Heterogeneous in nature, the illness spreads in every individual— depending on their age group and other factors— in a different manner. Hence it is very difficult to predict how, and to what degree the cancer will take effect. It is therefore very important that young women are aware of the signs that signify possible breast cancer and undergo regular breast self-examination, in order to detect even the slightest symptoms. This is especially the case because, in cases of early detection there is full chance of complete cure.

Thus, every three to six months, checking for any kind of lumps in the breast should be undertaken at home, along with frequent check ups (at least once in every six months) with the doctor.
What you are looking for during Breast Self-Examination:
The first sign of possible breast cancer is sudden visible change in the shape or feel of your breasts. If your nipples seem abnormally tender, displaying reddishness or puffiness or if they have a tendency towards dimpling inwards, it should not be ignored. Also, look out if there is any lump formation in your breasts. Other than these, if your nipples appear either scaly or emit either clear or bloody discharge often accompanied by pain, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Moreover if there are observable lumps or swelling in and around the region of your breast and armpit, or there is some kind of rash on the breast, then also there might be cause for worry.
These symptoms do not state that you definitely have breast cancer, but merely that you might have a possibility of having it. So checking for these symptoms would be a definite way of detecting early signs of breast cancer. And since early detection is the only sure way of combating this dreaded disease, women should always be alert to changes in their own body.

Keep in mind that the best way to cure this dreadful ailment is its early detection.Thus, if you notice any of the above mentioned symptoms in yourself, don’t neglect them and seek medical advice at once.

The first symptom that many women associate with breast cancer is that they found a lump in this part of their body which has not been there previously.  What is important to note however is that in nearly all cases (9 out of 10) where a lump has been found turn out to be benign rather than cancerous.

The most common reason for these lumps to form is that sacs of fluid (cysts) have grown in the breast or that some of the glandular tissue has become fibrous.  This particular condition is commonly referred to by medical professionals as Fibroadenoma.  Although any woman can suffer from these conditions they are far more likely to occur in women over the age of 35.

It is important that any woman understands everything there is to know about their breasts in order that they can seek medical advice as soon as they notice any changes in them.  The kinds of changes you should be seeking advice from your doctor on are shown below.

1.  If on carry out an self-examination of your breasts you notice that a lump has appeared or that part of your breast seems to becoming thicker then medical advice should be sought.  Also if you notice the skin on your breasts has taken on the appearance of orange peel, commonly referred to dimpling then arrange to see your doctor as soon as you can.

2.  When you carry out an examination of your breast look closely at your nipples. Are they turning in or sinking back into the breast or have they begun to change shape as these can all be the first signs that you may be suffering from breast cancer.  Plus if at any time you suddenly begin to notice that your nipples are producing a discharge (especially if it is blood colored) then medical assistance should be sought.

3.  Whilst the above two are the more common symptoms of a woman possibly having breast cancer another is that they notice a rash appearing on the nipple or the area surrounding it.

4.  The final symptom and which is probably the most common of all of the symptoms is that a woman finds a lump either in her breast or in her armpit as she carries out an examination on herself.  If you do find such a lump it is important that you seek medical advice and assistance as soon as you can.

But even though the above are all symptoms of breast cancer not always is this what is causing the condition, in fact there may be some other underlying medical condition for what is being caused.  However, if at any time you are concerned about what you have found after carrying out a breast examination then you should make an appointment to see your doctor immediately.

The earlier you are able to identify the symptoms of breast cancer will help to increase your chances of the right diagnosis being provided.  Which will then result in the right kind of treatment being provided and which will increase your chances of surviving what use to be a very deadly disease among women of all ages.

Many of the participants of the Avon Breast Cancer walk has said that they feel a certain sense of accomplishment in knowing that they have taken an active role in fighting breast cancer and also providing help to millions of women around the world.
The walk is spread over a two day period (Saturday and Sunday) and it is your decision how far you go.  Many participants usually choose to cover the same distance as a marathon (26.2 miles) and they spread this over the two days.  Other people may decide to walk a full marathon on say the Saturday and then do a half marathon on the Sunday.  In total these people will have walked over 39 miles.  But the decision is yours and you do not have to make up your mind until you get there.
As previously stated anyone who participates in the Avon Breast Cancer Walk must commit to raising at least $1,800 in donations.  Although this may seem like a vast sum to raise, it is actually easier then you think.  The team that are involved with the Avon Breast Cancer Walk will be there to help you all the way in your fund raising efforts and you will find that many people around you will admire you for effort in helping to fight cancer and provide you with significant donations.

