New treatment

A new development in early low stage breast cancer is intra-operative radiotherapy or IORT.

During the lumpectomy, a single high dose of radiation is administered to the site of the tumour which means the patient wakes up having received a full treatment and can return to their daily routine more quickly.

The Montefiore Hospital was one of the first in the country to offer this treatment to appropriate stage 1 and 2 breast cancer patients.

Mr Charles Zammit, breast and endocrine consultant, holds one-stop clinics at The Montefiore Hospital, Hove on Tuesday evenings.

For more information visit www.themontefiorehospital.co.uk or phone 01273 828 148.