Health3 min(s) read
Published 11:54 01 Apr 2026 GMT
Doctor has urgent message for anyone who gets 'itchy breasts’
A doctor has issued a warning to women if they experience itchy breasts - and what they should watch out for.
Most women are aware they should be checking their breasts regularly and getting any unusual lumps or bumps checked out as soon as possible.
However, increasing numbers of people have been searching "itchy boobs" - with Bupa UK insurance reporting a 14 times higher search rate from July to August last year.
As well as an increase in searches for "itchy boobs", searches for "one itchy nipple" tripled and "itching below breast" searches doubled last year.
Aside from being a pretty annoying and uncomfortable sensation to have an itchy chest, it turns out there can be something serious behind the feeling.
Dr Tim Woodman, Medical Director for Cancer Services, Bupa UK Insurance, shared why this could be happening with Tyla.
When asked whether itchy breasts should be a cause for concern, he explained: "It’s rare for itchy breasts to be a symptom of breast cancer, but if you have a patch of skin on or around your breasts that you find yourself regularly scratching, it’s always worth getting it checked by a health professional."
While it's rare for itchiness to be a sign of breast cancer, it is not impossible, as one form of rare breast cancer, called inflammatory breast cancer, can cause changes to the skin on the breasts, causing itching, redness, inflammation, pain, and swelling, according to Dr. Woodman.
There is also another rare skin condition, Paget's disease, that can affect the nipple and areola, with Dr. Woodman noting: "Sometimes, this can develop into cancer within the breast duct lining.
"However, it’s not always a cancerous condition, but it can lead to sore, itchy and bleeding nipples."
Itching can also be caused by other skin conditions such as eczema or other issues such as mastitis, which causes inflammation within the breast.
Dr. Woodman advised: "If you find that you regularly need to scratch the skin on or around your breasts, you should get it checked by a health professional, especially if it’s causing you discomfort or inconvenience."
As for the signs of breast cancer, women should look out for a new lump or skin thickening in or around the breast, pain or a lump in your armpit, redness, inflammation or crusting around the skin of the nipple, any changes to the nipple itself or the appearance of the breast, any dimpling or changes to skin texture or discharge or bleeding from either nipple.
If anything feels or looks different to normal, it is best to get it checked promptly by a doctor to rule out anything serious such as cancer.
It is also important to note that these symptoms do not always mean breast cancer is present as many can be benign lumps or symptoms caused by unrelated issues.
Early detection is also key so make sure you are regularly checking your breasts to be able to identify any changes as soon as possible.