There are many things we do to try to detect breast cancer early on, whether we're consistently doing self-checks while standing in the shower or visiting the doctor regularly, but one woman is revealing a simple tactic she used and is hoping it will save lives the same way it did hers. Hayley Browning is a 27-year-old woman from the UK who detected her breast cancer [1] by doing the exact opposite of what she was always told to do to check for lumps — she laid down.
Hayley took to Facebook to share her story [2] with the world and explain how she found a lump in her breast while lying down, a lump that "completely disappeared" when she was standing up. After being diagnosed with breast cancer three weeks ago, she was determined to make sure other women knew what she knew and what helped save her life.
"I could only feel the lump whilst lying down and it completely disappeared standing up," Hayley wrote. "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. Not even the surgeon could feel my lump when I was standing up. So, this is a call out to all women to check for lumps lying down, as well as standing up."
While many resources can help both men and women understand what breast cancer can look and feel like [4], this simple tactic of doing your breast exam lying down takes only a few extra seconds, and it can save your life.
"As I think about my long journey ahead and the chemotherapy I will undertake, I want to reach as many people with this message and help find more #LaidBackLumps," Hayley closed her note, alongside two hospital photos.
If you detect a lump during a self-exam, please contact your doctor immediately.