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Breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in women (after skin cancer). It is also the second leading cause of cancer death in women, surpassed only by lung cancer. Approximately 1 in 8 women in the US will develop malignant breast cancer during their lifetime, and over 230,000 new cases will be diagnosed this year in the U.S. alone.

Breast cancer affects everyone, not just the person who is diagnosed. Whether it’s you, your loved one, a friend or a family member – a teacher, student, or coworker – breast cancer touches us all. It afflicts both men and women, though it is 100 times more commonly diagnosed in women than in men.

Breast cancer tumors grow at different rates, depending on the type of cancer. By the time many women can feel a lump, the cancer has been growing in their body for 2 to 5 years. Although breast cancer risk increases for women over the age of 50 (2 out of 3 invasive breast cancers are found in women aged 55 or older), a person can be diagnosed at any age. 1 out of 8 cases are diagnosed in women under 45, and younger women are at higher risk for faster-growing, more aggressive types of breast cancer.

Increased public awareness and increased use of mammograms has improved survival rates for breast cancer. A mammogram can usually detect breast cancer a year or more before it would be detectable by hand. There are two types of mammograms: a screening mammogram, which is used during annual exams when there are no known problems, and a diagnostic mammogram, which is a more extensive mammogram that is performed when there’s a known problem. A diagnostic mammogram often goes hand-in-hand with an ultrasound, in order to provide careful evaluation of a palpable lump.

The American Cancer Society recommends that women aged 40 and older should have an annual screening mammogram. They also recommend a clinical breast exam for women in their 20s and 30s at least every 3 years, and regular breast self-exams for women starting in their 20s.

What Does Breast Cancer Feel Like?

Breast cancer is most often diagnosed by discovering a new lump or mass. There are many kinds of lumps, and many of them are not cancerous at all. However, the only way to know for sure is to be evaluated by an experienced health care professional, so talk to your doctor immediately about any changes in your breasts. Breast lumps can be painless or tender, hard or soft, and with rounded or irregular edges. A lump of any kind can be cancerous.

Soft masses or lumps that move when pressed, and are accompanied by tenderness in one or both breasts, may be fluid-filled cysts caused by hormonal fluctuations around your period. Up to 30% of women develop these hormone related cycsts. Regular fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone can also cause fibrocystic breasts – a condition that affects more than 50% of women at some point in their lives. Fibrocystic breast changes can cause fluid filled cysts to come and go, along with density changes in breast tissue. If you discover a lump, further examination by an experienced health care professional is necessary to determine whether or not the lump is cancerous.

A hard lump or mass that may or may not move when pressed, either painful or painless, could be a tumor. Some women develop hard, benign tumors called fibroadenomas in their 20s and 30s. These hard, round lumps can be caused by changing hormone levels, and your doctor may require a mammogram or biopsy to be sure. A hard lump or mass with irregular edges could be a cancerous tumor, and should be evaluated immediately by an experienced health care professional.

If you find a lump, don’t wait – early detection is key! Thanks to increased awareness and improved screening methods, survival rates for breast cancer have continued to increase over the past 25 years.

For more information about breast cancer signs, symptoms and treatment options, visit the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month website, the American Cancer Society, Mayo Clinic, and Susan G. Komen For the Cure.