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The Breast Cancer Sign You’re Probably Not Aware of—But Should Be


While most of us get a breast checkup at our yearly ob-gyn appointment (and might even do those monthly breast checks at home), the truth remains that we may not always know what breast cancer can look and feel like.

Breast cancer is incredibly common—it affects one in eight women—so it’s vital to know the signs so you can spot any breast changes ASAP. When you check for a lump (which is what many of us think we should be checking for), you might miss one of the signs of breast cancer: skin dimpling.

What are typical signs of breast cancer?

You probably already know the most common sign of breast cancer: a lump in the breast.

These lumps are often caught by physically feeling them, but cancer screening technologies are catching lumps earlier than ever. “Since many breast cancers are now detected by screening mammograms, most women do not notice any changes in the breast with early breast cancer,” says Sharon S. Lum, M.D., medical director at Loma Linda University Breast Health Center.

But lumps aren’t the only breast changes that could signal cancer. Breast cancer can also show up as changes in skin texture, changes in breast color, peeling or flaking of the nipple skin or surrounding area, changes in the size or shape of one or both breasts, changes in appearance of one or both nipples, nipple discharge (other than breast milk), swelling or tenderness of the breast or breasts, redness, or persistently irritated or itchy breasts, says dermatologist Keira L. Barr, M.D., founder of Resilient Health Institute.

What is skin dimpling, exactly?

Skin dimpling is a less common sign of breast cancer but still one that women need to be aware of. The easiest way to recognize it, according to Barr, is to think of an orange peel.

In cases of skin dimpling, “the skin of the breast is commonly red, swollen, and thickened or pitted, and often accompanied by changes in the nipple—either retraction or inversion,” says Barr. “This finding is most commonly associated with inflammatory breast cancer, which is a more rare type. In this type, the cancer cells block lymph vessels in the skin, causing the textural changes.”

How should women check for breast cancer signs?

One of the best things you can do to detect breast cancer early is to know your breasts. “Just as we recommend that people get familiar with their moles and skin so they can detect any skin cancer early, I would also recommend that women become familiar with their breasts in order to identify early breast cancer,” says Lynne Haven, M.D., a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist. “Sudden or unexplained changes in the breast tissue or surrounding skin should prompt an evaluation.”

You don’t necessarily have to perform monthly self-exams to stay up-to-date on any changes. “The American Cancer Society and other guidelines do not recommend that women perform breast self-exams on a routine basis, but they do recommend that women are aware of their breast health and how their breasts feel,” says Lum.

When it comes to how often you should get a checkup, though, that may depend on your personal health history. “Once a year at a minimum,” says Adeeti Gupta, M.D., founder of Walk in GYN Care, “and every six months or sooner if you have a strong family history, history of breast cysts, fibrocystic disease, or very dense breasts.”

What should I do if I suspect an issue?

The bottom line: If you think something is off, have your doctor check it out. “If you notice something strange or unusual, you should call your doctor ASAP to schedule an appointment,” says Gupta.



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What to Buy If You Want Your Cash to Go to Breast Cancer Charities


The 3DHD Perfect Complexion Set ($39) can help you conceal or highlight. And beginning on October 1, 20% of the proceeds from sales of the new limited-edition set will be donated in support of Bright Pink’s mission.

La Mer

Courtesy of brand.

La Mer will donate 20% from the purchase price of a limited-edition travel-size version of their best-selling, fast-absorbing, liquid-energy-like The Treatment Lotion ($110)—with a maximum donation of $53,000—to the BCRF from September 1, 2019, to June 30, 2020.

Ralph Lauren Fragrance

Breast Cancer Awareness Month merch perfume.
Courtesy of brand.

Throughout October, Ralph Lauren Fragrances will donate 100% of the profits from every bottle of Romance, Beyond Romance, Romance Rosé, Tender Romance, or Midnight Romance sold to the Pink Pony Fund. Your thank-you: a limited-edition Pink Pony pouch.

Bev x Outdoor Voices

Breast Cancer Awareness Month merch bra.
Courtesy of brand.



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I Beat Breast Cancer Before I Even Knew I Had It


Like most of the women in my family, I carry the BRCA2 gene mutation, which means that if I did nothing, my risk of developing breast cancer at some point in my life would be around 85 percent. I’d seen firsthand what that looks like; my great-grandmother, grandmother, mother, and two aunts have all battled breast cancer. My future, it seemed, had already been cast.

So after learning I could lower my risk of getting breast cancer to under 3 percent by having a double mastectomy, it felt as close to a no-brainer as a major surgery can get. Even though I’m only 39 and my recent mammogram, ultrasound, and breast MRI were all clear, I knew taking control of my health and being proactive was the right choice for me. So on the day of my surgery last October, I walked into the hospital smiling, empowered, and ready.

I had no idea that on the day of my preventive double mastectomy, I was also walking into the hospital as a woman already living with breast cancer.

