Everyone should know breast cancer’s tell-tale signs, as early diagnosis is your best defence against this killer disease.

What If I find a lump in my breast?

More often than not, that little lump that’s been causing you sleepless nights is nothing to worry about. it can often be related to something as simple as your menstrual cycle. However, you should go to your doctor straightaway for an examination. Your doctor may think the lump needs further investigation and you may be sent to a breast clinic for some tests, such as a mammogram (a breast X-ray). You may also need a biopsy, which involves a needle being inserted into the lump and tissue being taken and sent off to a lab for analysis.

Am I at risk?

Nobody knows why some people contract breast cancer, but there are many risk factors.
You’re at more risk if you are female, are of increasing age, have previous history of breast cancer, use HRT or oral contraceptives, and have no or few children. The older you get, the more the risk factor increases. A family history of cancer is also relevant. If you are concerned about this, it’s best to visit your GP who may decide to refer you to a specialist breast clinic to find out if you are a carrier of a faulty gene known as either BRca1 or BRca2.

If you’re found to be a carrier of a faulty gene, you also have an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer. You may also be slightly more at risk of developing other cancers if you have a faulty BRca2 gene. Breast cancer also affects men. In 2003, 335 men were diagnosed. High oestrogen levels, obesity, and genetic links may all be contributing factors.

I’ve got breast cancer. What next?

When it’s time to get your results, you may want to take someone with you so they can ask questions on your behalf. Many consultants record their consultations so you can listen to a tape of the conversation after the news has sunk in. If you’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer, specialists will grade the cancer cells according to how different they look compared to normal cells. There are three grades, from 1, where the cancer cells are not growing rapidly, to 3, where the cancer cells may be growing more aggressively.

Your tumour will also be categorised in a similar way.
• Stage 0 - Not spreading outside the breast.
• Stage I - Tumour less than 2cm and it hasn’t spread.
• Stage II - Tumour 2-5cm with or without lymph node involvement and it hasn’t spread.
• Stage III - Tumour more than 5cm, or any size, but fixed either to chest wall, muscle or skin, or has spread to lymph nodes above collarbone.
• Stage IV - Tumour any size. May affect lymph nodes but has definitely spread to other parts of the body.

You’re likely to feel scared when you first hear the news, but remember that not only is breast cancer a relatively common disease (one in every nine women will develop it at some stage in their lives), but in most cases it can be treated – eight out of ten women are now surviving over five years following breast cancer.

What’s the treatment?

A breast cancer care nurse will talk you through the options. Surgery is usually the first treatment – it’s likely you’ll have to choose between a mastectomy (total removal of the breast) or a lumpectomy (breast-conserving surgery, often followed by radiotherapy).
Breast reconstruction can get back the original shape of the breast post-surgery. For more info, call Breast Cancer Care on 0808 800 6000 or visit www.breastcancercare.org.uk

Be breast aware

The NHS has a breast awareness five-point code that you should follow regularly:
• Know what is normal for you
• Look at and feel your breasts
• Know what changes to look for
• report any changes without delay
• attend for screening if 50 or over

Changes to look out for:

• Appearance. Any change in the outline or shape of the breast. Any puckering or dimpling of the skin.
• Feelings. Discomfort or pain in one breast that is different from normal, particularly if new and persistent.
• Lumps. Any lumps, thickening or bumpy areas in one breast or armpit which seems to be different to the other.
• Nipples. Non-milky discharge. Bleeding or moist, red areas which don’t heal. Change in nipple position and rash.

Celebrity Survivors

Kylie Minogue

The pop princess was famously diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2005 and the memory of the discovery still haunts her.

“I went silent when I heard. Mum and Dad were with me and we fell to pieces,” she said.

But when Kylie found she’d beaten the disease she was “utterly, unbelievably overjoyed.”

Jaclyn Smith

Former Charlie’s Angel, Jaclyn Smith, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002. She was 54. The cancer was caught early, and she underwent a lumpectomy and radiation and is now in good health, keeping fit with Pilates and aerobics.

“The first week was panicky. Fear is not a good thing,” she said. “You have to enlighten yourself and not give in to it. It was like God said, ‘Get out there, you are fine’."

Marianne Faithfull

Marianne was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007, but was given the all-clear just before Christmas.

“I had absolute confidence in my medical team,” she said. “All I can say to you, or anyone else, man or woman, is check for it all the time.”