Breasts change throughout your life, it is important that you get to know them.
Becoming familiar with your breasts helps you to understand the normal changes you will experience throughout their lifetimes. Whilst most changes in the breast will be benign, early detection can mean more effective treatment if cancer is found.
Breasts are mainly made up of fatty tissue supported by ligaments and muscles attached to the chest wall. When girls reach puberty, the complicated network of milk-producing sacs (called lobules), passageways for carrying milk, supporting tissue, lymph nodes, glands, tiny muscles and fat, that breasts are made up of begins to develop.
Throughout puberty and menopause, not only does the appearance of the breast change but also the composition and workings of the breast tissue. Breast tissue eventually begins to lose its firmness as the milk-producing tissue is replaced by fat, which makes the breasts sag.
Breast cancer
Breast cancer occurs when the cells in your breast stop functioning normally. Like all parts of your body, the cells in your breasts usually grow and then rest in cycles, with older cells dying off and being replaced by new ones. These periods of growth and rest are controlled by the genes in the nucleus of each cell which acts like its control room.
When your genes are in good working order, they keep cell growth under control, but if your genes develop an abnormality, they sometimes lose their ability to control these cycles of cell growth and rest. This means that new cells may be created when the body does not need them and old cells do not die off when they should. This uncontrolled growth of extra cells can cause a swelling or tumour.
If you feel a swelling or thickening of the skin on your breast, you should arrange to see your GP to have it checked out. Remember that most swellings are benign. The most important thing is to be aware of your own body.
The Breast Awareness 5-point Guide
- Know what is normal for you
- Know what changes to look and feel for
- Look at and feel your breasts once a month
- Report any changes to your GP without delay
- Attend for routine breast screening if you are aged 50 or over.