Know Your Breast

The breast is the tissue overlying the chest (pectoral) muscles. Women's breasts are made of specialized tissue that produces milk (glandular tissue) as well as fatty tissue. The amount of fat determines the size of the breast.
The milk-producing part of the breast is organized into 15 to 20 sections, called lobes. Within each lobe are smaller structures, called lobules, where milk is produced. The milk travels through a network of tiny tubes called ducts. The ducts connect and come together into larger ducts, which eventually exit the skin in the nipple. The dark area of skin surrounding the nipple is called the areola.

Connective tissue and ligaments provide support to the breast and give it its shape. Nerves provide sensation to the breast. The breast also contains blood vessels, lymph vessels, and lymph nodes.

Basic anatomy: the breast

• The female breast contains glands supported by fat and fibrous tissue.
• The part of the gland that secretes milk and the structures that support it are known together as lobules. Groups of lobules form the lobes of the breast.
• The lobes are separated from each other by sheets of fibrous tissue that extend from the muscles of the chest wall to the skin.
• A single duct drains each lobe. The ducts converge to openings on the summit of the nipple. There are 15–20 ducts opening into the nipple.
• The lymphatic system is part of the body’s natural defence, and spans the body, including the breast. Lymph is the name given to tissue fluid that drains through the lymph glands and ultimately rejoins the bloodstream.
• There are about 10 to 30 lymph glands within the armpit receiving lymph from the breast.
• Breast cancer cells can travel with lymph and lodge in lymph glands, which is why, when checking your breasts for cancer, you should also check your armpits for any abnormalities. 

Know your breasts 

Breasts come in all different shapes and sizes and have different consistencies; sometimes, one breast is larger than the other. So it is important to know what your own breasts normally look and feel like. Women should also be aware of how their breasts feel at different times of the month.

• Look at your breasts in a mirror with your arms at your side, and then with your arms raised.
• Feel each breast and armpit, and up to the collarbone, regularly and at different times of the menstrual cycle.

See your doctor if you notice any of the following changes:

• Dimpling or flaking of the skin
• Nipple discharge
• New lump, or thickening in the breast tissue
• Unusual pain or discomfort
• Any new difference in the appearance of your breasts (when looking at them, lifting them, or moving your arms).