This article is part ofBreast Cancer and Black Women, a destination in our Health Divide series.
When it comes to screening for breast cancer, the first point of detection is often the patient themselves. By learning how your breasts feel “normally,” you’re better equipped to notice lumps or bulges that require medical attention.
Below,Doru Paul, M.D., Ph.D., an oncologist who focuses on individualizing care and improving the prognosis of cancer treatments, describes the importance of checking yourself for breast cancer, and how early detection can lead to a better prognosis.
Verywell Health: What is the first thing someone should do to check for breast cancer?
Dr. Paul: Every single person should know their breasts and how toself-examinethem. When a person takes a shower, they should know how their breasts typically feel. This can vary during menstruation, when the breast may feel a little more dense.Or, some of the time, breasts may have nodules that may come and go.
It’s important for a person to know what’s going on withtheirbreasts, and to be vigilant about any type of changes that may appear. If they are unsure how to do this, or what feels normal to them, the simplest thing is to meet with a healthcare provider.
Not all changes in the breast are due to cancer.While you may not need to worry about every lump or abnormality, it’s wise to seek out a professional medical opinion just in case. A professional evaluation can either help calm your nerves if you don’t have a cancer diagnosis, or direct you to the treatment necessary for your condition if you do.
Verywell Health: How can people who were assigned male at birth check for breast cancer?
Dr. Paul: Any lump that a person assigned male at birth detects in their breast area is potentially abnormal, but [due to shame or lack of knowledge], they may not think of the possibility of breast cancer.
Also, while a person assigned female at birth may experience somefibroadenomas(solid breast lumps] or variations with menstruation, people assigned male at birth have no variation of menstruation or up-and-down estrogen levels in the body. So, if there is a clear asymmetry in the breast or a mass in the breast, it’s important to seek out the opinion of a healthcare provider.
A Note on Gender and Sex TerminologyVerywell Health acknowledges thatsex and gender are related concepts, but they are not the same.Sex refers to biology: chromosomal makeup, hormones, and anatomy. People are most often assigned male or female at birth based on their external anatomy; some people do not fit into that sex binary and are intersex.Gender describes a person’s internal sense of self as a woman, man, nonbinary person, or another gender, and the associated social and cultural ideas about roles, behaviors, expressions, and characteristics.To reflect our sources accurately, this article uses terms like “female,” “male,” “woman,” and “man” as the sources use them.
A Note on Gender and Sex Terminology
Verywell Health acknowledges thatsex and gender are related concepts, but they are not the same.Sex refers to biology: chromosomal makeup, hormones, and anatomy. People are most often assigned male or female at birth based on their external anatomy; some people do not fit into that sex binary and are intersex.Gender describes a person’s internal sense of self as a woman, man, nonbinary person, or another gender, and the associated social and cultural ideas about roles, behaviors, expressions, and characteristics.To reflect our sources accurately, this article uses terms like “female,” “male,” “woman,” and “man” as the sources use them.
Verywell Health acknowledges thatsex and gender are related concepts, but they are not the same.
To reflect our sources accurately, this article uses terms like “female,” “male,” “woman,” and “man” as the sources use them.
Verywell Health: Can you explain why it’s important to detect breast cancer early?
Dr. Paul: Most breast cancers are detected in early stages, and only approximately 6% are detected in the metastatic stage (stage 4).The vast majority are detected between stage 1 and stage 3. And when breast cancer is localized (stage 1), the five-year survival rate is up to 99%.That’swhy it’s so important.
If detected early, breast cancer is curable with treatment, and, in some cases, harsh treatment like chemotherapy or radiation can also be avoided. So, it’s very important to really have early detection.
Verywell Health: When should people get officially screened for breast cancer?
Healthcare providers typically recommend women start checking their breasts for lumps in their 20s.
Breast Cancer Screening in Black Patients
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Cornell University.Breast density.American Cancer Society.Non-cancerous breast conditions.National Breast Cancer Foundation.Male breast cancer.Xiao W, Zheng S, Yang A, Zhang X, Zou Y, Tang H,et al.Breast cancer subtypes and the risk of distant metastasis at initial diagnosis: a population-based study.Cancer Manag Res. 2018 Nov 5;10:5329-5338. doi:10.2147/CMAR.S176763American Cancer Society.Survival rates for breast cancer.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Screening for breast cancer.
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Cornell University.Breast density.American Cancer Society.Non-cancerous breast conditions.National Breast Cancer Foundation.Male breast cancer.Xiao W, Zheng S, Yang A, Zhang X, Zou Y, Tang H,et al.Breast cancer subtypes and the risk of distant metastasis at initial diagnosis: a population-based study.Cancer Manag Res. 2018 Nov 5;10:5329-5338. doi:10.2147/CMAR.S176763American Cancer Society.Survival rates for breast cancer.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Screening for breast cancer.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Cornell University.Breast density.American Cancer Society.Non-cancerous breast conditions.National Breast Cancer Foundation.Male breast cancer.Xiao W, Zheng S, Yang A, Zhang X, Zou Y, Tang H,et al.Breast cancer subtypes and the risk of distant metastasis at initial diagnosis: a population-based study.Cancer Manag Res. 2018 Nov 5;10:5329-5338. doi:10.2147/CMAR.S176763American Cancer Society.Survival rates for breast cancer.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Screening for breast cancer.
Cornell University.Breast density.
American Cancer Society.Non-cancerous breast conditions.
National Breast Cancer Foundation.Male breast cancer.
Xiao W, Zheng S, Yang A, Zhang X, Zou Y, Tang H,et al.Breast cancer subtypes and the risk of distant metastasis at initial diagnosis: a population-based study.Cancer Manag Res. 2018 Nov 5;10:5329-5338. doi:10.2147/CMAR.S176763
American Cancer Society.Survival rates for breast cancer.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Screening for breast cancer.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