It’s standard procedure to test the breast tissue removed during a preventive mastectomy because in a small percentage of cases, doctors find previously undetected cancerous tissue already present. My chest was still fully bandaged with a faucet of bright red fluid pouring out of my sides through drains when I received a call from my doctor: I was one of those rare cases.

“You had breast cancer,” she told me. I couldn’t comprehend her words.

My doctor explained that I had Stage 0 non-invasive breast cancer (DCIS), meaning my cancer had not spread into the surrounding breast tissue. The good news? The double mastectomy I’d just had meant that I was now cancer-free—no chemo, radiation, or hormonal treatment necessary. I had beaten breast cancer before I even knew I had it.

At first I felt like I was free falling. I’d had breast cancer. Watching generations of women in my family wage their battles did not prepare me for hearing those words myself. A million thoughts raced through my mind and I couldn’t hold on to any of them. I had been so prepared for my preventive mastectomy—doing research, setting up calls with other women who’d had my surgery, taking vitamins and supplements—and now I was at a loss. I wasn’t a previvor; suddenly I was a full-blown cancer survivor. I was completely caught off guard.

When I first found out I was BRCA positive, I didn’t tell anyone for months. I wanted to make a decision on whether to have surgery without being swayed by the experiences, fears, and opinions of others—it’s a major surgery and I wanted to consider it carefully. Even after I made my decision, there were family members and friends who still continued to question me. But at the end of the day, I knew down to my bones that removing my seemingly healthy breasts was the right decision for me.



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Lung Cancer Left Me In Limbo—But It Won’t Stop Me From Living My Life


At 32, I embarked on a second career—I love kids and was meant to be a teacher so I got my master’s in education. That same year, my son Parker was born, so I finished my classes online with a baby in tow.

Juggling the two wouldn’t be easy under any circumstances, but ours was particularly tough: Parker has hemophilia, which means he can bleed spontaneously and internally. Falls, broken bones, and even going to the dentist can be concerning. I have to give him intravenous injections. When Parker was 2, we found ourselves in the ER—except this trip wasn’t for him, it was for me. I was faint, dizzy, and had an immense feeling of malaise.

A chest x-ray revealed a mass on my lung. I knew instantly it was cancer.

I saw a pulmonologist, who wanted to take a wait-and-see approach. “No way,” I thought. I wanted the mass out. As the parent of someone with a bleeding disorder, you learn how to advocate for yourself. My doctor ordered a PET scan and there was god news: My mass didn’t appear to be cancerous. We scheduled another scan for six months later just to be sure.

By the time I got that second scan, I’d started teaching. The pulmonologist left me a message with the results. I didn’t listen to it for two weeks. When I finally did, I learned that my mass had grown and I needed to have surgery to remove it. I was scared to death—I had a 3-year-old son with health issues. I needed to be there for him.

When my surgeon opened me up, he didn’t know what he was seeing. The mass was like jelly. He sent it out to another clinic, and a week later, I found out it was an extremely rare type of lung cancer. I had to have a second surgery to take out the lower left lobe of my lung and my lymph nodes. I went to most of my appointments on my own so that my husband, Aaron, could be with our son. I started going to therapy to try to figure out to process everything, and my therapist suggested I ask Aaron what it’s like to be married to someone with lung cancer. He’s strong but he told me he felt like he couldn’t show weakness. Then he sobbed for the first time since my diagnosis.

I got involved with a lung cancer nonprofit called Lungevity. I also started going to Gilda’s Club, a cancer-support community named for Gilda Radner. I’m an African-American woman, and I met another African-American woman there who had breast cancer for the third time. She had to take two buses and then walk to chemo, which would sometimes make her late. The nurses, pissed at her tardiness, would sometimes turn her away. I meanwhile, had people at school sending food and helping to take care of my family. I had a supportive church group. I had other mom friends who helped to pick up the slack. We should all have that kind of support. How do you survive stage-4 cancer without it? My mission is to help other women of color survive cancer.

Three months after my first surgery, I started teaching middle school full-time. I couldn’t just stay at home and perseverate on my cancer. I had to do something. My students helped heal me. I didn’t tell them about my lung cancer until a month or two in. It was wonderful to be able to say, “If you feel like your life sucks right now, I promise it will get better.” I teach language arts, which is all about sharing stories and understanding characters. I think I have a lot to pull from.

For the first year after my surgery, I got a scan every three months. Now, in my second year of recovery, I get one every six months. Once I make it to five years, we get closer to talking about being cured and not having a reoccurrence. I don’t want to say I’m in limbo, but I can’t lie and say I don’t get worried when I lose a couple of pounds. I call what I’m doing “surviving.”



