A woman has opened up about the unexpected breast check method that she hopes will save countless lives.
Hayley Browning, 27, from Chelmsford, Essex, was diagnosed with breast cancer three weeks ago.
She explained that she didn’t notice a lump while standing up or showering - instead, she discovered it while lying down.
Browning has since shared a Facebook post about her experience, urging others to perform checks while lying down too.
She said that if she hadn’t detected the lump it might have gone unnoticed for a long time - which could have impacted her chances of survival.
According to Cancer Research UK, when diagnosed at its earliest stage, around all women with breast cancer will survive their disease for five years or more, compared with three in 20 women when the disease is diagnosed at the latest stage.
Browning said she hopes the unusual breast check method will reach as many people as possibly, and has even kickstarted the hashtag #LaidBackLumps.
“Most websites tell you to check for lumps in the shower but if I had followed this advice, the lump may have grown too large to be treatable,” she wrote on Facebook.
“This is a call out to all women to check for lumps lying down, as well as standing up.”
Her lump was unusual in that it disappeared again when she stood up. Even her surgeon couldn’t find it.
“I felt the lump as I woke up one Monday morning,” she told The Huffington Post UK.
“I happened to rest my hand on my inner left breast and felt something that hurt and then felt it properly and realised it was a lump. I wasn’t actually checking for lumps at the time, as I usually do that in the shower.”
She said that when she found the lump, she burst into tears.
“I was very scared and panicked and my partner comforted me,” Browning recalled. “I then rang my Mum in tears and she booked an emergency doctor’s appointment for me for the same day.”
The 27-year-old said her Facebook post, which has been shared more than 80,000 times, “could potentially help save someone’s life”.
“I am completely overwhelmed with the amount of interest in my post and so thankful to everyone for helping me spread my message,” she said.
“Together, even if we have helped just one other person in some way, then it’s all been worth doing in my opinion.”
Browning, who is a corporate account manager for Marie Curie UK, said she is now focusing on treatment, which will involve chemotherapy.
Her post, which was shared on World Cancer Day (4 February), has received thousands of comments - with many thanking her for sharing the advice.
In response to the post, Manveet Basra, senior public health offficer at Breast Cancer Now, said people can perform breast checks while standing up, lying down, or both.
“No-one knows your body better than you and everyone will have their own way of touching and looking for changes – there’s no special technique and you don’t need any training,” said Basra.
“You may prefer to do it while standing up or lying down.
“Simply get to know how your breasts look and feel normally, check them regularly and report any unusual changes to your doctor – and remember to check the whole breast area, including the upper chest and armpits.
“Ultimately, it doesn’t matter when you check your breasts, as long as you check them regularly. It should be something that’s simple and fits with your life – whether in the shower, after the gym or getting dressed for work.
“If every woman checked her breasts regularly, we could save 1,500 lives from breast cancer each year.”
Breast Cancer Signs And Treatment
What Are The Symptoms?(01 of10)
Open Image Modal"A new painless, firm breast lump with irregular margins is a potential symptom of breast cancer," says Dr. Sandhya Pruthi, a breast cancer researcher at the Mayo Clinic. "The cancer diagnosis is confirmed following a biopsy of the lump." She notes that usually, women who are newly diagnosed with breast cancer are healthy and don't feel sick at all. (credit:LarsZahnerPhotography via Getty Images)
Other Symptoms(02 of10)
Open Image ModalAnother potential symptom/sign of breast cancer, Pruthi notes, is a new onset of persistent redness on the skin overtop the breast with an orange peel appearance. This would also need a biopsy to confirm a diagnosis of breast cancer. (credit:Image Source via Getty Images)
Metastatic Cancer Symptoms(03 of10)
Open Image Modal"If the cancer is very advanced (metastatic) then the symptoms may also include weight loss, bone pain, headaches, nausea and persistent cough," Pruthi says. (credit:pamela burley via Getty Images)
What Are The Risk Factors?(04 of10)
Open Image ModalSome commonly associated risk factors, Pruthi says, are menstruation before age 11, menstruation after age 54, a first pregnancy after age 35 and a family history of relatives diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer. (credit:AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)
Are There Any Lifestyle Risk Factors?(05 of10)
Open Image Modal"There is evidence in the literature that obesity after menopause, lack of regular exercise, consuming greater than more or more alcoholic beverages daily, and a high fat diet can all be associated with a higher breast cancer risk," Pruthi notes. But, she points out, "women need to know that any woman can get breast cancer even in the absence of any of these risk factors." (credit:Adrian Samson via Getty Images)
Can I Eat Anything To Prevent It?(06 of10)
Open Image ModalThere are no specific types of diets, Pruthi says, but rather women are encouraged to eat fruits, vegetables, fibre, and minimize their alcohol and fat intake, as well as get regular exercise. (credit:lola1960 via Getty Images)
How Do Doctors Determine Treatment?(07 of10)
Open Image Modal"The most current treatment of breast cancer has taken on a individualized approach and is dependent on the biology or aggressive features of the breast cancer," Pruthi explains. "Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease and this means that are many sub-types and different degrees of aggressiveness. So staging, which typically takes into account common prognostic features such as tumour size and if lymph nodes are involved, are no longer the only factors doctors use to determine treatment options." (credit:Christopher Futcher via Getty Images)
So What Do They Look At?(08 of10)
Open Image Modal"Today the biology of the tumour is also characterized by molecular markers (also known as predictive markers) such as if the estrogen or progesterone receptor is positive or negative and if the HER 2 protein is positive or negative," she says. "This helps decide who will benefit from a specific chemotherapy regimen, hormonal medications known as antiestrogens or who may need both chemotherapy and hormonal treatment." (credit:BluePlanetEarth via Getty Images)
What About Preventative Mastectomies?(09 of10)
Open Image Modal"Preventive mastectomy is an option for women at very high risk for developing breast cancer because they are BRCA 1 or 2 gene positive or if someone has hereditary predisposition to getting breast cancer but chooses not to have the genetic testing done," Pruthi says. "It is prudent that women who are considering this surgery know their family history in detail. Based on the moderate or strong family history, your doctor would recommend you meet with a genetic counselor to go over the family pedigree and help decide who should test for the breast cancer gene, when to test and how to interpret the genetic test results before proceeding with this preventive surgery." (credit:Jesús Jaime Mota via Getty Images)
Are Other Preventative Treatments Available?(10 of10)
Open Image Modal"High risk women who have had precancerous breast biopsies or strong family history may also be eligible to take preventive medications such as tamoxifen, raloxifene or exemestane to reduce breast cancer risk," Pruthi adds. (credit:art-4-art via Getty Images)