Breast Cancer Symptoms

For a large portion of the women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer the first sign or symptom that they notice is a lump in one of their breasts.  However, the majority of lumps found (approximately 9 out of 10) are not actually cancerous.  In fact breast lumps can be caused by not only cancer but also by the following:-

In women especially over the age of 35 because of changes in their breast tissue the lumps may be formed.  Or it may be just caused by a cyst (a sac of fluid) that will be found within the breast, and it may be caused by the build up of fibrous glandular tissue (fibroadenoma) within the breast, but this seems to occur more frequently in younger women.

So how do we go about knowing what to look for when checking our breasts?

There are really no hard a fast rules as to what you need to do when looking for breast cancer but the most common symptoms which you should be aware of are as follows:-

There may be a change is the shape or size of your breast.
The skin on the breast may be dimpled.
There could be a thickening or a lump in the breast itself.
The shape of one of your nipples may change (it could either be that the nipple has become inverted, or irregularly shaped or it may be skinned into the breast).
There may be some sort of discharge appearing from the nipple.
You may discover a rash on one of your nipples or the area surrounding it.
Finally you may have a lump or swelling in your armpit.

However, in respect of lumps these are not necessarily a sign of breast cancer and whatever the situation, the best anyone can do upon finding a lump is visit their doctor.  It means that you may be worrying about nothing or it could mean you need treatment for some other medical condition. But if it is cancer, then by going to the doctors at the first sign of the lump increases your chances of being provided with the correct treatment and being cured.

Although pain is generally not to be known as a breast cancer symptom, many women find that their breast feel lumpy or tender just before their menstruation cycle and occasionally some benign lumps can be painful also.  Unfortunately there are some forms of breast cancer which can cause pain and if you are at all concerned about the lump then see your doctor.

One of the rarer forms of breast cancer is called inflammatory breast cancer.  The main symptoms for this type of cancer are that the breast can look red and swollen and it can feel sore.  In some cases the skin of the breast can have the appearance of orange peel.

Another rare form of breast cancer is called Paget’s disease and the symptoms relating to this type is that a red rash appears on the nipple or the surrounding area and this rash can often be itchy.  In some cases because it looks similar to eczema it may be mistaken for it first.  But any changes to your breasts no matter what should be seen by a doctor.
So you have noticed a change in your breast.

The first thing any women should do upon finding a change to her breast is see her doctor as soon as possible.  Always be aware of what is normal and what is not with your breasts (carry out a check of your breasts often, usually a good place to do this is while having a bath).  Although nearly all lumps found are not cancerous it is advisable that you see a doctor just to be sure.  He/she will probably examine your breasts completely and may even suggest that you attend a breast clinic where they can perform a mammogram or other tests to see whether the lump is just a cyst filled with fluid or is solid.

If the lump is found to be a cyst they will then probably remove it by draining the fluid out through a find needle.  However, if it is discovered to be a solid lump they will take a tissue sample (by placing a needle into it) and carry out further cancer tests.

A lot of women now days are preferring to have even benign lumps removed by surgery just to be on the safe side.  There are some women who are worried that may mistake it for other lumps which could grow in the future.  But if your doctor assures you that the lump is not cancerous and you trust their diagnosis, then do not have it removed.  Certainly, benign lumps have not been known to lead to cancer.

However if the lump you have discovered turns out to be cancer then by spotting it early and getting the necessary treatment you have a higher chance of being cured.