Symptoms of Breast Cancer?

Breast cancer is a malignant (cancerous) growth that begins in the tissues of the breast. Cancer is a disease in which abnormal cells grow in an uncontrolled way. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, but it can also appear in men. In the U.S., it affects one in eight women.

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women worldwide. For whatever reason, the number of cases has increased in the last 30 years. Ductal carcinoma starts at the cells lining the milk ducts and makes up more than 75% of breast cancer. Lobular carcinoma begins in the milk secreting glands. Many women want to know what the risk factors and symptoms of breast cancer are so they can catch it in the early stages.

Symptoms breast cancer

Early breast cancer usually does not cause pain. In fact, when breast cancer first develops, there may be no symptoms at all. But as the cancer grows, it can cause changes that women should watch for:

A lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm area.
A change in the size or shape of the breast.
A discharge from the nipple.

Breast cancers in their early stages are usually painless. Often the first symptom is the discovery of a hard lump. Fifty percent of such masses are found in the upper outer quarter of the breast. The lump may make the affected breast appear elevated or asymmetric. The nipple may be retracted or scaly. Sometimes the skin of the breast is dimpled like the skin of an orange. In some cases there is a bloody or clear discharge from the nipple. Many cancers, however, produce no symptoms and cannot be felt on examination. They can be detected only with a mammogram.

Possible symptoms of breast cancer include:

Discharge from the nipple. This can be dark and bloody or clear in nature.

Itching, burning or scaling nipples.

Persistent pain or tenderness in the breast or underarm area.

dimpling or puckering of the skin – thickening and dimpling skin is sometimes called orange peel

redness, swelling and increased warmth in the affected breast

changes to the nipple - such as a change in shape, crusting, a sore or an ulcer, redness or a nipple that turns in (inverted) when it used to stick out

changes to the skin of the breast - such as dimpling of the skin, unusual redness or other colour changes

Breast Cancer Risk Factors

The likelihood of developing breast cancer greatly increases with age. Most women develop breast cancer after the age of 50. By the time you are 85, you have a one in eight chance of developing the disease. However, women younger than 50 are not immune to developing this type of cancer, as evidenced from such high profile stars developing breast cancer such as Melissa Etheridge, Sheryl Crow, and Kylie Minogue. Other known risk factors include:

Smoking with a family history of cancer
Chemical exposure
Alcohol abuse
Breast changes discovered after breast biopsy