
How to check your breasts
Breast cancer is a condition that primarily affects women, with thousands of cases across the UK and worldwide every year. While there are resources available to help you in the aftermath of the condition, such as post-surgery bras, breast prostheses and support groups, the best thing is to catch the cancer as early as possible to allow for swift treatment.
Although some people are more likely to get the condition, it’s not always clear what causes breast cancer. This can make it hard to decide who should receive special screenings known as mammograms, so they’re typically reserved for those at the highest risk or those who have symptoms which could be down to breast cancer.
For this reason, it’s important to check your breasts or chest regularly so that you can spot these symptoms quickly and speak to your GP to find out whether they are caused by breast cancer or something more benign.

How to check your breasts for lumps
The thought of discovering breast cancer can be daunting, but in many cases, signs and symptoms spotted while checking your breasts or chest turn out to be caused by something else. Spotting something while checking your breasts doesn’t mean you definitely have breast cancer, but it’s important to get it checked out so that any problems can be treated sooner rather than later. And even though breast cancer is much more common in women, it’s important that everyone checks themselves regularly, as breast cancer can affect anyone.
Fortunately, checking your breasts is quite easy and doesn’t take long. Here are some potential symptoms you should watch out for:
- A swelling or lump located in the chest, breast or armpit
- A change in the shape or size of either or both of your breasts, or one or both sides of your chest
- A change in the texture or colour of the skin, such as dimpling or redness
- Ulcers or sores on your chest or breasts
- A change in your nipple’s appearance - it may turn inwards on itself or develop a rash that looks similar to eczema
- Discharge from your nipple (if you’re neither breastfeeding nor pregnant) which may or may not contain blood.
Natural variations in the look and feel of your breasts or chest can occur, so it’s a good idea to become familiar with the changes you typically experience over the course of your menstrual cycle. Then, if you notice anything unusual, you should make an appointment with your GP.
In order to complete a thorough check of your chest or breasts, you need to take off any clothing, including your bra if you wear one. There are three key steps. These are:
- Look for any visual changes in your chest or breasts using a mirror - preferably not a handheld one. Begin with your arms by your sides, then raise them, as this may reveal changes you hadn’t already spotted.
- Use a circular motion to feel around each side of your chest or each breast, going all the way up to your collarbones and under your armpits. You can use a mixture of light and firmer pressure, but don’t press hard enough to hurt.
- Feel over and around each nipple.
Checking your breasts or chest is something anyone can do alone in their home - you don’t need a partner to help you. However, if you do spot a possible symptom, you may wish to have a partner or loved one accompany you to a GP appointment to support you.

How often should you check your breasts?
The key to checking your breasts or chest is to do so regularly so that any changes are noticed quickly and can be investigated. The NHS recommends checking your breasts or chest roughly once a month as a guideline - but you can check more frequently if you think you may be at a higher risk of developing breast cancer. Remember, finding something while checking your chest or breasts doesn’t mean for certain that you have breast cancer, as certain signs and symptoms can indicate other conditions. Check your breasts at least once a month, and be sure to follow up with your GP if you notice anything out of the ordinary. If it is breast cancer, you’ll catch it earlier, and if it’s something else, a GP appointment is the quickest route to treatment.