Anyone who registers to take part in the Avon Breast Cancer Walk is assigned a member of staff who will help you with not only learning about fund raising, but also with the physical training side of things.  They will answer any questions you have on fund raising as well help you set up a fund raising and physical training plan.  Any one who participates in the walk receives a handbook containing fund raising and training information and they also receive a personal webpage which can also be used in the raising of funds.

Each walk begins early in the morning with a short ceremony which provides the participants with inspiration.  During the walks those taking part are provided with different kinds of support, such as rest stops, portable toilets, water, sports drinks, snacks and basic medical assistance if required.  The walkers also find that lunch is served on route.  Those people who decide to spend the night at the camp (two person tents provided) set up will also find that they have hot showers, food, massages and entertainment available to them.  At the end of the event on the Sunday evening another ceremony is held to celebrate what the participants have accomplished over the two days.

Any money that is raised through this campaign goes to the Avon Foundation and is used for research and treatment of breast cancer.  The main goal of this campaign is to raise money to help those who are unable to afford cancer treatment such as the poor, elderly, those whose insurance does not cover them for treatment of breast cancer and those in minority groups.  It is said that about 43million people who live in the USA do not have health insurance and half of these are women.  Research has found that both Asian American and African American women are twice as likely to not have insurance than a white woman, whilst Hispanic women are more than three times less likely to have insurance than white women.

Whilst many of the breast lumps found are now cancerous, the early detection of any form of breast caner will help to maximize a patients chances of being treated successfully.  Approximately 75% of all forms of breast cancer are detected by self examination, however, it should be noted that not all lumps can be felt by touch alone a mammogram is a highly effective way of discovering breast cancer.  A mammography consists of a low dose of x-ray that help to discover cancerous tumors even long before they can be felt.

If we are able to detect breast cancer earlier enough it is highly treatable and the survival rate for those who have detected it in the early stages is around 95%.  Because of the development of treatment options now available to patient’s the numbers of people who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and treated over 2 million are still alive in the USA today.

So what is breast cancer awareness?

Breast cancer awareness is the way in which women are becoming more familiar with the way their breasts should look and feel and any changes that they are supposed to go through during our lifetime.  Any woman should be able to detect any changes in her breasts immediately and you should check your breasts on a regular basis.

There are 5 points that you should remember when thinking of breast cancer awareness

Firstly, you should know what your breasts look and feel like normally.
Secondly, you know what changes you are looking for in them.
Thirdly, remember to examine your breasts regularly (a good place to do this is in a warm bath, when you are relaxed).
Fourthly, any changes you find should be reported to your doctor as soon as possible.
Finally, arrange to have a regular routine breast screening; this is especially important for those women who are over 50.

There are a number of signs you should be looking for when examining your breasts which will tell you if there is a problem

1. The size of your breasts.  If either one of your breasts turns lower or is larger than the other one.
2. Have there been any rashes developing on around the areas surrounding the nipple.
3. Has the skin on your breast become dimpled or puckered.
4. Has either of the nipples become pulled in or its shaped has changed or its position has moved.
5. Is there any discharge appearing from one or both of your nipples.
6. Do you have any swelling under your arms or around your clavicle.
7. Are there any lumps or thickening of the tissue surrounding the breast.
8. Do you have any continuous pain in either one part of your breast or under your arm.

If you do discover any of the changes shown above then report them to your doctor immediately.  He/she may ask you to come back and see him at another time during your menstrual cycle (this may cause some of the tenderness you feel) or send you to a breast exam clinic for further examinations and tests.

However it should be remembered that many changes in your breasts are not cancerous even if they do require further investigation or need further treatment.

