What You Should Know About Breast Health

Maintaining breast health can be as simple as monthly self-exams and yearly mammograms — but feeling a lump in your breast can still cause immediate concern. Instead of jumping to conclusions, get answers to these important questions.

Get To Know Your Breasts

Healthy breast tissue will feel like a continuous, fibrous mesh across your breast. On its own, normal breast tissue is somewhat bumpy and sponge-like, while a breast lump will be noticeably firmer. Lumps may or may not be moveable and can range from the size of a pea to larger than a golf ball. Though usually painless, breast lumps can occasionally cause some discomfort.

“By performing regular, monthly self-breast exams, you can better understand the normal look and feel of your breasts,” said Dr. Michelle O’Shea, board-certified surgeon at Houston Methodist Breast Surgery Partners at Sugar Land. “Then you are more apt to notice a change in your breasts that seems abnormal and report it to your doctor.”

When To See A Doctor

“Though most breast lumps are benign, or noncancerous, a woman cannot tell if her lump is malignant or benign simply by feeling it,” O’Shea said. “Every new lump that does not go away within two to four weeks needs a doctor’s examination.”

The likelihood of the lump being malignant increases with a family history of breast cancer, history of previous abnormal biopsies and increasing age. Additionally, other concerning symptoms include:

■ Lumps that change size

■ Nipple changes, including enlargement or bloody discharge

■ Skin changes over lump

If you find a lump or experience any of these symptoms, make an appointment with your primary care doctor or gynecologist who will examine your breast and determine if further testing is needed.

“Additional tests, such as a mammogram, ultrasound or biopsy to fully evaluate the lump are often recommended,” O’Shea said.

Mammogram Guidelines

Though a woman’s risk of breast cancer is highest after age 50, even younger woman can develop breast cancer. This is especially true if you have a family history of breast cancer.

Starting at age 40, women should begin breast cancer screening with annual mammograms. If you have a family history of breast cancer, your doctor may recommend you start earlier or have genetic testing to determine your risk. Make sure to share your medical history with your primary care physician or gynecologist so they can determine when you should receive your first mammogram.

Mammograms, often with ultrasound, are very effective screening tools that can accurately identify even the smallest breast tumors. “Breast cancer found with regular screening mammography and during workup of symptoms allows us to find the earliest cancer with the best survival,” O’Shea advised. •