Each year, October is dedicated to raising awareness about Breast Cancer, and honouring those we’ve lost to the disease.

Breast cancer unfortunately remains the most common cancer among women globally, but if it is caught early, there are things that can be done to treat it and increase the rate of survival. This makes it very important to get checked out!

There are a few key points to keep an eye out for:

• Any lumps in the breast or underarm (armpit)
• Swelling in any part of the breast
• Dimpling of the breast skin
• Redness around the nipple area
• Pain in the nipple area
• Discharge from the nipple - not including breast milk.
• Change in size or shape or either breast
• General breast pain

Please remember to note that these symptoms above can also be linked to less serious issues, however if you experience any of them, it is ALWAYS better to get checked out.

All breasts are different. What feels normal for you may not be normal for other women around you, and our breasts can change drastically throughout a period, pregnancy, weight loss or gain, or on medication. While it is important to talk with trusted support about what is going on with your body, it's always best to get to know your body and seek a professional option if something feels not right.

Studies have shown that there are many factors that create a risk of breast cancer, however some of these cannot be changed by us, such as age and genetics.

A few things that we CAN do however are:

• Improve our fitness and stay active
• Monitor our weight and ensure we are not close to obesity
• Watching our birth control usage - taking hormones can be a negative factor
• Drinking less alcohol
• Choosing to breastfeed if we are capable
• Not smoking

You can talk to your doctor about more ways that you can reduce your risks of developing breast cancer, and as always, get checked! Don’t be afraid to speak to your health professional.

Reference: https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/risk_factors.htm