Breast cancer is now beginning not only just women but men as well around the world and therefore breast cancer awareness has become even more important in the fight against this disease.  By having some general knowledge about your breasts structure and by carrying out monthly self examinations and if possible having a regular breast screening you are helping in the first steps of fighting this deadly disease.

Often breast cancer chemotherapy is used  after a lumpectomy or mastectomy on a patient as an additional (adjuvant) treatment in order to help reduce the risk of the cancer reoccurring.  It can also be used to treat the forms of cancer which have spread to other organs as well.  There is a form of chemotherapy called neoadjuvant therapy which can be given before a surgical procedure which reduces the size of the tumor to a point where it can be removed by lumpectomy rather than the patient having to have a full mastectomy.

In some cases breast cancer chemotherapy is used to check how a patient will respond to certain combinations of drugs.

But the best results breast cancer chemotherapy give are those when it is used an adjuvant therapy and is made up of several anti cancer drugs.  During the last 30 years several research studies have tried to determine what combination of drugs are most effective for treating this form of cancer and researchers are still looking for even better forms of breast cancer chemotherapy that those already discovered and which are used.

There are various side effects caused by being treated with chemotherapy but it all depends on the types and quantity of drugs as well as the treatment duration time.  Some of the more common short term side effects of this treatment include nausea, fatigue, vomiting, mouth sores, loss of hair and loss of appetite.  Women may also find that their menstrual cycle changes and this can either be temporary or permanent.  It may also affect a patient’s blood marrow as well.

There are a number of remedies for many of the short term side effects caused by chemotherapy such as drugs which will help your bone marrow to recover and others that help to reduce vomiting and nausea that some patients feel.

A more possible permanent side effect of chemotherapy is the patient has a premature menopause or becomes infertile.  Certainly in older patients who are being treated with breast cancer chemotherapy the risks of becoming infertile or having a premature menopause are increased.

There is a particular drug called Adriamycin which is used in breast cancer chemotherapy can sometimes lead to heart damage when used in high doses or for extended periods of time.  But doctors when using this drug will control the dose of this drug to a patient carefully and use several different tests to help monitor a patient’s heart.

There is another potential negative result when being treated with chemotherapy and this is “Chemo Brain”.  A number of patients who have had breast cancer chemotherapy have experienced certain side effects such as difficulty in concentrating and being able to remember things.  This side effect may last quite a long time and can be so severe that it interferes with the patient’s capacity of performing intellectual tasks.

In fact a large amount of women who have been receiving breast cancer chemotherapy have reported that they do not feel as healthy as they did before starting the treatment and in some cases have had feelings of bodily pain or a decrease in being able to do physical tasks.  But these effects can only be revealed once a thorough questioning of the patient has been carried out.

In the last couple of years it has been shown that some patients being treated with breast cancer chemotherapy have developed acute myeloid leukemia (a very rare side effect) and this severe type of cancer affects the white bloods cells in the body.
But the benefits that breast cancer chemotherapy provide in fighting the disease and preventing a further reoccurrence of the disease outweigh the side effects even the very serious or extremely rare ones mentioned above.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a community based health organisation in the USA which fights all types of cancer, as well as focusing on the prevention of cancer and reducing suffering, saving lives as well helping research, education, awareness and service.

Cancer Care Incorporated is an organisation that provides people with telephone support for cancer issues, including medical information, cancer terms and definitions, counselling, guidance to local services, free information material and information on support groups as well as educational programs.

The Cancer Research Foundations of America (CRFA) is a national NGO which focuses on the prevention of cancer through education and scientific research.  It can also provide you with information on breast, prostate, lung, colorectal, skin and cervical cancers as well.

Another breast cancer foundation which has been set up is called The Living Beyond Breast Cancer foundation.  This one provides you with a helpline where you can you get support after being diagnosed with the disease.  The people answering their phones are patients who have survived the disease and they will provide you with support on the treatment of breast cancer, diagnosis and survival.  However, it should be remembered that breast cancer survivors can only offer emotional support to those that call and not actual medical advice.

There is also the Medicare Hotline which is another breast cancer foundation and this one offers information on mammography and the way it is used to help detect breast cancer in its early stages.

