Many women learn that they have breast cancer before they get any symptoms. They usually find out after they have a mammogram. (A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast.) Mammograms can reveal lumps that are too small to feel.

If you have breast cancer you may notice:

• A lump or thickening in your breast
• A change in how your breast feels or looks. For example, it may feel heavy, warm or uneven, or the skin may look pitted
• Changes in your nipple. For example, the nipple might be pulled back into the breast (known as an inverted nipple)
• Discharge from your nipple, such as blood
• A rash that makes your nipple red and scaly. It may just be eczema, but it could be a sign of a rare type of cancer known as Paget's disease of the nipple.

Dimples in the skin (left) and changes in the shape of the breast (right) are symptoms of breast cancer.

• Women age 40 and over should have a mammogram every one to two years
• Women who are at an increased risk of breast cancer should talk with a doctor who specializes in breast cancer. They may need to start having mammograms sooner and more often.