Little-known warning signs of breast cancer and simple changes to lower risk

02 October 2023 , 13:14

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Breast cancer can affect women of all ages, but is more common in those over 50 (Image: Getty Images/EyeEm)

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the disease is the most common type of cancer in the UK. Around 1 in 7 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. While most of the women that get the disease are over the age of 50, it can also affect younger women.

However if it is detected early, there is a good chance of recovery. But what are the signs and symptoms to look out for, and what should you do if you think you might have it?
Here is everything you need to know…

What are the symptoms of breast cancer?

Dr Hana Patel, an NHS GP and Medico-Legal Expert Witness, explains that symptoms include feeling a lump in the breast. She also says that, "Very rarely, you can get discharged from your nipples, it might be white, it might be green. It could be clear, or coloured. So just fluid coming out of your nipples."

Regular breast cancer screenings are available for older women (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

"You could get swelling or lumps in the armpits. The other thing that we look for as doctors is changes to the skin. So if your skin looks a bit funny around the breast, any rashes or redness," she adds. "It can look like orange peel or dimpling. You can also get something called tethering where the skin looks poor, because it might be a lumpy or it looks like your nipples are different or inverted where it points in rather than pointing out.

"Breast pain isn't usually a common symptom of breast cancer, but we see a lot of women who come in and say that their breasts are hurting." If you have any of these symptoms visit your GP as soon as possible.

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Who is most likely to get breast cancer?

"There are increased risks if you have a family history of breast cancer," says Dr Patel. "The older you are, the more likely you are to be diagnosed with it. If you've had breast cancer before, or if you've had a non cancerous or benign lump before that can increase the risk as well as if you're tall, overweight or obese, or if you drink alcohol," she explains.

How can you mitigate risks of getting breast cancer?

"The biggest thing that people could do is try and maintain a good weight for them and exercise, not to drink alcohol, or drink the minimum amount of alcohol and look at their fat intake," says Dr Patel. "Regular exercise and eating well can reduce your risk of breast cancer by as much as a third, and if you do have cancer, and you exercise regularly and eat well, that it can improve your outcome as well."

Dr Patel also explains, "The breast cancer risk increases with age. So women who are between 50 to 70 years old, are invited for breast cancer screening every three years. If you do get an invite to go for screening, please go."

Lydia Veljanovski