How often do you check for…

[Tittyboom]

…boob lumps?

I found a lump in my boob recently. Scared the absolute shite out of me as it was accompanied by pain. Turned out it was all tickedy boo(b) and was just glandular tissue. It was obvious as I don’t have much in the way of boobs. It’s not the first lump I’ve found as I’ve previously had cysts.

I check my boobs religiously every month (early 30s), one week after my period. Laying down, arm up, the lot. The doctor told me that most women confess to not checking regularly.

I have to confess to being really shocked by that and when I asked my friends, they all said they almost never check, apart from a cursory once over every now and then.

Is that normal? How often do people check? If you don’t, why don’t you?

almost never. Happy with my choice for me

Never. Probably ought to start but there's zero history of breast cancer in my family so it's never really been on my radar.

I feel a bit daft for being surprised. Obviously people have freedom to make their choices for themselves. I think I saw an episode of Embarrassing Bodies years ago and they hammered it about checking each month and how, and it stayed with me.

Almost never, I know I have lumpy breasts but I can never remember which lumps have been there for ages and which ones are new so I tend not to worry about it too much.

Will anyone check more regularly as they get older? One of the reasons I probably found my lumps was because of my regular checking and small tits and while they were all benign cysts or whatnot, it was really scary for a while. Most people with them don’t know they have cysts, apparently. Maybe I could have saved myself the grief by not checking. 😬

Probably 4-5 times a year I remember to check while waiting to get in the bath! Aunt and grandma both died of breast cancer (although this is on my dad's side, not mum's) so I do try to.

Please check regularly even if there's no history of BC in your family. Get to know what's normal for you and contact your GP immediately if you notice anything different.
Most of the time it's going to be nothing but if you're unlucky then the quicker it's found the better.
I've recently been diagnosed with BC and I'm due to have surgery the week after next. I found a lump because I check myself. Thankfully it hasn't spread and I have a good prognosis.

Never

No. And not about to start. Have refused the mammogram program as well.

I check about once a month, but my mom had breast cancer in her 50s so I'm very concerned. I found a lump a few years ago but it turned out to be nothing.

At least once a month, I do it when I’m in the shower it takes a few minutes at most

Daily when I started working with the breast screening programme 😂 but never now. I kind of think I touch my boobs enough that I'd notice..?

I found a cyst in my 20s and it was removed.
I do check, but probably not as often as I should.

Loads...probably weekly. I like to know my own boobs and their familiar lumps so I can recognise when something isn't right.

Check mine every month , I always have , found a suspicious lump once got scanned all ok .

Tbh I don't, but I really should. My mum died of breast cancer and her sister has been treated for it.

In my defence I attend all mammograms offered.

@Bargebill19

No. And not about to start. Have refused the mammogram program as well.

May I ask why you’ve chosen to do that?

Is there a reason why you couldn’t put “boob lumps” in the thread title?

I never regularly checked my breasts but back in November I noticed some tissue thickening in the shower. Then a lump developed and I decided to get it checked out in March.

Just as well I did because it was stage three breast cancer by then and I am now in the middle of chemotherapy.

I would hate for anyone to go through what I am right now. So if you're reading this and not checking. I beg you. Please start

I do it occasionally but not as methodically as you. I have very lumpy boobs and have been described by two different doctors as "very difficult to examine". There are always lumps. I have no idea if they are fine or worrying. Three times I've noticed something new and had it checked.

I'm very glad I'm on an annual screening programme due to a strong family history as I find self-examination pretty futile. That's due to my circs though - most women should be able to find it more useful.

I can't do it thoroughly as they are too big.

Never. I am a worrier and would find a lump every time so it's not worth the aggro.

I occasionally ask the GP to do it for me and recently had my first mammogram.

Once a week.

Loads.
I’m very lumpy though so I end up worrying myself thinking ’ is this one new? Was it there last time? Is it concerning?’ And then doing absolutely nothing about it because I’m sure something concerning would be obvious.

@Tittyboom
Several reasons. By their own admission (nhs screening) the program isn’t reliable. So why cause additional stress in my everyday life.? I don’t check because boobs get linky and go on naturally - I wouldn’t remember if they were a new or old lump. Again I don’t need to cause myself more stress. Seeing a GP is really hard around here - again the stress isn’t needed, not that our GP is that great either (I’ve posted elsewhere about that!).
This may seem silly, but I have enormous boobs on a comparatively small frame, I do have a physical job and active life. The boobs are forever getting bashed and bruised - if I did go to the GP about it, I would be there every single day.
I’ve seen what cancer treatment can do to a person even if they survive. For me, dying early but on my own terms, having enjoyed my life without extra fear and ill health - is much more preferable.