Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2024: Signs, Symptoms and Support 

Breast Cancer Awareness Month takes place every October and is an international campaign that aims to provide more information about breast cancer. That ranges from highlighting the importance of screenings, providing resources for people diagnosed with breast cancer, and fundraising for more research. 

Breast Cancer Risk Factors

The exact cause of breast cancer isn’t known, but anyone can be diagnosed with it. 

Some risk factors include:¹

• A family or personal history of breast cancer 
• Being female — we’re all born with the same breast tissue, so anyone can get breast cancer, but women are much more likely to be diagnosed than men 
• Beginning your period at a younger age or beginning menopause at an older age 
• Drinking alcohol 
• Dense breast tissue 
• Having your first child at an older age
• Having never been pregnant 
• Increasing age 

While it’s important to know your risk factors, 60-70% of people with breast cancer have no connection to risk factors, and others who have them will never develop cancer.²

Signs and Symptoms of Breast Cancer 

The most common symptom of breast cancer is a new lump or mass, but most breast lumps are not cancer. A painless, hard mass with irregular edges is more likely to be cancer, but breast cancers can also be soft, round, tender, or even painful.³

Other signs and symptoms include: 

• Swelling of all or part of a breast, even if you can’t feel any lumps 
• Skin dimpling 
• Breast or nipple pain
• Nipples turning inward 
• Nipple or breast skin that’s red, dry, flaky, or thickened 
• Nipple discharge other than breast milk 
• Swollen lymph nodes under the arm or near the collarbone 

Breast Cancer Early Detection 

Detecting breast cancer early can make a big difference in a person’s survival rate. Early detection includes doing monthly self-exams and regular clinical exams, as well as mammograms. 

Learn more about self-exams and how you can perform them from the National Breast Cancer Foundation Inc. at this link. 

Breast Cancer Support 

Facing a breast cancer diagnosis can feel overwhelming, but there are many resources available to help you navigate this challenging journey. Whether you’re seeking general information or actively supporting a loved one through their battle with breast cancer, you’ll find a list of helpful online resources below.

• Breast Cancer Now 
• BreastCancer.Org 
• American Cancer Society – Patient Programs and Services 
• National Breast Cancer Foundation Inc. 
• Susan G. Komen 

1. “Breast cancer,” Mayo Clinic, accessed October 8, 2024, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/breast-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20352470. ↩︎
2.  “Risk Factors,” National Breast Cancer Foundation, accessed October 8, 2024, https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-cancer-risk-factors/. ↩︎
3.  “Breast Cancer Signs and Symptoms,” American Cancer Society, accessed October 8, 2024, https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/breast-cancer/screening-tests-and-early-detection/breast-cancer-signs-and-symptoms.html. ↩︎