8 Early Sign and Symptoms of Breast Cancer – You Must Aware

Feeling noticeable changes in your breast? Are you afraid of breast cancer?

Nowadays breast cancer has been so common among women that slight pain in the breast or any cyst found in the breast starts ringing the bell of breast cancer. That’s why it’s better to be checked by the doctor when you found any unusual changes in your breast area.

Today I will tell you about the symptoms of breast cancer so that you could be aware of this serious and fatal medical condition and your breast cancer can be early diagnosed.

Early diagnosis of any misery situation such as breast cancer means more time and the better chance of beating it.

Many symptoms of breast cancer are invisible and cannot be observed in early stages without any professional screenings but some of the symptoms can be observed if you are aware of your breast health.

Along with yearly or monthly check-up of your complete body, you should be aware of following symptoms that could be noticed at home.

How could you check your breast against breast cancer?

It’s a simple funda –TLC.

• Just touch your breast, feel any changes
• Look if you feel any change in shape
• Check if you feel any discharge from either of your nipples

There is no special training needed to check your breast against breast cancer. To check the signs of breast cancer, just check the whole breast area. Never forget to check your upper chest and armpits. Make sure that you are checking it on regular basis and if you found any changes besides normal changes, you must be checked by the doctor as soon as possible.

Early signs and symptoms of Breast Cancer

Lump: Any lump in the breast can be considered as the first symptom of the breast cancer that everyone should be checked for.

If you find any lump or swelling in your breast area including your armpits and upper chest, and if it remains as such even after your next period, it should be checked by the doctor as soon as possible. It might be possible that you may not see the lump but you can feel it.

Note: If you find any swelling or lump in your breast area, then gently press it to examine it at home. If you feel that lump is very hard to touch and irregular in shape, then you should immediately contact with your doctor because hard and irregular lumps are more likely to be cancerous. 

Swelling around the collarbone or underarm: Not only around your breast area, if you find any swelling around your collarbone or underarm, you should be checked by your doctor as it may be the bell of breast cancer.

Pain in breast: You may feel pain in your breast. If breast-pain persists for long time and doesn’t go away even after your periods. It may be the sign of breast cancer.

Changes in the texture: Check for any changes in the texture of the skin of the breast. You may find slight puckering or dimpling in your breast area.

Changes in color: Check for any changes in the color of your breast. You may find redness on your breast skin.

Variations in nipples: Check if you find any variations in nipples. Check if your nipples are having unusual shape. It may happen that your nipple shape is distorted. 

Discharge from the nipples: Check if you find any discharge from the nipples. Unusual discharge from the nipples is one of the symptoms of breast cancer. Nipple discharge is generally clear, brown, red or yellow in color.

Note: Discharge can be the natural reaction of your body when you squeeze your nipple or it can be the sign of other infections in your breast.

Discharge is more likely to be cancerous in the following condition:

• If discharge occurs without being squeezed
• If it occurs especially from one of your breast
• If the discharge is other than milk i.e. clear or bloody.

As a single statement, if you find any nipple discharge, you should immediately be checked by the doctor.

Rashes or crusting around the nipple area: Check for any rashes or crusting around the nipple area. Rashes or crusting around the nipple area may be one of the early signs of the breast cancer.

If you feel any kind of irritation, itchiness or rashes around the nipple area for a long time, you should consult your doctor.

 All these above-mentioned breast cancer signs can be a red alert of the breast cancer. However, any of these symptoms doesn’t necessarily mean that you are suffering from breast cancer. But you should be checked by the doctor if you find any of these symptoms of breast cancer.

Later signs of breast cancer

1. Enlargement of one breast: Check for any changes in the shape of your breast. It may happen that one of your breasts may be smaller or lower than the other one. If you are suffering from breast cancer then it may happen that one of your breast-size starts increasing. 

2. Enlargement of existing lump: It may happen that existing swelling or lump found starts increasing. If it is getting bigger then it is more likely to be cancerous.

3. Retraction of the nipple: Your nipple may be retracted or turn inward due to breast cancer.

4. Vaginal pain: You may feel a slight pain in your vagina. Vaginal pain may be a sign of breast cancer in women.

5. Abrupt weight loss: Losing weight abruptly? You should be checked by your doctor as it could be the signs and symptoms of breast cancer.

6. Visible veins: Your veins on the breast become visible. 

As a whole, I want to say that Breast self-test is the most important and should be done by every woman. There is no specific time interval and no specific time period for self-test to check for any symptoms of breast cancer.

You could check it on daily basis, monthly or yearly. Though breast cancer shows very less number of symptoms at the early stage, you should be proactive to find any early signs mentioned above.

One thing you must note down that timely detection of breast cancer can turn your cancer story into a cancer-survival story otherwise you have to undergo more painful results.

Question: How could I check whether my lump in the breast is a simple cyst or the sign of breast cancer?

Answer: As a cyst may come due to any hormonal imbalance in your menstrual cycle, you should consult your healthcare professional to check whether the existing cyst is a sign of danger or not.

A simple ultrasound scan will help your healthcare provider to check whether the cyst is solid, hollow or fluid-filled. Generally, fluid-filled lump is safe and require no treatment. 

Question: if a woman found any of the above-mentioned symptoms, is it sure that she is suffering from breast cancer?

Answer: No, you may suffer from any of these mentioned symptoms without being suffering from breast cancer. But if you find any symptom then you should immediately consult your healthcare provider. Because early diagnosis of breast cancer can be cured or treated.

Question: if I don’t find any of the above-mentioned symptoms of breast cancer, is there any chances of having breast cancer?

Answer: There are fewer chances of having breast cancer but you should undergo regular (yearly) check up to be on the safest side.

Hope you like this post and now aware of early and later signs of breast cancer. If ore facing any different sign which leads to breast cancer then please write us in comment so we can share with our readers.