Common Signs and Symptoms of Breast Cancer

If you suspect that you are suffering from breast cancer then the following signs and symptoms will help you confirm your suspicion.

What are the signs and symptoms of breast cancer?

You may notice a lump near your breast, a change in the size and shape of your breast, a blood stained discharge from your nipple, a swelling in your armpit, a rash on a nipple and redness of the breast skin. All these signs indicate that you may be suffering from breast cancer. If you notice any of these symptoms, contact your health care provider as soon as possible. All women should examine their breasts regularly for signs of cancer so that the treatment could be started without any further delay.

In rare cases, you may also experience inflammation on your whole breast. You should also know that most breast lumps are benign, but still you should get yourself checked out by your health care provider.

What is breast cancer?

When abnormal cells begin to develop in your breast tissues, it results in breast cancer. Many women die from breast cancer each year. Chances of developing breast cancer increase manifold as you age. There are different types of breast cancer such as inflammatory breast cancer, metastatic breast cancer, invasive ductal carcinoma and more.

What are the risk factors for breast cancer?

You should be aware of certain risk factors that can increase your chances of developing breast cancer. Some of the risk factors for breast cancer are family history of ovarian cancer, pregnancy age, menstruation age, consumption of alcohol, obesity, excessive use of oral contraceptives, hormone replacement therapy, and chest radiation treatment. If you are experiencing breast pain then contact your health care provider immediately. Breast pain could be due to other reasons and a checkup will help you find out the exact reason of pain.

Are there any complications of breast cancer?

Yes, definitely! Metastasis occurs when a disease spreads from one organ to another organ. In metastatic cancer, tumor cells migrate to other parts of your body through blood or lymphatic vessels and affect lymph nodes, liver, brain, skin, lungs and bones. This type of cancer can take several years to develop in the body. Complications of metastasis include collapsed lung, respiratory failure, liver failure, pneumonia and bone fractures.

Paget’s disease of the nipple

This disease is most common in women who are above 50 years of age. However, women in their 20’s can also acquire Paget’s disease. It is a type of cancer that forms in or around the nipple. Symptoms of Paget’s disease include redness and mild scaling of the nipple skin, tingling, itching, and burning or pain in the nipple.

Other complications of breast cancer include destruction of the breast, destruction of the chest wall, nipple discharge, mastitis and chest pain. The infection of the breast tissue is known as mastitis. Mastitis causes pain, redness and swelling of the breast.

Early detection of breast cancer can help you recover from it completely and save you from a lot of trouble later on.