Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Screening, Self-Awareness, and Early Detection
Rodrico Gordon, DNP-C, AGPCNP-BC, NE-BC
Founder and Clinical Director, Gordon Wellness Service
Watch this short video for a quick overview on breast self-awareness and when to get screened.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time dedicated not only to raising awareness about breast cancer but also to encouraging prevention, appropriate screening, early detection, and education.
Breast cancer affects hundreds of thousands of people in the United States each year. Although advances in screening and treatment have improved outcomes, breast cancer continues to be a significant public health concern. Awareness alone is not enough. Patients should understand their individual risk, know when screening is recommended, recognize changes that deserve medical attention, and become familiar with what is normal for their own breasts.
Breast Cancer by the Numbers
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States other than skin cancers and accounts for approximately one in three newly diagnosed cancers in women. The American Cancer Society estimates that approximately 321,910 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in the United States during 2026. An additional 60,730 cases of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) are expected, and approximately 42,140 women are expected to die from breast cancer (American Cancer Society [ACS], 2026).
Federal surveillance data provide another perspective. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 288,494 new breast cancers were reported among females in the United States in 2023, the most recent incidence data available, and 43,402 females died from breast cancer in 2024 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2026). These figures are observed surveillance data rather than projections, which explains why they differ from the ACS 2026 estimates.
Breast cancer is currently the second most common cancer among women in the United States and the second leading cause of cancer death among women. The burden is not distributed equally across all populations. The CDC reports that breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among non-Hispanic Black women and Hispanic women (CDC, 2026).
These statistics reinforce an important message: breast cancer screening and timely evaluation of breast changes remain essential components of preventive healthcare.
Why Early Detection Matters
Breast cancer can sometimes be present before a person experiences pain, feels a lump, or notices another obvious symptom. This is one reason screening is so important.
Recent federal cancer statistics show that approximately two-thirds of female breast cancers diagnosed between 2019 and 2023 were found while the cancer was still localized, meaning it had not spread outside the breast. Approximately one-quarter were diagnosed after regional spread, while about 6% were diagnosed after distant spread (CDC, 2026).
Screening does not prevent every breast cancer from developing, but it can help identify cancer earlier, when additional treatment options may be available.
When Should Mammogram Screening Begin?
For individuals at average risk, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) currently recommends screening mammography every two years from ages 40 through 74. This recommendation carries a Grade B, meaning the USPSTF concludes with moderate certainty that biennial screening in this population has a moderate net benefit (U.S. Preventive Services Task Force [USPSTF], 2024).
For adults age 75 and older, the USPSTF currently concludes that available evidence is insufficient to determine the balance of benefits and harms of continued mammographic screening. Decisions in this age group therefore require individualized clinical consideration (USPSTF, 2024).
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) also recommends that average-risk individuals begin screening mammography at age 40. ACOG supports screening every one or two years based on informed shared decision-making between the patient and clinician (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists [ACOG], 2024).
The American Cancer Society uses a somewhat different schedule. It states that women ages 40–44 should have the option of annual mammography, women ages 45–54 should receive mammograms annually, and women 55 and older may transition to mammography every two years or continue annual screening (ACS, n.d.-a).
These differences do not mean that screening recommendations are contradictory. Rather, professional organizations evaluate benefits, potential harms, screening intervals, patient preferences, and available evidence somewhat differently.
Your healthcare provider can help determine which screening interval is most appropriate for you.
Know Your Personal Risk
Age is an important risk factor for breast cancer, but it is not the only one. A comprehensive discussion with your healthcare provider should include your personal and family history.
