How to Recognize The Symptoms of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer affecting women all over the world and especially in America. In fact one in every five women is detected with breast cancer at some point in time in her life. Though it is curable and has a good success rate but it depends on the stage it is discovered and how much it has spread into the body. Hence, it is important to be aware of and recognize breast cancer signs We enlist most of the pertinent tell tale signs of this deadly disease. Lump in the breast- One of the most common and recognizable symptom of breast cancer is lump or thickened area in the breast tissue or in the armpit. It is not very big in size but still can be felt from the outside if examined properly. This lump is quite hard with irregular edges. However, every lump in the breast might not be cancerous. It could also be some damaged tissue or a non cancerous tumor. Pain- Another sign of breast cancer is pain in the armpits or breast, which is unchangeable with the monthly cycle. It is a continuous, nagging pain and does not go after your next menstrual cycle. Redness of the skin- A major symptom is a skin rash or redness of the skin of the breast, something akin to that of an orange and also a rash around the nipples. Discharge- You might also observe some discharge from the nipple that could possibly have blood. It could be clear, yellow, red or brown. Size change- Many women also experience a change in the size of the breast. One might be bigger than the other or you could even have an inverted or sunken nipple. Scaling- You might also observe the skin around the nipple and of the breast peeling, flaking and scaling. Swollen Lymph Nodes- There could be swollen lymph nodes in the neck as well as the armpits. These signs and symptoms are probable causes of breast cancer and need not always mean that you have the disease. However, it is best to get yourself examined by a doctor in case of a doubt. As an initial check he will do a mammogram screening, which is an X-ray of the breast to differentiate between a benign and malignant tissue along with a physical examination. He might also consider doing an ultrasound, MRI and in case the doubt persists remove a small part of the breast tissue and send it for testing (biopsy).