Be breast aware in your 20s, 30s and 40s

Breast cancer is now the most common cancer among women in the UK, affecting around 1 in 9 women at some time during their lives. It is rare amongst younger women, but the incidence increases significantly after the age of 50. Treatment is most successful if the tumour is detected early. There are two ways of achieving this. The first is quite literally in your own hands. The second is through the national breast cancer-screening programme.

Self examination
Checking yourself once a month is one of the best ways to detect any odd lumps. Regular self-examination will help you familiarise yourself with what's normal and what's not. It should only take about 5 minutes. If you are unsure how to do it, consult your doctor or practice nurse, or pick up a leaflet at the surgery. Become familiar with the routine and you'll know what to expect.

If you do find a suspicious lump, don't panic: only around 20 per cent of breast lumps are cancerous but you should still see your doctor immediately if you suspect there's something wrong.

Mammography
Once you're 50, you will be invited, through the national breast cancer-screening programme, to have a mammogram, an X-ray examination of the breast. Mammograms are offered at 3-yearly intervals to women aged between 50 and 70. They can detect a breast cancer up to two years before it can be felt during a physical examination. However, this test can miss a small percentage of breast cancers, so you'll still need to keep up your own regular checks.

What can I expect?
Although it doesn't usually hurt, mammography can be uncomfortable for some women or even a little embarrassing, as a radiographer will move and flatten your breasts on the X-ray machine into the best positions for taking pictures. Luckily, the whole procedure takes less than 15 minutes. If something abnormal is detected the next step is to take additional X-ray views or an ultrasound. If the area is still looking in any way suspicious, arrangements are made for a sample to be taken for examination. This is usually done as a needle biopsy, taken under local anesthesia.