The National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organisations (NABCO) will provide you with answers to a wide variety of questions relating to breast cancer and you can either call them or send an email to get detailed information on breast cancer and its issues.

Then there is the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Information Service which provides an information service where patients can call to receive an individual message that answers their specific question on cancer matters.

Several years ago the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation was set up to help join in the fight against breast cancer and they known for organising lots of awareness and fund raising campaigns, such as breast cancer walks.  They also have a helpline which is answered by trained volunteers who have themselves suffered from the disease.  This foundation is committed to offering the last information available on breast cancer and breast health to those that call.

Finally we have the Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organisation which fights against breast cancer and supports those suffering from the disease by providing a helpline which is operated by trained operators.  The operators they use are volunteers who have survived breast cancer and are prepared and experienced to answer all sorts of questions on breast cancer issues.  They will also provide emotional support the men and women who have been affected by this disease.

It is normally found that cancer begins in the ducts, but is occasionally found to have begun in either the lobules or other tissue in the breasts.  Although lymph vessels are similar to veins (but they do not carry blood but lymph, which is a transparent liquid that carries immune system cells and also was products as well).  You will find that lymph vessels lead to a group of cells called nymph nodes and that that lead from the breast can lead to the lymph’s under your arms called axillary nodes.

Unfortunately it breast cancer cells are able to get to the axillary nodes in your arms and are able to keep growing this will result in a swelling of the nodes.  However, if the cancer reaches the underarm nodes it is more likely to spread further and reach other organs and tissues within your body.

What is a benign Breast Lump?

Many women who find that they have a lump in their breast discover it is benign (means it is not cancerous).  In fact a benign tumor is an abnormal growth in the breast and they can not spread to other organs in the body and are therefore not dangerous.  However, if you do discover such a lump you may that you could have increased risk of actually developing breast cancer in the future.

There are numerous types of breast cancer and below are provided details of them.

Firstly we have carcinoma in situ, which often refers to the early stage of breast cancer before it breaks out from the organ where it started.  In respect of breast cancer this form is usually limited to the ducts or lobules and will not have spread to the fatty tissue or to other tissues outside the breast.

The next is ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and is the most common type of early stage breast cancer.  This form normally has not spread outside the ducts of the breast and at this point of diagnosis most women can be cured.  The most effective way of DCIS being discovered is by the patient having a mammogram.

Then there is lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) which starts in lobules but does not spread outside their walls.  Although this is not actually a cancer there is an increased risk for women who are diagnosed with this of developing breast cancer at a later stage.  That is why it is extremely important for women who have been diagnosed with LCIS to be regularly tested for breast cancer.

The next form of breast cancer and which is the most common is infiltrating ductal carcinoma (IDC) and although it begins in the breast ducts it can infiltrate into the fatty tissue as well and then spread further to other organs of the body.
Then there is infiltrating lobular carcinoma (ILC) which as its name suggests starts in the lobules of the breast and can also spread further to other organs and tissues in the body.

Although breast cancer is the most frequent type of cancer to be found among women, except for skin cancer.  In fact it is the second most important cause of death of women from cancer diseases, the first being lung cancer.
In the USA alone about 212,920 women are likely to develop infiltrating breast cancer in 2006 and about 40,970 will probably die from it in 2006.  At present there are currently over 2,000,000 women only in the USA who have been receiving treatment for breast cancer.

It is said about 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer at some point in their life’s and 1 in 33 women will die from it.  Luckily the number of deaths caused by breast cancer is decreasing because of the improvement in the time it takes to discover the cancer and then to treat it successfully.

Some of the people taking part in the symposion summarized a number of conclusions reached in relation to several studies carried out on breast cancer issues:-

Firstly, that the treatment of breast cancer has been to 2-9 months during the last 20 years, but post treatment recovery is usually taking two years or more.

Secondly, women are more worried about the risks of death that have become associated with the diagnosis of breast cancer and many more are now willing to undergo the difficulties faced when being treated with chemotherapy in order to reduce it.

There have been a number of high risk groups found in people being treated for breast cancer, they include young women who will have their fertility compromised by under treatment they undertake or those women who do not receive enough support from their family or from society in general during their treatment.

