The Must-Knows of Breast Cancer Symptoms
Posted by Medical Fan - 23/12/08 at 03:12 amThe Must-Knows of Breast Cancer Symptoms
One of the biggest health concerns for women today is breast cancer. It is one of the most common types of cancer and it affects women (and men) of all ages. On the bright side, breast cancer, if caught early, is quite treatable. The important thing is to know and watch out for breast cancer symptoms.
Among the breast cancer symptoms, the most common is the appearance of a hard, painless lump on the breast that is usually felt on self-examination. Other breast cancer symptoms are nipple discharge and nipple retraction, change in breast shape or size, breast pain, and dimpling of the breast. The nipple discharge may be clear or bloody and usually comes from only one breast. Occasionally, some redness and ulcers may also be present.
The presence of skin dimpling does not indicate how advanced the cancer is. If on the other hand, the breast looks and feels very much like the skin of an orange, a sign known as peau d’orange; it indicates the presence of a more serious case of breast cancer.
For the more advanced cases, signs of breast cancer metastasis may include difficulty breathing, bloating of the abdomen, jaundice and bone pain.
Sometimes, however, particularly during the early stages of the disease, there may be no visible symptoms and the lump is not detected until it is found on a mammogram. And while in most cases, the lumps found in the breast turn out to be benign, it is important to visit a doctor to confirm that the lumps are not cancerous.