You Are Not Alone

The diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer can be overwhelming, so it helps if there is a specialist nurse to support you on your journey from diagnosis to recovery, says consultant surgeon Dexter Perry

- Dexter Perry

IDEALLY women should be checking their breasts every month as soon as they enter their teens. Changes to the breast do occur throughout your lifetime, but if you do recognise any unusual changes to your breast or the surrounding area it is important to book an appointment with your GP.

As well as a new or changed lump, symptoms can include a change in the contour or the silhouette of the breast, discharge from the nipple, or a fairly quickly developed change in the nipple. If there is a history of breast or ovarian cancer in your family then it is important to discuss that with your GP as you may be at an increased risk of developing breast cancer.

Breast screening is available on the NHS from the ages of 50 to 70. You can continue asking for breast screening mammograms above 70 for the rest of your life.