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Kelly was an otherwise healthy 31-year-old woman in 2013 when she discovered a mysterious lump in her right breast.
"I didn't have any family history of breast cancer or any of the other common risk factors so it really wasn't something that was even on my radar," she said.
Testing revealed what Kelly feared most: breast cancer. It's a disease that one in eight women will be diagnosed with before age 80 and is the second highest cause of cancer death among women behind lung cancer.
Even with those grim statistics, breast cancer is often treatable when caught early. While mammograms and annual gynecological exams are important, they are not foolproof in catching every case. That's why it's vital for women to become intimately familiar with their bodies so they can detect subtle changes that could indicate a problem, said [Felicia Katz, M.D.,](<http://www.ksl.com/ad_logger/ad_logger.php? location=http://healthcare.utah.edu/fad/mddetail.php?physicianID=u0983223&sponsor=UUHCKatz target=_blank rel=>) an obstetrician and gynecologist at University of Utah Health Care Women's Health Clinic.
Most of us have heard the advice from health care providers: Give yourself regular self breast exams. But, Katz said, conventional wisdom has changed.
"The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recently came out with a new stance on breast self-exams," said Dr. Katz. "We're moving away from the regimented monthly exams to a concept that they call ‘breast self-awareness.'"
While self-exams are part of that awareness, it's more important that women know how their breasts normally look and feel.
In Kelly's case, there was no chance that a mammogram would catch her breast cancer since, still in her early 30s, she didn't plan to get a mammogram for several more years. She remembers feeling some tenderness similar to what you might experience during a menstrual cycle, but it didn't get better.
"I didn't do an official ‘self breast exam' but when I realized the tenderness wasn't going away I felt around the area and found the lump," Kelly said.
Examining breasts with your fingers, checking for new lumps, and looking in the mirror at the size and shape of the breasts and how the skin looks over them are all things women should do, Katz explained. Any changes should be immediately reported to a doctor.
"After discovering the lump on my right side I checked to see if there was a similar lump on the left side and didn't find one so I called my doctor," Kelly said.
It was smart to act fast, Katz said. Breast lumps can be benign, but physicians take them very seriously and will often recommend more testing. Benign lumps can cause a lot of anxiety, but Dr. Katz believes that most doctors and patients prefer to be cautious.
"I actually thought the lump was probably benign and I was just getting myself worked up for nothing, but now I'm glad I didn't ignore it," Kelly said.
Most women have natural lumps throughout the breasts from glandular tissue that will generally slide out from under the fingers when pressed. If there's a glandular tissue lump on one side, chances are there will be a symmetrical lump on the other side. Fluid-filled cysts or adenomas are also benign but might feel like a lump.
Malignant lumps, on the other hand, are often fixed in place and irregular in shape. Other than the lump, breast cancer is generally asymptomatic in the early stages. Symptoms like breast pain, fever, fatigue, night sweats and weight loss often don't appear until the cancer has progressed, which is why it's so important to find the lump early.
Regular mammograms remain an important detection tool, Katz said. For women looking for quick mammogram results, [the University of Utah's South Jordan Health Center](<http://www.ksl.com/ad_logger/ad_logger.php? location=http://healthcare.utah.edu/primarycare/southjordan/&sponsor=UUHCsouthjordan target=_blank rel=>) offers same-day results on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. And both the [Huntsman Cancer Institute](<http://www.ksl.com/ad_logger/ad_logger.php? location=http://healthcare.utah.edu/huntsmancancerinstitute/&sponsor=UUHCcancer target=_blank rel=>) and South Jordan Health Center now offer 3-D mammography, which images the breasts similarly to a standard mammogram but from multiple angles, and can be particularly effective at imaging dense breasts.
The American Cancer Society recommends that low-risk women get annual mammograms starting at age 40. High-risk women should get the first mammogram 10 years prior to the age at which a family member was diagnosed.
"About 5-10% of breast cancers are hereditary," Katz said. "That means the other 90-95% of cases are in women who may not have a family history."
Many women are unaware that their breasts can and should change over time, Katz said.
"It's normal for breasts to be lumpy in younger women then to become smooth as women get older and get past breastfeeding and reproductive years," she said.
Breasts are also unique to each woman, which is why self-awareness is key.
"You know your body best, so if you think there is something wrong, don't ignore that," Kelly said. "Early detection and diagnosis helped me get treatment early enough to eliminate the cancer, so it's definitely worthwhile to be cautious."
After mastectomy surgery, chemotherapy and reconstructive surgery, Kelly has been cancer-free for more than a year. An avid CrossFit athlete, triathlete and weightlifter before her diagnosis, she recently participated in her first Olympic lifting competition post-treatment, and looks forward to the upcoming triathlon season.
