Breast awareness means getting to know how your own breasts normally look and feel, so you can spot a change quickly. In Singapore, Breast Cancer Foundation Singapore recommends a structured monthly breast self-examination (BSE) for women aged 20 and above, while international bodies emphasise simply “knowing your normal” — the two are complementary. The single most important message is that self-checking complements but does not replace mammographic screening, and that any new change should be reported promptly.
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In a medical emergency, or for severe or sudden symptoms such as breathing difficulty, chest pain, fainting or stroke signs, call 995 immediately.
Any new, persistent breast change — a lump, skin dimpling or puckering, redness or rash, a newly inverted nipple, or bloody or spontaneous nipple discharge — must be checked, even if a recent mammogram was normal and even if there is no pain. Do not wait for your next scheduled mammogram.
Awareness and self-examination
Being breast-aware means being familiar with the usual look, feel, size and texture of your breasts across your normal cycle, so a new change stands out; many cancers are found by the person themselves during ordinary activities such as bathing or dressing rather than through a formal exam. Structured self-exams and clinical exams alone are not enough as a screening test for average-risk people, which is why mammography remains the primary early-detection tool — but knowing your normal, and doing a monthly check if you find it helpful, is a valuable habit for spotting change early.
How to check
To look, stand in front of a mirror with your arms relaxed at your sides, then raised overhead, then with your hands pressed on your hips to tense the chest muscle, and look at both breasts for changes in size, shape, contour, skin or nipple. To feel, use the flat pads of your fingers (not the tips) with light, medium and firm pressure, covering the whole breast, up into the armpit and to the collarbone; this is commonly done lying down or in the shower with a soapy hand, and you can gently check the nipple for discharge.
When and how often
Breast Cancer Foundation Singapore recommends a check once a month. The best timing is about 7 to 10 days after the start of a period, when breasts are least tender and lumpy; if you no longer have periods or do not menstruate, pick a fixed, easy-to-remember date each month. It is normal for breasts to feel lumpy or tender and to change with the cycle, pregnancy, breastfeeding and age, so the goal is noticing what is new or different for you rather than diagnosing yourself.
What to look for and red flags
Report any new lump or thickening in the breast or armpit; a change in size, shape or contour; skin changes such as dimpling, puckering, an orange-peel texture, redness or a rash (which on darker skin may look darker or reddish-brown rather than red); nipple changes such as a nipple that has newly turned inward or a persistent rash or scaling; nipple discharge, especially if bloody, spontaneous, or from one side or one duct; or persistent unusual pain in one spot. Any new, persistent breast change should be checked promptly and never assumed harmless, even if a recent mammogram was normal and even if there is no pain — and you should not wait for the next scheduled mammogram if you notice a change. Breast changes are not usually a 995 emergency but should be seen without delay.
How doctors assess a change and screening
A doctor assesses a change with a clinical breast examination and imaging (mammogram and/or ultrasound, with ultrasound often used for younger or denser breasts), and the standard workup for any suspicious change is triple assessment — clinical examination, imaging, and a needle biopsy if needed — often at a one-stop breast clinic, with biopsy the only way to confirm whether a change is cancer or benign. The national mammographic screening programme is for women without symptoms; anyone with a new symptom is assessed diagnostically, not through routine screening. Screening-age guidance in Singapore (from HPB and Breast Cancer Foundation Singapore) has broadly recommended mammograms about once a year for women in their 40s and once every two years from age 50, alongside self-checks — but confirm the current recommendations with your doctor, and women at higher risk may need earlier or more frequent screening.
Building the habit
The most useful routine is the one you will actually keep up: know your normal, and do a monthly look-and-feel, or at least check in regularly, so a genuinely new change stands out. Pairing it with a regular monthly cue — a set date, or the week after your period — helps it stick, and it is worth remembering that self-awareness is not a replacement for mammograms, which can detect very small cancers before they can be felt. Above all, act promptly on any change rather than watching and waiting at home, since most early breast cancers are painless and the absence of pain is not reassuring.
When to see a doctor
See a doctor promptly for any new lump, skin change, nipple change (including a new inversion) or nipple discharge (especially bloody), or persistent focal breast pain — regardless of your age or when you last had a mammogram.
Related breast-health topics
- Fibrocystic breast changes
- Intraductal papilloma
- Breast abscess
- Galactorrhoea (milky discharge)
- Breast calcifications
- Mammary duct ectasia
- Phyllodes tumour
- Inverted nipple
- Fat necrosis of the breast
- Breast cancer screening
- Breast surgeons in Singapore
Sources
- Breast Cancer Foundation Singapore — Breast self-examination: bcf.org.sg
- SingHealth — Breast Cancer (signs, self-exam, diagnosis): singhealth.com.sg
- NHS — Breast cancer symptoms: nhs.uk
- American Cancer Society — Early detection recommendations: cancer.org