Early Symptoms and Signs of Breast Cancer in Women

Early Symptoms and Signs of Breast Cancer

Most women with breast cancer have no signs or symptoms during diagnosis.

The signs and symptoms that should be discussed with the doctor are listed below. Many times the cause of these symptoms can be a different medical condition that is not cancer.

A lump that feels like a firm knot or a thickening of the breast or under the arm. It is important to feel the same area of ​​the other breast to make sure that the change is not part of the healthy breast tissue of that area.

• Any change in the size or shape of the breast.

• Nipple discharge that occurs suddenly, contains blood or occurs only in a breast.

• Physical changes, such as an inverted nipple inward or a sore in the nipple area.

• Irritation of the skin or changes in it, such as roughness, dimpling, scaly or new folds.

• Warm, reddened and swollen breasts, with or without skin rash with roughness that resembles the skin of an orange, called "orange peel".

• Pain in the breast; particularly, pain in the breast that does not go away. Pain is not usually a symptom of breast cancer, but you should contact your doctor.

If you are worried about a change you have experienced, talk to your doctor. Your doctor will ask you when and how often you have experienced the symptoms, among other questions. This is to help detect the cause of the problem, which is called diagnosis.

If cancer is diagnosed, relief of symptoms is an important aspect of cancer care and treatment. This can be called palliative care or supportive medical care. Be sure to talk to your health care team about the symptoms you are experiencing, including any new symptoms or changes in symptoms.