Breast Cancer Detection

Some of the symptoms include:

• A lump or abnormality in the shape or feel of the breast
• A lump in the underarm area
• A generalized swelling of all or a part of the breast
• An irritation or dimpling of the skin on the breast
• Nipple retraction (nipple turning inward)
• Rash, redness or scaliness on the nipple or breast skin
• Spontaneous discharge from the nipple

Please consult your doctor if you are unsure about a symptom.

If you feel a lump or abnormality, see a doctor without delay. Most breast lumps are benign (not cancerous), but any lump should be checked out. Do not delay seeing your doctor because you are scared that you may have breast cancer. Eighty percent of all breast lumps that are biopsied are benign.

Ask for a diagnostic test (ultrasound, MRI, or mammogram) to confirm that “it’s nothing.” If your doctor will not agree, find another doctor who will listen to you and take your concerns seriously. You know your body better than anyone else.

Because young adults typically have dense breast tissue, a mammogram is not always the best diagnostic tool for them. For this reason, and because dense breasts also make it more difficult to feel a lump, it is crucial that individuals aged 20 and older become familiar with their breasts and learn how to spot any unusual changes. Current guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (updated in 2024) recommend screening mammograms beginning at age 40 for individuals at average risk, with mammograms every two years through age 74. Other medical organizations, including the American Cancer Society and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, recommend annual screening mammograms starting at age 40. If you have a family history of the disease or other risk factors, consult your doctor about when you should start having mammograms (or other forms of breast cancer screening) and how frequently you should have them.

The best way for young women to find breast cancer early is to be breast self-aware. Become familiar with your breasts: their shape, size and what they feel like. Learn what is normal for you. Sometimes your breasts may change throughout your monthly cycle. If you are pregnant or nursing, your breasts will change even more dramatically. If you find anything unusual, see your doctor immediately and insist on a diagnosis. In general, women should have a yearly clinical breast examination by a doctor beginning at age 20 and start having annual mammograms beginning at age 40.

Yes. While approximately 10-15% of individuals diagnosed with breast cancer have a family history, it is important to know your family's history of cancer, if any, both on your mother's side and your father's side. Individuals with at least one close family relative (mother, sister or daughter) with breast cancer are nearly twice as likely to develop breast cancer. Women with at least one close family relative (mother, sister or daughter) should start a screening program with a breast specialist when they are ten years younger than their relative's age at diagnosis, but usually not before 20 years old.

Breast cancer can happen to anyone. Having a family history increases your risk, but approximately 85-90% of all individuals diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history of the disease.

Despite the prevailing opinion that young adults don't get breast cancer, the reality is that they can and do. Breast cancer incidence rates in individuals under 50 have been rising faster than in those over 50—increasing about 1.4% per year between 2012-2022. Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in individuals aged 20-49 in the U.S. Concerningly, individuals under 40 are nearly 40% more likely to die from their breast cancer than those over 40, often because cancers in younger individuals tend to be more aggressive and diagnosed at later stages. 

Learn more about statistics on breast cancer in young women.