Experiences with

Breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in the UK. Most women diagnosed with breast cancer are over the age of 50, but younger women can also get breast cancer.

About 1 in 8 women are diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime. There's a good chance of recovery if it's detected at an early stage.

For this reason, it's vital that women check their breasts regularly for any changes and always have any changes examined by a GP.

In rare cases, men can also be diagnosed with breast cancer. Find out more about breast cancer in men.

Get the flu vaccine

Flu can be very serious if you have breast cancer. Ask for your free flu jab at:

  • your GP surgery
  • a local pharmacy that has a flu vaccine service

Find out more about the flu vaccine

Coronavirus advice

Get advice about coronavirus and cancer:

Symptoms of breast cancer

Breast cancer can have several symptoms, but the first noticeable symptom is usually a lump or area of thickened breast tissue.

Most breast lumps are not cancerous, but it's always best to have them checked by a doctor.

You should also see a GP if you notice any of these symptoms:

  • a change in the size or shape of one or both breasts
  • discharge from either of your nipples, which may be streaked with blood
  • a lump or swelling in either of your armpits
  • dimpling on the skin of your breasts
  • a rash on or around your nipple
  • a change in the appearance of your nipple, such as becoming sunken into your breast

Breast pain is not usually a symptom of breast cancer.

Find out more about the symptoms of breast cancer.

Causes of breast cancer

The exact causes of breast cancer are not fully understood. However, there are certain factors known to increase the risk of breast cancer.

These include:

  • age – the risk increases as you get older
  • a family history of breast cancer
  • a previous diagnosis of breast cancer
  • a previous non-cancerous (benign) breast lump
  • being tall, overweight or obese
  • drinking alcohol

Find out more about the causes of breast cancer.

Diagnosing breast cancer

After examining your breasts, a GP may refer you to a specialist breast cancer clinic for further tests. This might include breast screening (mammography) or taking a small sample of breast tissue to be examined under a microscope (a biopsy).

Find out more about how breast cancer is diagnosed.

Types of breast cancer

There are several different types of breast cancer, which develop in different parts of the breast.

Breast cancer is often divided into either:

  • non-invasive breast cancer (carcinoma in situ) – found in the ducts of the breast (ductal carcinoma in situ, or DCIS) which has not spread into the breast tissue surrounding the ducts. Non-invasive breast cancer is usually found during a mammogram and rarely shows as a breast lump.
  • invasive breast cancer – where the cancer cells have spread through the lining of the ducts into the surrounding breast tissue. This is the most common type of breast cancer.

Other, less common types of breast cancer include:

It's possible for breast cancer to spread to other parts of the body, usually through the blood or the axillary lymph nodes. These are small lymphatic glands that filter bacteria and cells from the mammary gland.

If this happens, it's known as secondary, or metastatic, breast cancer.

Breast cancer screening

Mammographic screening, where X-ray images of the breast are taken, is the most commonly available way of finding a change in your breast tissue (lesion) at an early stage.

However, you should be aware that a mammogram might fail to detect some breast cancers.

It might also increase your chances of having extra tests and interventions, including surgery, even if you're not affected by breast cancer.

Women with a higher-than-average risk of developing breast cancer may be offered screening and genetic testing for the condition.

As the risk of breast cancer increases with age, all women who are 50 to 70 years old are invited for breast cancer screening every 3 years.

Women over the age of 70 are also entitled to screening and can arrange an appointment through their GP or local screening unit.

The NHS is in the process of extending the programme as a trial, offering screening to some women aged 47 to 73.

Find out more about breast cancer screening.

Find a breast cancer screening services near you

Treating breast cancer

If cancer is detected at an early stage, it can be treated before it spreads to other parts of the body.

Breast cancer is treated using a combination of:

Surgery is usually the first type of treatment you'll have, followed by chemotherapy or radiotherapy or, in some cases, hormone or targeted treatments.

The type of surgery and the treatment you have afterwards will depend on the type of breast cancer you have. Your doctor should discuss the best treatment plan with you.

In a small proportion of women, breast cancer is discovered after it's spread to other parts of the body (metastatic breast cancer).

Secondary cancer, also called advanced or metastatic cancer, is not curable, so the aim of treatment is to relieve symptoms.

Find out more about treating breast cancer.

Living with breast cancer

Being diagnosed with breast cancer can affect daily life in many ways, depending on what stage it's at and the treatment you will have.

How people cope with the diagnosis and treatment varies from person to person. There are several forms of support available, if you need it.

Forms of support may include:

  • family and friends, who can be a powerful support system
  • communicating with other people in the same situation
  • finding out as much as possible about your condition
  • not trying to do too much or overexerting yourself
  • making time for yourself

Find out more about living with breast cancer.

Preventing breast cancer

As the causes of breast cancer are not fully understood, at the moment it's not possible to know if it can be prevented.

If you have an increased risk of developing the condition, some treatments are available to reduce your risk.

Studies have looked at the link between breast cancer and diet. Although there are no definite conclusions, there are benefits for women who:

It's been suggested that regular exercise can reduce your risk of breast cancer by almost as much as a third. Regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle can also improve the outlook for people affected by breast cancer. 

If you've been through the menopause, it's particularly important that you try to get to, and maintain, a healthy weight.