It has been found that women who receive a positive result for breast cancer are now rearranging their life priorities.
A return to their usual activities before the diagnosis is essential to any patient during the early treatment stages and survival period.

Those that are overweight or obese are likely to have a recurrence of breast cancer and the “insulin resistance syndrome” can also sometimes provide an indication the risk of getting breast cancer or a recurrence has increased.  In fact women need to be made more aware that obesity or being overweight is a high risk factor for developing breast cancer and by changing their diet and carrying out physical exercise will help to lessen this risk.

At present breast cancer research is focusing on a new drug called Hercepting and its effects on cardiac diseases.  At present evidence shows that there is slight but real risk of a patient developing a cardiac disease whilst taking Hercepting, and those patients who are taking this treatment need to be monitored closely to reduce these risks.

But recent research carried out involving Herceptin in treating breast cancer has shown that it is effective in reducing a recurrence of the disease.  2 clinical tests carried out have shown that when Herceptin is used in association with chemotherapy the recurrence of breast cancer in patients with HER-2 positive cancer was reduced by 50%.

There are studies now being carried out to what way women are reacting to the treatment they are receiving for breast cancer.  It has been found that those who take an active approach in dealing with their condition are likely to feel better than those who are more prone to depression.  At present psychologists are working on ways of developing strategies for dealing with a patient’s needs and thus helping them to cope with the disease.

As well as patients having psychological problems when they are diagnosed with breast cancer almost 30% of survivors of this disease will suffer from lymph edema.  This is a chronic swelling of the after breast cancer surgery and is caused by the removal of the patients lymph nodes.  Because of the high number of patients now being treated for this condition a large number of researches are occupied with ways of preventing and developing lymph edema.

As breast cancer is one of the most common cancers around the glove, the results now been provided through research and development of new treatments needs to be translated for use in developing countries also.

During the month of October people (not just women) are encouraged to wear breast cancer ribbons in memory of those who have died from this disease as well as the many that have survived.  The money raised from the sale of these ribbons is donated to breast cancer foundations across the world and are supposed to help with finding a cure for breast cancer as well as helping sufferers who can not afford to pay for the treatment they desperately need.  In fact individuals are encouraged to join the fight against breast cancer by wearing a pink ribbon.

But if you want you can make your own breast cancer ribbon very easily (you don’t even need to know how to sew).

Firstly you will need 3in of 1/4in wide pink ribbon, a safety pin and pink thread and needle (these last two items are optional). You also need either a safety pin or double stick tape for attaching your ribbon to your clothing.

Firstly cut 3inches of pink long ribbon and then snip both ends of the material at an angle.  Next lay it out horizontally with the short edge on top.  Then at the middle of the material hold it down and fold the left end over so that it points down and a bit across the middle, you can have the fold either as a crisp line or a soft curve.  Next fold the other end of the ribbon over so that it crosses over itself about ½ inch under the fold.  Use the small safety pin/pin where the material crosses and conceal this behind the ribbon.  You can even use the same pin to attach your breast cancer ribbon to the lapel or collar of your top.

However if you want you can sew the folded ribbon by hand or using a sewing machine at the point where it crosses itself with the pink thread, but if you really want to be lazy then how about using some superglue or double sided sticky tape to hold it together and then just use a pin to attach it the collar or lapel of your top.

Statistics have also revealed that about 40,410 women and 460 men are likely to die from some form of breast cancer in the USA alone this year.  In fact the American Cancer Society estimates that 1:33 women will die from breast cancer.  In fact the incidents of cancer rate have increased by about 4% during the 1980’s and then began to decrease to 100.6:100,000 women in the 1990’s.  Between 1992 and 1996 the rate of deaths related to breast cancer also decreased especially in younger women.  Doctors say this decline has occurred because of the earlier detection of the disease as well as the better treatments now being provided to patients.

Breast cancer is less common in younger women; in the case of some patients who were diagnosed in their thirties it was found that they tended to develop more severe forms of the disease.  This may explain why death by breast cancer in younger women is still high.