Factors that may affect breast cancer risk or screening recommendations can include:
Increasing age
A personal history of breast cancer or certain high-risk breast lesions
A strong family history of breast or ovarian cancer
Certain inherited genetic variants, including BRCA1 and BRCA2
Previous radiation treatment to the chest at a young age
Certain hereditary cancer syndromes
Breast density
Reproductive and hormonal factors
Alcohol consumption and certain lifestyle-related factors
For patients at substantially increased risk, routine mammography alone may not be sufficient. The ACS recommends annual breast MRI in addition to mammography, typically beginning around age 30, for certain high-risk women, including some individuals with a lifetime breast cancer risk of approximately 20%–25% or greater, BRCA-related risk, or a history of chest radiation at a young age (ACS, n.d.-a).
Importantly, MRI does not simply replace mammography. For patients who require MRI screening, it is generally performed in addition to mammography, because each imaging method can detect findings that the other may miss (ACS, n.d.-b).
What About Dense Breasts?
Breast density is determined from a mammogram. Dense breast tissue can make some cancers more difficult to visualize on mammography and is also associated with increased breast cancer risk.
Patients with dense breasts frequently ask whether they should automatically receive an ultrasound or MRI in addition to mammography. At present, the USPSTF concludes that there is insufficient evidence to determine the balance of benefits and harms of supplemental ultrasound or MRI screening based solely on dense breasts after an otherwise negative screening mammogram (USPSTF, 2024).
This is an area in which individualized discussion with a healthcare provider is particularly important.
Breast Self-Awareness: Know What Is Normal for You
Breast self-awareness means becoming familiar with the normal appearance and feel of your breasts so that you can recognize a new or unusual change.
Current professional guidance emphasizes breast self-awareness rather than requiring a formal, systematic breast self-examination on a fixed monthly schedule. ACOG notes that routine breast self-examination is not recommended as a population screening method for average-risk women because evidence has not demonstrated a screening benefit sufficient to outweigh potential harms such as false-positive findings and unnecessary testing (ACOG, 2017).
That does not mean patients should ignore their breasts.
In fact, ACOG emphasizes that patients should know what is normal for them and notify a healthcare professional when they notice a change. Breast cancers are frequently first noticed by patients themselves, making awareness an important component of breast health (ACOG, n.d.).
Our Recommendation at Gordon Wellness Service
At Gordon Wellness Service, we encourage patients to make breast self-awareness part of their regular preventive-health routine.
As a practical method for establishing consistency and becoming familiar with your own baseline, we recommend performing a breast self-check at least once a month.
This monthly interval represents our practice-based patient-education recommendation for developing familiarity and consistency. It should not be interpreted as a USPSTF, ACOG, or ACS requirement for formal monthly breast self-examination.
The goal is simple: know what is normal for you so that you are more likely to recognize what is new or different.
Patients may check more frequently if they wish. However, if you discover a concerning change, do not wait until your next monthly check before seeking medical attention.
How to Perform a Breast Self-Check
A self-check should be approached as an opportunity to become familiar with your body—not as an attempt to diagnose breast cancer yourself.
1. Look
Stand in front of a mirror with your shoulders straight and your arms relaxed.
Observe the breasts for changes in:
Size
Shape
Contour
Symmetry
Skin appearance
Nipple appearance
Then raise your arms and look again.
Pay attention to changes such as dimpling, puckering, redness, swelling, skin retraction, or a newly inverted nipple.
2. Feel
Using the pads of your fingers, gently feel the breast tissue.
Use an organized pattern so that you become familiar with the entire breast rather than repeatedly checking only one area. You can use progressively deeper pressure to become familiar with tissue at different depths.
Some people find it easiest to do this while lying down; others prefer checking in the shower. The important factor is consistency and familiarity with your normal breast tissue.
3. Remember the Surrounding Areas
Breast tissue extends beyond the most obvious portion of the breast.
Become familiar with the tissue extending toward the:
Upper chest
Collarbone area
Underarm
Again, the purpose is not to decide whether a finding is cancer. The purpose is to recognize when something has changed.
Breast Cancer Does Not Always Present as a Lump
A breast lump is perhaps the most recognized warning sign of breast cancer, but it is not the only possible presentation.
