Before my breast cancer diagnosis, I was one of those people who conducted regular tests on my breasts and despite the fact that I had some knowledge of cancer and the different ways it can present itself in the body, I always thought the signs of a lump in the breast was what to look for.

The reality for me was that there was no lump, the difference in the size of both breasts was literally unnoticeable and they both looked the same shape to me. My saving grace was the tiny little fluid I noticed on my night vest, which I was told could have easily been missed. 

I did some research and found that some breast cancers do form without signs of a lump. There was a woman that noticed one pair of breasts was incredibly larger than the other, with no pain. Another noticed a heaviness, another lady only a thickness in the breast and another an inverted nipple.

In the UK, 75% of cases will result in lumps, thousands will not. A study by Public Health England found that half of the women could not name any symptoms of breast cancer other than a lump.

Although the most common sign of breast cancer is a lump, there are other less common but still important signs to look out for – such as a change in the size or shape of the breast, changes to the nipple or unusual discharge. 

The advice to women is to be aware of how their breasts look and feel normally and check for anything unusual. 

Catching it early means you are more likely to beat it and that’s why it’s so important to check regularly.