Key takeaways
- Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK. One in seven women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.
- Most breast cancers occur in women over 50 but younger women can get breast cancer, too. Men can also get breast cancer, although this is rare.
- There are some lifestyle factors associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, such as drinking alcohol
- In the UK, women aged 50 to 71 are invited for a mammogram every three years as part of a National Breast Screening Programme
Breast cancer is cancer that starts in the breast tissue. It’s the most common cancer in the UK, affecting one in seven women during their lifetime. While it’s the fourth most common cause of cancer death in the UK, the good news is that breast cancer survival has doubled in the last 50 years. The earlier breast cancer is diagnosed, the better the chance of successful treatment, so it’s important to be breast aware, to see your GP if you notice a change and to take part in the breast cancer screening programme if you are eligible. In this guide, Perci’s Lead Cancer Nurse Specialist, Rachel Rawson, offers key information about breast cancer, risk factors and screening that everyone should know.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, but around a quarter of cases are thought to be preventable
Cancer Research UK
What are the symptoms of breast cancer?
Our breasts change throughout life, from puberty, through adolescence and the reproductive years, to the menopause, when periods stop permanently. This is because levels of the hormones oestrogen and progesterone in your body change at different times in our life.
It’s important to see your GP about any changes that are new for you, even though, for most women, these will not be cancer. Breast Cancer Now lists these changes as:
- A lump or swelling in the breast, upper chest or armpit
- A change to the skin, such as puckering or dimpling
- A change in the colour of the breast (the breast may look red or inflamed)
- A nipple change, for example it has become pulled in (inverted)
- Rash or crusting around the nipple
- Unusual liquid (discharge) from either nipple
- Changes in size or shape of the breast
On its own, pain in your breasts is not usually a sign of breast cancer. But look out for pain in your breast or armpit that’s there all or almost all the time. The most common symptom of breast cancer in men is a lump in the chest area.
The three things you can do to check your chest when looking for changes are:
- Touch your breasts/chest: can you feel anything new or unusual?
- Look for changes: does anything look different to you?
- Check any new or unusual changes with a GP.
Who is at risk of developing breast cancer?
Around 55,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year. Most breast cancers (80%) occur in women over the age of 50. The older you are, the higher your risk but younger women can be affected too, so it’s important to be breast aware whatever your age. Men can also get breast cancer, but this is rare and around 370 men are diagnosed every year. Most men who get breast cancer are over 60. There’s no breast screening programme for men, so it’s important to be chest aware. It’s also important for transgender women to be breast aware if they are undergoing hormone treatment, as research suggests that they may be at increased risk of breast cancer compared to cisgender men.
Most breast cancers are not inherited and only a small number of people have an increased risk of developing breast cancer because they have a significant family history. If you have a relative with breast cancer, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re more likely to develop it yourself. However, sometimes, someone’s family history suggests they could be at increased risk because there’s an altered gene in their family that increases the risk. Only about 5–10% of breast cancers are due to having inherited an altered gene. Someone may be more likely to have a significant family history if two or more close relatives were diagnosed with breast cancer at a younger age, or if one relative has had breast cancer in both breasts.
If you are worried about your family history of breast cancer and want to know more, you can talk to your GP. Special guidance has been developed to help GPs to know when to refer someone who is worried about a family history of breast cancer, to a specialist.
Can you reduce your risk of breast cancer?
As with all cancers, the risk of developing bowel cancer depends on a number of factors and varies from person to person.
World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF)
The main risk factors for breast cancer are being a woman, getting older and having a family history. These are risk factors that you can’t change, however, there are some things that you may be able to control, that can increase your risk, such as:
Drinking alcohol
There is strong evidence that drinking alcohol increases the risk of both pre-and post-menopausal breast cancer. Limiting the amount of alcohol you drink can reduce your risk of breast cancer.
Gaining weight as an adult
Evidence shows that the more weight people gain as adults, particularly around the menopause, the higher the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. You can reduce your risk by maintaining a healthy weight.
Not doing enough physical activity
Studies show that greater exposure to oestrogens increases the risk of breast cancer, and physical activity has been shown to lower oestrogen levels. You can reduce your risk of breast cancer by being physically active for around 20 minutes a day.
Not breastfeeding when you have a baby
Because women do not have periods while they breastfeed, their lifetime exposure to certain hormones changes, which is thought to impact cancer risk. Breastfeeding your children slightly reduces your risk of breast cancer.
What is the role of breast cancer screening?
Breast screening uses a breast X-ray called a mammogram to look for cancers when they’re too small to see or feel. In the UK, women aged 50 to 71 are invited for a mammogram every three years as part of a national breast screening programme. Remaining breast aware in between screening mammograms will help you to notice any changes and report them to your GP as soon as you can. After age 71 a woman can continue to have breast screening but will need to request this through her local screening centre. There are, however, exceptions to this. For example breast screening is more frequent and begins at an earlier age for women who have been identified by a healthcare specialist as having a significant risk of developing breast cancer.
Breast screening programmes prevent around 1,300 women in the UK dying from breast cancer every year
Breast Cancer Now
It’s important to note that the NHS breast screening programme offers screening to transgender women, and also to transgender men who have not had top surgery. However, you’ll only be automatically invited for screening if you are registered as a female with your GP.
If you’re worried about symptoms you are having that might be associated with breast cancer, or if you have a family history of the disease, it’s important to tell your GP. However, if you’d like to understand more about anything you have read in this article, Perci’s cancer nurse specialists can answer your questions and direct you to other professionals who can help.
While we have ensured that every article is medically reviewed and approved, information presented here is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any questions or concerns, please talk to one of our healthcare professionals or your primary healthcare team.
References
‘Breast Cancer Statistics’, canceresearchuk.org, https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/breast-cancer
‘Breast Cancer Symptoms’, breastcancernow.org, July 2021, https://breastcancernow.org/information-support/have-i-got-breast-cancer/signs-symptoms-breast-cancer
‘Study shows increased risk of breast cancer in transgender women’, bmj.com, May 2019, https://www.bmj.com/company/newsroom/study-shows-increased-risk-of-breast-cancer-in-transgender-women/
‘Breast Cancer’, wcrf-uk.org, https://www.wcrf-uk.org/cancer-types/breast-cancer/