'There's a lump in my boob. Have I got breast cancer?'

Our online advisors reply:

Hi Nola. The first thing I must do is reassure you that it's very unlikely that the lump you've found is anything to do with cancer. To start with, breast cancer is very rare in women under 30, and even less likely to be a problem for someone in their teens. In fact, four out of five cases of breast cancer are in women over 50 who have been through the menopause. Another thing to remember is that 90% of the breast lumps people find are not cancer at all.

There have been some confusing stories in the papers recently. They were about a study of women in China, which showed that women taught breast self-examination were no less likely to die from breast cancer than women who had not been taught. The problem is that those results can make it seem that there is no point in checking your breasts at all, and that's certainly not true.

The reason for the confusion is that the term 'self-examination' refers to a particular type of check done on the same day each month. In the UK, experts have actually been talking more about 'breast awareness' for some time now.

Breast awareness means getting to know what your breasts look and feel like normally, and how they change from time to time – everyone's breasts are different. For example, many women find that their breasts become lumpy just before their period. Some women's breasts have a perfectly normal lumpy texture all the time.

The idea is to be familiar with the normal changes and check regularly for anything out of the ordinary. It's great that you've started checking your boobs because that way you'll get to know them as you grow older, and you'll be more likely to notice any unusual changes.

The Breast Cancer Care website has a series of pages about breast awareness. If you'd like to talk to someone about breast health you can call the Breast Cancer Care free helpline on 0808 800 6000 (Mondays to Fridays 10am-5pm, Saturdays 10am-2pm).

It sounds like you already know how to check your breasts, but you might find it useful to have a look at our feature about checking for breast lumps.

As I said, the lump you have found is not likely to be cancer, but no one could tell you for certain over the internet. I do think it would be a good idea to have it checked out by your doctor, just to be sure. I know you have said you are not happy to have your breasts examined. Lots of people find breast examinations embarrassing, but doctors don't. You might find it helps to remember that as far as your doctor is concerned, your boobs are just another part of your body.

I hope this helps, Nola. Take care, and keep up the regular breast checks!

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