If you discover a new lump that persists or feels unusual for you, arrange an evaluation with a healthcare professional rather than trying to determine what it is by touch alone.
2. Changes in Breast Size or Shape
Pay attention to new changes in the size, contour, or shape of one breast.
Breasts naturally change throughout life, including during menstrual cycles, pregnancy, breastfeeding, weight changes, and menopause. Temporary differences are therefore common.
However, a new and persistent change—particularly when it occurs without an obvious explanation—should be evaluated.
Knowing what is normal for your own breasts makes it easier to notice something that is genuinely different.
3. Skin Changes Shouldn’t Be Ignored
Breast cancer can sometimes cause changes to the skin over the breast.
These may include redness, swelling, thickening, dimpling, or a texture resembling the skin of an orange, commonly referred to as peau d’orange.
But skin redness does not automatically mean cancer.
An infection such as mastitis can also cause redness, warmth, swelling, and tenderness. That’s why the context and persistence of the symptom matter.
A sudden breast change accompanied by significant redness, warmth, fever, or severe pain may require prompt medical assessment because infection is another possible explanation.
