October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Breast health with regular self-breast exams and recommended screenings based on age and risk factors are essential. Often an early sign of breast cancer is an abnormality found on your mammogram before it can be felt. Common signs of breast cancer include a lump in the breast, an abnormal thickening of the breast, and/or a change in the shape or color of the breast.

Other signs of breast cancer include:

• New, hard lump or thickening in any part of the breast
• Change in the breast size or shape
• Puckering or dimpling of the skin of the breast
• Swelling, redness or warmth on the breast that does not go away
• Pain in one spot on the breast that does not vary with your monthly cycle
• Depression or indentation of the nipple
• Nipple discharge that begins suddenly and/or appears in only one breast
• An itchy, sore or scaling area on one nipple

Finding a lump or a change in your breast does not necessarily mean that it is breast cancer. Contact your health provider to schedule an appointment.