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Left breast is bigger than right: Finding breast cancer early | Breast Cancer

Finding breast cancer early | Breast Cancer

Find out about checking your breasts and how to be breast aware.

Know which changes to look for, how to look at and feel your breasts, and when to see your doctor.

What is breast awareness

Being breast aware means getting to know how your breasts normally look and feel. This may change at different times of the month.

If you notice a change that isn’t normal for you, make an appointment to see your practice nurse or doctor. You can ask them if you need a referral to the breast clinic.

The NHS has produced a 5 point plan for being breast aware:

  • know what is normal for you
  • look at and feel your breasts
  • know which changes to look for
  • see your doctor about any unusual changes
  • attend screening if you are 50 years or older

When to examine your breasts

You don’t need to examine your breasts every day or even every week. But it is important to know how your breasts normally feel, and how that changes with your periods.

Some women have lumpier breasts around the time of a period. If this is the same in both breasts, don’t worry. But check your breasts again the following month, a few days after your period is over.

If the lumpiness comes and goes with your menstrual cycle, it is nothing to worry about.

Your breasts usually feel softer and not as lumpy if you no longer have periods.

What to look for

You are looking and feeling for changes in the size, shape or feel of your breasts and armpits.

Most people naturally have one breast bigger than the other and this is normal.

Changes to look for:

  • a new lump or thickening in your breast or armpit
  • a change in size, shape or feel of your breast
  • skin changes in the breast such as puckering, dimpling, a rash or redness of the skin
  • fluid leaking from the nipple in a woman who isn’t pregnant or breast feeding
  • changes in the position of nipple

It may help to find a comfortable and quiet place to do this. You may prefer to do this in the shower or bath, by running a soapy hand over each breast and under both armpits.

Remember to check the area near to your breast as well as your breasts. For example, the nearby armpit and the area above your breast. 

Book an appointment to see your doctor, without delay if you notice any of these changes.

Breast pain 

It’s important to remember that breast pain is very common and it’s not normally due to cancer. But do see your doctor if you have breast pain. They can give you advice on how to treat the pain and whether you need any tests.

Finding breast cancer with screening

The UK national breast screening programme uses breast x-rays (mammograms) to find breast cancer early before it causes symptoms.

The programme invites women between the ages of 50 and 70 to have a mammogram every 3 years. In England, the screening programme is currently extending the age range from 47 to 73. Women older than this can ask to carry on having screening every 3 years.

Even with the breast screening programme, some breast cancers are first spotted by women themselves. This might be because the woman is too young to have started screening. Or it may be because she stopped having screening when she reached the age of 70. Or it could be that a breast cancer starts to cause symptoms between mammograms. This is known as an interval cancer.

Benefits of finding cancer early

Breast cancers found early need less treatment and are more likely to be cured. 

Help with breast awareness

If you are worried that you don’t know how to check your breasts, talk it over with your GP or practice nurse.

You can also see staff at your local well woman clinic. Your GP or practice nurse can give you the telephone number.

The staff can tell you about changes you can normally expect in your breasts. They can also tell you about ways of learning how your breasts normally look and feel.

If you have breast changes

If you have any breast changes and are worried that you might have cancer you should go to your GP.

  • Early and locally advanced breast cancer: diagnosis and treatment
    National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) June 2018

  • Scottish referral guidelines for suspected cancer
    Health Improvement Scotland, January 2019

  • Suspected cancer: recognition and referral
    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)  June 2015, updated: September 2020

Last reviewed: 

15 Sep 2020

Next review due: 

15 Sep 2023

Date Question Status
10/21/2013

Hello! I ask for your help! I am 23 years old, my breasts have drastically decreased in size. Very worried. What could be the reasons for this condition? (did not lose weight, menstruation is on time)

04/13/2013

Hello! I have unilateral body asymmetry. The size of the chest, thighs and buttocks on the right side of the body is 2 sizes larger, and the left side is correspondingly smaller. Everything is fine with the face and other parts of the body. With what it can be connected? And this circumstance causes discomfort and an inferiority complex. I have chronic neurodermatitis. Lost 8kg in one year. Who should I contact with this problem?

12/13/2013

Hello, I am 22 years old, the situation is such that I have 1 breast size, a cervical canal polyp was removed a month ago, the gynecologist said that most likely its appearance is due to hormone failure, and the cycle is not going smoothly. In general, tests for hormones passed, the result will be only after 4 weeks. The question is, if this is indeed a hormonal failure and hormones are prescribed, is there a possibility that the size of the breast will increase? As far as I understand, the size is somehow connected with heredity, but in mine …

07/06/2014

Light spots with a pink rim appeared on the body in the area from the chest to the navel, they do not itch, but are a little scaly. Over time, they become more. The spots are of different sizes and shapes, next to the large ones there are small spots. The diameter is not more than 1 cm. Tell me what it is and how to treat it.

01/05/2015

During pregnancy, the breasts were large now and before pregnancy, terribly small 1 size. According to genetic data, that mom and relatives that dad’s female relatives are all with large breasts. Can my small breasts be small because of hormones? And is it possible to somehow increase it without sioicon

07/20/2015

Hello, I have a painful question that is already driving me to hysterics. I have always had large breasts. With a weight of 55 and a height of 162 cm, there was a size 3. She gave birth to a daughter and nursed her until 1.5 years. My daughter is already 5 years old and I have started every year, you can even say monthly, my breasts are getting smaller, it seems to be missing. One skin is hanging. What to do, how not to be left without it at all? Maybe it’s some kind of disease? My weight is the same as it was before the birth. What should I do, my husband will not look in my direction soon. Thank you.