Breast Cancer Advice Center

Do you know breast cancer symptoms?

let tell me about it

Public Comments

1. hello,
   if you want read something about breast cancer syptoms
   i just come accross this blog may help you
   
   http://breastcancer-symptom.blogspot.com
2. They are one or more of the following: inverted nipples, hard immovable lumps either in the breast or surrounding tissue (incl. the armpits), discharge from the nipple/s. Always check yourself regularly.
3. Fibroadenoma - a collection of fibrous glandular tissue. These are more common in younger women
   What to look out for
   Changes that could be due to a breast cancer are
   
   A lump or thickening in an area of the breast
   A change in the size or shape of a breast
   Dimpling of the skin
   A change in the shape of your nipple, particularly if it turns in, sinks into the breast or becomes irregular in shape
   A blood-stained discharge from the nipple
   A rash on a nipple or surrounding area
   A swelling or lump in your armpit
   Like breast lumps, these signs don't necessarily mean cancer. Inverted nipples, blood stained nipple discharge or a rash can all be due to other medical conditions. But if any of these things happen to you, you should get it checked out. It may be nothing and seeing the GP will put your mind at rest. It may be a benign condition that can easily be treated. Or at the very worst, if you have a cancer you give yourself the best chance of successful treatment by going to the doctor early on.
   
   There is a rare type of breast cancer called inflammatory breast cancer which can have different symptoms. The whole breast can look red and inflamed and can be very sore. The breast may feel hard. The skin sometimes looks like orange peel because the pores stand out in the inflamed area.
   
   Another rare type of breast cancer shows up as a rash on and around the nipple. It is called Paget's disease. The red, scaly rash can be itchy. It looks a bit like eczema and is sometimes mistaken for that at first.
   
   If you spot a lump
   See your doctor straight away. If you notice anything unusual about your breast, have it examined. Even though most breast lumps are benign, they need to be checked to rule out cancer. Our page on breast awareness shows how to learn what is normal for you.
   
   Your doctor will examine you and if necessary, send you to a specialist breast clinic for further checks. At the clinic, they will be able to see on your mammogram or ultrasound if the lump is a fluid-filled cyst or a solid lump.
   
   If it is a cyst, they may get rid of it by draining the fluid out through a fine needle. If it is a solid lump, they will stick a very fine needle into it and take a tissue sample to test for cancer cells.
   
   Some women prefer to have benign lumps removed to relieve their worry. They may be concerned that they will confuse them with any other lumps they may get in the future. But if you and your doctor are confident that the lump is benign, you do not have to have it removed if you do not want to. Benign lumps don't turn into cancer.
   
   If your lump is a cancer, the earlier you have breast cancer treatment, the better your chance of cure.
   
   Is pain a symptom?
   Pain doesn't usually mean cancer. Many healthy women find that their breasts feel lumpy and tender before a period. And some benign breast lumps are painful. Many women get pain in their breasts for a while, which goes after a time. There may be no obvious reason for the pain, even with lots of tests. Most breast pain is not caused by cancer, but some breast cancers do cause pain, so if you are worried, see your GP
4. a majority of breast cancer develops with out any symptoms (what the patient feels and this is most important to the patient to seek medical advice especially in regions where is no screening programme). But occasionally there are
   
   These
   are heaviness of the breast - in this case the Cancer will be considerably large in relation to the size of the breast.
   
   Blood stained discharge from a nipple. (any abnormal discharge needs medical advise)
   
   Itching of a nipple - Eczema
   
   If the cancer is of an advanced stage it can give rise to symptoms related to spread such as bone pain especially at night, shortness of breath and others depending where it is spread.
   
   The signs (what the a doctor finds during examination) are a lump when the breast is carefully felt, distortion of the breast, skin and nipple.
   
   There are high risk groups who need to be careful.
   
   A history of breast cancer in the family, use of hormonal contraceptives, women with no children and those who have not breast fed have a higher incidence of breast cancer in the population.
   
   the best way to detect early cancer is to enroll in a screening programme but self breast examination too can be handy in feeling palpable cancers.
5. Breast cancer may have no symptoms at all, especially early breast cancer.
   
   Any changes in the breasts shuld be investigated. Signs and symptoms are:
   
   change in size - one breast may have become noticeably larger or lower
   
   nipple change - if it becomes inverted (pulled in) or changes its position or shape
   
   rash - on or around the nipple
   
   discharge - from one or both nipples
   
   puckering or dimpling - around nipple
   
   swelling – in your armpit or around your collarbone (from lymph nodes)
   
   lump or thickening that feels different from the rest of the breast tissue - but remember that most breast lumps are not cancerous
   
   constant pain - in one part of your breast or in your armpit.
6. Breast Cancer symptoms vary widely - from Lumps to Swelling to skin changes - and many breast cancers have not obvious symptoms at all. Symptoms that are similar to those of Breast Cancer may be the result of non-cancerous conditions like infection or a cyst also.
   Many of the breast cancers are diagnosed much earlier than they can produce any symptoms. Routine use of mammogram helps women to identify the breast cancer long before it can cause any symptoms. In the early stages breast cancer may be asymptomatic and women may notice only a breast lump. As the breast cancer progresses the cancer cells can invade in to the surrounding normal structures and other distant organs and this may lead to development of symptoms. Any one or more of the following may occur during various stages of progression of breast cancer.
   
   * A lump (mass) in the breast, these lumps are most commonly painless (or as a matter of fact any other part of the body)
   * Swelling or thickness of the breast
   * Redness, swelling and or pain in the breast
   * Lump in the arm pit area due to the spread of breast cancer to the lymph nodes in that area
   * New mole or an obvious change in the appearance of an existing wart or mole
   * Areas of warmth or redness in the breast
   * Development of asymmetry of the breast
   * Inversion or changes in the appearance of the nipple
   * Flattening or indentation on the skin of the breast. This may indicate a change in the underlying structures.
   * Scaling or redness or a change of color or texture of the skin of the breast or Areola (such as dimpling, puckering, or scaliness)
   * Unusual dimpling in the breast which may indicate adhesion to underlying structures
   * Discharge from the breast or nipple. This can be clear, dark or bloody in nature.
   * Burning, itching or scaling of nipples.
   * Pain or tenderness in the breast or underarm area. If this does not relive over time possibility of breast cancer should be considered
   * Infection or inflammation of breast
   * Development of breast abscess
   * Bone pain may occur during the late stages of breast cancer due to involvement of bone
   * Change in the mental status, seizure, and neurological events can occur in the late stage of the disease due to involvement of brain or spinal cord
   * Jaundice may occur in the later stages of breast cancer due to the involvement of liver or surrounding structures.
   * Chest pain and difficulty in breathing may occur in the late stages of the disease due to involvement of lung and surrounding structures.
   
   Any changes in the breast should be reported to a doctor without delay. Symptoms can be caused by cancer or by a number of less serious conditions. Early diagnosis is especially important for breast cancer because the disease responds best to treatment before it has spread. The earlier breast cancer is found and treated, the better a woman's chance for complete recovery !-