Patients should contact a healthcare professional when they notice a new or persistent breast change such as:
A new lump or mass
Thickening of breast tissue
A change in the size or shape of a breast
New skin dimpling or puckering
Redness or other persistent skin changes
New nipple inversion
Unexpected nipple discharge
Persistent focal breast or nipple pain
A new lump or change in the underarm area
ACOG specifically encourages patients to report changes such as a breast mass, pain, redness, or new nipple discharge to their healthcare professional (ACOG, 2017).
Most breast changes do not automatically mean cancer. However, a new or unexplained change deserves appropriate evaluation rather than being ignored.
What About Men?
Although breast cancer occurs overwhelmingly in women, men can also develop breast cancer.
For men, a new breast or chest-wall lump, nipple change, nipple discharge, skin change, or unexplained abnormality should not be dismissed simply because breast cancer is less common in males.
Routine mammographic screening is not generally performed in average-risk men, but symptoms should be medically evaluated.
Screening and Self-Awareness Work Together
One of the most important messages during Breast Cancer Awareness Month is that breast self-awareness and breast cancer screening serve different purposes.
A self-check cannot replace a mammogram.
Likewise, having a recent normal mammogram does not mean that a new breast change should be ignored until the next scheduled screening.
Preventive breast health is strongest when patients combine:
Awareness of their personal and family history
Understanding of their individual breast cancer risk
Familiarity with their normal breast appearance and feel
Appropriate mammographic screening
Prompt evaluation of new or concerning changes
Ongoing communication with their healthcare provider
Make October Your Reminder
Breast Cancer Awareness Month is an excellent opportunity to ask yourself a few important questions:
Am I due for a mammogram?
Do I know my family history of breast or ovarian cancer?
Have I discussed my individual breast cancer risk with my healthcare provider?
Do I know what is normal for my breasts?
Have I noticed a change that I have been putting off discussing?
If the answer to any of these questions gives you pause, October is an excellent time to address it.
At Gordon Wellness Service, preventive care is not limited to ordering tests. Education is an important part of prevention.
We encourage our patients to understand their risks, remain current with recommended screenings, and become active participants in their healthcare.
If you are uncertain about how to perform a breast self-check, Gordon Wellness Service can provide education on breast self-awareness and proper self-check technique. We can also review your personal and family history, discuss appropriate screening, and help determine when further evaluation may be warranted.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month should be more than wearing pink. It should be a reminder to turn awareness into action.
Know your risk. Know your body. Stay current with your screenings. And when something changes, speak with your healthcare provider.
References
American Cancer Society. (2026). Key statistics for breast cancer. American Cancer Society: Key Statistics for Breast Cancer
American Cancer Society. (n.d.-a). American Cancer Society recommendations for the early detection of breast cancer. American Cancer Society Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines
American Cancer Society. (n.d.-b). Breast MRI. American Cancer Society: Breast MRI
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (2017). Breast cancer risk assessment and screening in average-risk women. ACOG Breast Cancer Risk Assessment and Screening Guidance
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (2024, October 10). ACOG updates recommendation on when to begin breast cancer screening mammography. ACOG Updated Mammography Recommendation
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (n.d.). Mammography and other screening tests for breast problems. ACOG Patient Guidance on Mammography and Breast Self-Awareness
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2026). U.S. Cancer Statistics female breast cancer stat bite. CDC Female Breast Cancer Statistics
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2026, September 22). Breast cancer statistics. CDC Breast Cancer Statistics
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. (2024, April 30). Breast cancer: Screening. USPSTF Final Breast Cancer Screening Recommendation
Medical Disclaimer
This article is provided for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Screening recommendations and individual breast cancer risk may vary based on age, medical history, family history, genetic factors, previous breast findings, and other clinical considerations. Patients should consult a qualified healthcare professional regarding their individual risk factors, appropriate screening schedule, and any new or concerning breast symptoms. If you notice a new or unexplained breast change, contact your healthcare provider for appropriate evaluation.
