Breast Cancer Symptoms

Breast cancer can have different symptoms for different people. Many don’t notice any signs at all.

The most common symptom is a new lump in your breast or armpit that doesn’t go away.

Others include:

• Texture changes to the skin on your breast, such as a rash, redness, or dimpling. The skin could resemble the peel of an orange.
• Swelling in your armpit or near your collarbone. This could mean breast cancer has spread to lymph nodes (small organs that are part of your immune system) in that area.
• Pain and tenderness, although lumps don’t usually hurt. Some may cause a prickly feeling.
• A flat or indented area on your breast. This could happen because of a tumor you can’t see or feel.
• Breast changes such as a difference in the size, shape, texture, or temperature of your breast.
• Changes in your nipple, like one that:
  • Pulls inward
  • Is dimpled
  • Burns
  • Itches
  • Develops sores
• Unusual nipple discharge. It could be clear, bloody, or another color.
• A marble-like area under your skin that feels different from any other part of either breast.

Early Signs of Breast Cancer

Many people don’t have any symptoms at first. And different types of breast cancer may cause different symptoms. But some common early signs of breast cancer include:

Breast lumps

A lump is often the first symptom of breast cancer . A hard lump with irregular edges is more likely to be cancer. But some cancers are soft and have rounded edges.

Often, a lump is too small for you or your doctor to feel. That’s why it’s important to get regular mammograms if you’re over 40 or have a family history of breast cancer.

Keep in mind that most breast lumps aren’t cancerous. More commonly, lumps are caused by:

• Cysts, which are collections of fluid that are usually harmless
• Fibroadenomas, which usually happen before menopause and may be caused by hormones that regulate your period. They don’t require treatment and could shrink over time.
• Fibrocystic breasts, which is when your breasts are naturally lumpy. They may be lumpier and more painful right before your period.
• Breast infections. Small sacs of pus (abscesses) often happen after childbirth.
• Clogged milk glands
• Injuries that form scar tissue

Always see your doctor if you notice a new lump on your breast. Find out more on causes and types of breast lumps.

Swelling

Sometimes, people notice swelling before they feel or see a lump. So it’s also important to see your doctor if it happens to you. You might have:

• A thickening in part of your breast
• Swollen lymph nodes under your arm or near your collarbone

Pain

Most breast pain isn’t caused by cancer. But pain, tenderness, or burning in the breast or nipple could be the first sign of inflammatory breast cancer or Paget’s disease, which are among the rarer types of breast cancer. See your doctor if your breast pain is serious or lasts a long time.

Ductal Carcinoma Symptoms

Ductal carcinoma  is the most common type of breast cancer. It begins in your milk ducts. About 1 in 5 new breast cancers are ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). This means you have cancer in the cells that line your ducts, but it hasn’t spread into nearby tissue.

Most of the time, DCIS doesn’t cause any symptoms. More than 90% of cases are found by an imaging test. But you could have:

• A lump
• Discharge from your nipple
• Itching in the breast area

But ductal carcinoma can also be invasive, which means it spreads beyond the ducts.

Invasive Breast Cancer Symptoms

Any type of breast cancer that’s spread from where it began into the tissues around it is called invasive or infiltrating. You may notice:

• A lump in your breast or armpit. You might not be able to move it separately from your skin or move it at all.
• One breast that looks different from the other
• A rash or skin that’s thick, red, or dimpled like an orange
• Skin sores
• Swelling in your breast
• Small, hard lymph nodes that may be stuck together or stuck to your skin
• Pain in one spot

Lobular Carcinoma Symptoms

Lobular carcinoma begins in the glands that make milk, called lobules. It’s the second most common type of breast cancer. Symptoms include:

• Fullness, thickening, or swelling in one area
• Nipples that are flat or point inward (inverted)

Credit: webmd

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