Any women can develop breast cancer during their life, but the older you are the higher the risk of you developing this disease.  Statistics show that about 77% of cases of breast cancer affect women who are over 50 years of age.  As for those women who are in different ethnic groups, the National Cancer Institute reports the following:-
Women who are either white, African-American or Hawaiian are going to have the highest infiltrating breast cancer rate in the USA, which is about 4 times higher than the lowest rate incidents of invasive breast cancer to be found in the USA.
However, Korean, Vietnamese and American Indian women have the lowest rate for infiltrating breast cancer in the USA.
But African-American women have the highest rate of deaths caused by breast cancer and more likely to detect the disease in the later stages only compared to other ethnic groups.  It has been found that African-American women have the highest death rate of women between the ages of 33-54 and 55-69, yet white women in the USA are more likely to die from breast cancer once over the age of 70.

There are various stages of breast cancer which start from Stage 0 (very early or the less severe stages) to Stage IV (metastasis stage).  There are also many factors which must looked at which will affect a patients survival rate such as the tumour’s characteristics, their genetic background and state of health.  In addition to all that has previously gone before there are things like stress levels, the patient’s will to live or their immune function can also play a very important role in determining the patient’s survival rate.

Statistics show that survival rates continue to decrease after 5 years, whilst survival after 10 years depends on what stage the cancer is at.  Treatment of early stage cancer means survival rates are higher than those being treated for late stage cancer.

Some of the breast cancer surgery options available involve the conservation of the patient’s breast whilst others are used to remove the breast entirely.  A doctor will provide his patient with information explaining the advantages and disadvantages of each type of surgery option available to them.

Where breast conservation surgery is concerned there are two basic options that allow the conservation of a patient’s breast tissue.

The first is a lumpectomy which involves removing the cancerous tumor and part of the tissue around it.  You may also find that some surgeons will remove some of a patients underarm lymph nodes to check to make sure that the cancer has not spread outside the breast also.  The lymph nodes which are also known as axillary nodes receive the lymphatic vessels from the neck, upper arm, most of the breast and the underarm areas of the body.  Often breast cancer can spread to the axillary lymph nodes and will then enter into the lymphatic system and can the spread further to other organs and tissues in the body.  You may find that radiation therapy is used after a lumpectomy to help kill the remaining cancer cells in other parts of the patient’s body.

A partial mastectomy is often carried out by a surgeon to remove a tumor as well as a large area of the surrounding tissue.  You may even find that some surgeons will also remove part of the patient’s chest muscles which are underneath the tumor as well as some axillary lymph nodes.  As with a lumpectomy, lymph nodes are removed during a partial mastectomy to determine whether the cancer has spread to other areas of the body outside the breast.

A mastectomy is a form of breast cancer surgery which does not conserve any of the patient’s breast tissue and involves the complete removal of the breast.  In some cases of breast cancer the conversation of the patient’s breast during surgery is not possible and a mastectomy will only be recommended in certain situations as follows

1. When the cancer has affected other parts of the patient’s breast or the axillary lymph nodes.
2. When the woman has very small breasts and conservation breast surgery would in the case of some patients caused deformed breasts.

There are several types of mastectomy that can be carried out and the surgeon treating the patient will explain the advantages and disadvantages of each type available.
However below is information on the various mastectomies available, but which the surgeon will provide the patient with the advantages and disadvantages of each form of surgery in more depth.
A total mastectomy is the complete removal of the patient’s entire breast along with some of the axillary lymph nodes.

A modified radical mastectomy is also the complete removal of patient’s entire breast but also some of the underarm lymph nodes as well as part the chest muscles will be removed as well.

Then there is the radical mastectomy which involves the complete removal of the breast as well as all the underarm lymph nodes and chest muscles.  However, this type of surgery is only performed in very severe cases when the cancer has actually spread to the patient’s chest muscles as well.

When a patient is diagnosed with cancer and is in the early stages then a lumpectomy is often the first option available to the surgeon along with other non-surgical procedures that can be used.  Certainly if the disease is discovered in the early stages there is more chance of the patient being treated with less radical and more effective breast cancer surgery to cure it than if discovered in the later stages.

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.