What are the symptoms of breast cancer?
Breast cancer typically produces no symptoms when the tumour is small and is most treatable. When it grows in size where it can already be felt, the most common sign is a painless lump. Sometimes breast cancer can spread to the underarm lymph node and cause a lump even before the breast tumour is large enough to be felt.
If you notice the following symptoms of breast cancer, contact a doctor as soon as possible to get a detailed exam:
- Lump in the breast or underarm
- Thickening or swelling of part of the breast
- Irritation or dimpling of breast skin
- Redness or flaky skin in the nipple area or the breast
- Pulling in or inverting of the nipple or pain in the nipple area
- Nipple discharge other than breast milk, including blood
- Any change in the size or the shape of the breast
- Pain in any area of the breast
Credit:https://www.roche.com.bd/en/did-you-know/breast-self-examination.html, accessed March 2022.
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Note that breast pain may not be related to breast cancer. Many healthy women have engorgement and sensitivity before their menstrual period. That is why it is very important that you consult a physician when you feel any abnormality in your breast.
Is breast pain a symptom of cancer?
- Only 2% of breast pain cases resulted in a breast cancer diagnosis, and < 7% of all painful lumps were cancer
References:
- What Are the Symptoms of Breast Cancer? accessed at: https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/symptoms.htm#:~:text=Thickening%20or%20swelling%20of%20part,pain%20in%20the%20nipple%20area, last accessed on March 2022.
- American Cancer Society. Breast Cancer Facts & Figures 2019-2020. Atlanta: American Cancer Society, Inc. 2019. https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/breast-cancer-facts-and-figures/breast-cancer-facts-and-figures-2019-2020.pdf, accessed February 2022.
- Barton, M B et al. “Breast symptoms among women enrolled in a health maintenance organization: frequency, evaluation, and outcome.” Annals of internal medicine vol. 130,8, 1999.
- Image Credit:https://www.roche.com.bd/en/did-you-know/breast-self-examination.html, accessed March 2022.