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Beating Cancer Three Times Inspired This Woman to Invent a Mastectomy-Friendly Bra


We’ve all had those fitting-room moments where we stare into the mirror and wonder: Does this really have to be so hard? But when a fashion CEO has one of those moments, that’s when real change can happen. Fran Dunaway may run one of the most buzzed-about underwear brands, but after she had a double mastectomy last May, she found herself an almost complete loss when it came to bra shopping. A three-time cancer survivor, the TomboyX co-founder had already experienced one of the less-talked-about aesthetic effects of battling the disease: how breasts can change shape or size after radiation treatments. She remembers wishing she had a bra where she could add an insert on just one side or stack a couple of inserts. Then, after her recent mastectomy, she opted not to have breast-reconstruction surgery. “The reality was that it would mean two more surgeries for me and I’d had enough surgery, thank you,” she says. “For me, I just couldn’t get my head around putting myself through that to make other people feel comfortable with how I look now.”

TomboyX co-founder Fran Dunaway.

After the surgery, she also couldn’t get her head around how underwhelming the bra options were, especially considering how many women undergo the same surgery. “I was given a prescription and told I could go to a department store to be fitted for a mastectomy bra and I thought, that’s awesome,” she says. “But when I got there, the options for me were pretty limited.” Rather than seeing bras designed with her situation in mind, she was given regular bras adapted with a flimsy piece of fabric meant to hold a prosthetic, in styles much more frilly and femme than anything she’d ever wear. Not only were the options off-putting and ill-fitting, “the ones I got were coming apart within two weeks—hardly an empowering experience overall,” recalls Dunaway, who continued to lead the TomboyX team throughout her most recent breast-cancer treatment and recovery. “I thought, well, it’s a good thing I own a bra company!”

Of course, Dunaway also knew firsthand that a perfect bra is easier to dream up than actually build. “Bras are one of the most complicated things to make, right up there with shoes, because of all the various components required to do it well and to do it comfortably,” she says. TomboyX’s first bra styles had focused on simplicity and ease—”for lounging around, not bouncing around.” Yet she immediately set out to design bra options more functional, comfortable and versatile for women interested in using prosthetic inserts for whatever reason—post-mastectomy, during transition, or just to even out asymmetrical breasts. The resulting styles—the Ruched Bralette with Removable Inserts and the Soft Sports Bra with Removable Inserts—feature built-in pouches large enough that you can easily insert prosthetic breast forms, if desired, without any struggle or worry that they’ll pop out.



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I Was Diagnosed With Breast Cancer at 34


I will never forget where I was when I received the results of my first breast MRI screening. It was June 2016, and my dad and I were in his car in a restaurant parking lot after having dinner in the suburbs outside of Philadelphia, where I had recently relocated in an effort to be closer to my family. When I saw the missed call from the hospital, I felt my heart pounding in my throat. As the voicemail loaded and my anxiety heightened, it became apparent why the genetic counselor had said some people prefer to go the preventative route. The panic is maddening.

Just weeks before, at the age of 30, I’d learned that I was a BRCA1 carrier by way of my dad. He was diagnosed with lung cancer the previous fall and had recently undergone genetic testing so his doctors could better understand his cancer after it spread. My paternal grandmother passed away from breast cancer in her early 40s, so the news that I was a BRCA1 carrier didn’t come as a total shock. But gaining clarity on the past didn’t take away what it meant for me and my risk of breast and ovarian cancer in the future—72% of BRCA1 carriers will develop breast cancer, and 44% will develop ovarian cancer in their lifetime.

On that summer day four years ago, I cried tears of relief as I listened to my doctor share the news that my MRI had come back normal and there was no detection of anything suspicious. I’d made it through my first screening, but I was far from out of the woods. To keep from getting breast cancer, as a BRCA1 carrier, I basically had two options: have a preventative double mastectomy or get screened yearly, hoping we’d catch anything suspicious in time.

I continued screenings for the next three years, alternating breast MRIs and mammograms, anxiety surrounding each appointment followed by relief when my results came back clean and clear. I wasn’t ready to have the mastectomy yet—it felt drastic, and I was holding out hope that I would find my future partner who would know me and my natural body before I had to make these changes and decisions.

But in the summer of 2018, my dad, who was already battling cancer, suffered a series of strokes. It was gut-wrenching to watch as the father I knew, loved, admired, and adored begin to fade away. It was time to start being more proactive about my own health—I wanted to do everything in my power to make sure my loved ones wouldn’t have to suffer over me. So I promised myself that once things settled down, I would pursue a preventative mastectomy.

I never got around to that meeting with my oncologist. My father passed away this winter after months of deterioration caused by strokes and cancer.

My yearly screening was scheduled for the day after my dad died. I cancelled with no immediate plans to reschedule, the following weeks filled with funeral and financial planning. A nudge from my mom reminded me to get it back on my calendar in March.

Back at home after my mammogram, I felt raw with grief. I didn’t know how to process my cancer risk in the wake of my dad’s death, so I made a very millennial decision and took to Instagram: I posted a photo of my dad with my brother (who passed away when I was 27). Something about making my heartbreak public felt like a release. I had been holding in my grief for weeks, and I finally allowed myself to feel the pain. There is something irrational about hurting so badly that it feels good, but finally feeling the fear and sadness felt like a wave of relief.



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