This is because being overweight or obese causes more oestrogen to be produced, which can increase the risk of breast cancer.

Find out more about preventing breast cancer.

HealthUnlocked contains information from NHS Digital, licensed under the current version of the Open Government Licence

23,305 public posts

New MBC therapy for HER+ cancer

Looks like NICE has a new recommendation for treating advanced HER+ breast cancer that can’t be surgically addressed. Sounds promising. https://www.onclive.com/view/nice-recommends-trastuzumab-deruxtecan-in-advanced-her2-breast-cancer Is anyone using this therapy now?
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Let's Talk About It: TNBC - Ask Me Anything with an Oncologist

Linda Vahdat, Chief of Medical Oncology and Clinical Director of Cancer Services at Norwalk Hospital, and has expertise is in treating people with triple negative breast cancer. Link below to join us! https://www.sharecancersupport.org/lets-talk-about-it-triple-negative-breast-cancer/
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Help and advice from people in similar position

I have CLL and taking Ibrutinib which is a targeted chemo drug and now I have just had a lumpectomy for breast cancer and I was given Letrozole tablets which I need to take for 5 years but had a severe reaction to it and wondered it anyone else with CLL also had breast cancer and has found an alternative
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Thyrogen inj

Is it safe to have this injection if there is a possible breast cancer and will it interfere with the results of the mammogram ?
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Secondary breast cancer in bones, medication advise required please

Ive got secondary breast cancer in my bones and on letroxole. My Onc wants to put me on Denosumab but Im nervous about it, does anyone else have similar diagnosis and meds that can advise me plse?
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Just some info....

among many other medical issues one was breast cancer. I’ve recently found out about the class action suit against Zantac for knowingly providing meds with known cancer causing properties. It potentially caused cancers all over the body, not just breast.
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Hello. My name is Priya. I am new to the group. A friend referred me.

I was originally diagnosed with hormone positive breast cancer in 2014 as stage 2B. I had surgery, radiation and chemotherapy and had thought my cancer would not come back. I was diagnosed as metastatic in 2019 and my cancer has progressed.
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COVID vaccine may lead to a harmless lump in your armpit, so women advised to delay mammograms for 6 weeks.

Australian women are being asked to think about the timing of breast cancer screening as they prepare to receive their COVID vaccine.
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LETROZOLE

When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997 I had Tamoxifen for 5 years- the next time 2007, it was Tamoxifen but switched to Arimidex for 5 years, then 2016 it was Letrozole but will this be for 5 or 10 years, as some people say they are on it for 10 years and as I am coming up to 5 years
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Breast monitoring

The consultant said that it was unusual for women of my age and with BRCA 2+to be diagnosed with breast cancer. I have no history of breast cancer or ovarian cancer in my family. Has anyone else been told this? Thanks Ann xx
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Any cases of MBC being successfully treated with Fenbendazole or Mebendazole (the dog deworming protocol?)

I have found stories online about it helping for other types of cancers but have yet to find if breast cancer is one of the cancers it could help with. Please let me know if anyone has direct experience or can share links specific to this helping with metastasized breast cancer. Thanks so much!
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Diagnosis

I have grade 2 invasive ductal breast cancer. I have 2 cancers, both in the right breast. Both are progesterone and oestrogen receptor positive, but one also has the HER2 protein marker.
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FISETIN

With intermittent fasting only black coffee, tea or water for 16 hrs a day.... helps when taking fisetin, as it can curtail Metastatic cancer. In a laboratory study using negative breast cancer cells, FISETIN reduced migration by 76 percent and inhibited metastasis.
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5 year Survivor

Does anyone have any experience about the period coming back after breast cancer and these meds?
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CT scan

Not me, a member of my family has been diagnosed with breast cancer for a 2nd time. Not sure what type. All I know it the lump is a centimetre, has come from a duct. She has been offered a lumpectomy with radiotherapy or 2nd mastectomy with medication for five years.
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Covid jabs in the thigh if you haven’t any axillary lymph nodes?

For ladies (or men) who have previously had their lymph nodes removed from under their arms during breast cancer surgery.
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Hormone Therapy Experiences

I'm 43 yrs old, diagnosed with stage 1, grade 2, breast cancer, ER+/PR+, oncotype 18. Chemo was not recommended. I had lumpectomy in Oct, halfway through radiation now. I'm so nervous about the effects I'll experience with Zameta. This is an infusion to prevent bone loss.
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Ovarian & Breast Cancer

I must share with you all the how saddened I am every time I hear someone has ovarian or breast cancer. Within a few years two very close friends have been diagnosed with breast cancer. Sitting with them and trying to encourage them to get treatment and stay positive is key to survival.
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I may have Breast cancer post treatment for PPC. Anyone else with experience of this please?

Has anyone developed breast cancer on top of Primary Peritoneal cancer? I think I have. I am 5 weeks post debulking surgery and just starting Avastin maintenence. Awaiting urgent mammogram. Any thoughts please?
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Breathlessness while on Ibrance Letrozole combination

I was diagnosed Stage 1V Metastatic Breast cancer nets to the lungs , lymph nodes in base of neck and spot on spine in July 2019 after 7 years cancer free from original Mastectomy .
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