Breast screening is for people who have no symptoms. Noticing a change in your own breasts is a different situation, and it is the subject of this page: which changes health agencies say to have checked, how being familiar with your breasts differs from formal screening, and why several guidelines no longer advise routine breast exams as a screening test. Lists of symptoms differ a little between organizations, and none of them is a complete or personal diagnosis. A doctor, not a web page, decides what a change means.
Changes agencies say to have checked
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) says it is important to check with your doctor if you notice unusual changes, and groups them under three headings.1National Cancer Institute: Breast Cancer Signs and Symptoms Issued 2 December 2025; lists lump, shape, nipple and skin changes to report.
- A breast lump: a lump in or near the breast or under the arm, a thick or firm area, or a change in the size or shape of the breast.
- Nipple changes or discharge: fluid that is not breast milk, or a change in the shape of the nipple, the direction it points or flattening.
- Skin changes: scaly or swollen skin on the breast, nipple or areola, redness or darkening, itching or tingling, general swelling without a lump, a rash, dimples or puckering.
The NHS list is similar. It names a lump or swelling in the breast, chest or armpit, dimpling of the skin that may look like orange peel, a change in skin color, a change in size or shape, nipple discharge outside pregnancy or breastfeeding, and a nipple turning inwards or a rash on it.2NHS: Symptoms of breast cancer in women Page last reviewed 4 March 2024; lists main symptoms and when to see a GP. The CDC adds thickening of part of the breast and pain in any area of the breast to its list, and says some people have no symptoms at all.3Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Symptoms of Breast Cancer Updated 22 September 2026; lists warning signs and notes some people have none. The agencies do not give a fixed number of signs, so a change that is on none of these lists but is new for you is still worth mentioning.
Pain, lumps and what is common
Pain is where the lists differ most. The NCI says breast cancer does not usually cause pain, that cysts and hormonal changes before a period can cause soreness, and that persistent pain should still be seen by a doctor.1National Cancer Institute: Breast Cancer Signs and Symptoms Covers pain, and states that most breast changes are not cancer. The NHS advises seeing a GP about pain in the breast or armpit that does not go away.4NHS: How to check your breasts or chest Page last reviewed 19 July 2024; says to see a GP for a lump, a change or pain that does not go away.
Most changes turn out not to be cancer. The NCI states that most breast changes are not a sign of breast cancer, the CDC says most breast lumps are caused by other conditions such as fibrocystic breast condition and cysts, and the NHS says that having these symptoms does not definitely mean breast cancer.1National Cancer Institute: Breast Cancer Signs and Symptoms States that most breast changes are not a sign of breast cancer.2NHS: Symptoms of breast cancer in women States that having these symptoms does not definitely mean breast cancer.3Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Symptoms of Breast Cancer States that most breast lumps are caused by other medical conditions. Cancer Research UK describes normal lumpiness that is more obvious before a period, and notes that if lumpiness comes and goes with the menstrual cycle, it is nothing to worry about.5Cancer Research UK: Finding breast cancer early Last reviewed 21 May 2026; explains breast awareness and normal cyclical lumpiness. The NHS adds that if a change is cancer, finding it early may make it easier to treat.2NHS: Symptoms of breast cancer in women Says finding cancer early may make it easier to treat.
Do not wait for your next screening appointment. The NHS says to see a GP if you are worried about symptoms even if you have recently had breast screening, and the NCI says to follow up on a breast change even after a recent normal mammogram.6NHS: Who breast screening is for Says to see a GP about symptoms even after recent screening and not to wait for the next appointment.1National Cancer Institute: Breast Cancer Signs and Symptoms Says to follow up with your doctor about a breast change even after a recent normal mammogram.
Breast awareness versus screening
Breast awareness means knowing how your breasts normally look and feel, so a change stands out. Cancer Research UK says there is no set time or way to do this and that you do not need to examine yourself daily or weekly, while the NHS suggests checking about once a month by looking in a mirror and feeling each breast and armpit.5Cancer Research UK: Finding breast cancer early Says there is no set time or way to check and no need to examine every day or week.4NHS: How to check your breasts or chest Suggests checking about once a month and describes how. Screening is different: the CDC defines it as checking for cancer before there are signs or symptoms, which is why people without symptoms are invited for tests such as mammography. The methods of breast cancer screening page covers those tests.7Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Screening for Breast Cancer Defines screening and mentions breast self-awareness.
If you see a doctor about a change, the NHS says the GP will ask about symptoms, may examine your breasts, and may refer you to a breast clinic, which does not definitely mean you have cancer.2NHS: Symptoms of breast cancer in women Describes the GP appointment and possible referral to a breast clinic. See asking for a mammogram for how requests for imaging work.
Why some guidelines no longer advise routine breast exams
In the United States, the American Cancer Society (ACS) does not recommend clinical breast exams, done by a health professional, for screening average-risk women at any age, and says that neither clinical exams nor breast self-exams are sufficient for screening or likely to find cancer early in average-risk people.8American Cancer Society: ACS Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines Last revised 23 July 2026; states the position on clinical and self breast exams. Its stated reasons are that clinical exams add little benefit when regular mammograms are available and women know the symptoms, and can lead to more false-positive results and unnecessary follow-up tests. For self-exams, it says research has not shown that regular exams lower the risk of dying from breast cancer.9American Cancer Society: Frequently Asked Questions About the ACS Breast Cancer Screening Guideline Last revised 3 September 2026; explains why clinical and self exams are not recommended.
The same ACS guidance still tells people to know how their breasts normally look and feel and to report any changes to a healthcare provider right away.8American Cancer Society: ACS Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines Says people should know how their breasts normally look and feel and report changes right away. It also says breast exams may be appropriate for people at higher than average risk or with a new symptom.8American Cancer Society: ACS Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines Says breast exams may be appropriate for higher risk or a new symptom. Advice differs between organizations, as the NHS monthly check shows, so ask your own doctor which approach fits you, and see the main guide for the wider picture.
References on this page
- National Cancer Institute: Breast Cancer Signs and Symptoms Issued 2 December 2025; lists lump, shape, nipple and skin changes to report.
- NHS: Symptoms of breast cancer in women Page last reviewed 4 March 2024; lists main symptoms and when to see a GP.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Symptoms of Breast Cancer Updated 22 September 2026; lists warning signs and notes some people have none.
- NHS: How to check your breasts or chest Page last reviewed 19 July 2024; says to see a GP for a lump, a change or pain that does not go away.
- Cancer Research UK: Finding breast cancer early Last reviewed 21 May 2026; explains breast awareness and normal cyclical lumpiness.
- NHS: Who breast screening is for Says to see a GP about symptoms even after recent screening and not to wait for the next appointment.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Screening for Breast Cancer Defines screening and mentions breast self-awareness.
- American Cancer Society: ACS Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines Last revised 23 July 2026; states the position on clinical and self breast exams.
- American Cancer Society: Frequently Asked Questions About the ACS Breast Cancer Screening Guideline Last revised 3 September 2026; explains why clinical and self exams are not recommended.