12 Surprising Signs of Breast Cancer

You know their size, level of perkiness, and how good they look in that one shirt with the plunging neckline. But how familiar are you really with your breasts? For optimal breast health, says Dr. Joshua G. Cohen, a gynecological oncologist at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, you need to have what physicians calls breast self-awareness. "What that means," explains Cohen, "is we want patients to be aware of what's normal for them and understand that if something is different, it's important to see a doctor."

And that extends far beyond looking out for bumps. While a firm, usually fixed area is the most common presentation of breast cancer, the deadly disease can rear its head in other ways. Four pros share what to look out for.