Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among women both in rich and poor countries, according to the World Health Organization. It is estimated that thousands of women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. Therefore, it is necessary for you to know more about breast cancer as a way to avoid this leading killer. In this article, I will reveal common signs and symptoms of breast cancer in females to help you detect it early.

6 Common Signs And Symptoms Of Breast Cancer In Females That You Should Know

Breast cancer is cancer that develops from cells in the breast. It can occur in different areas of the breast. Ductal carcinoma and lobular carcinoma are two most common types of breast cancer. Ductal carcinoma begins in cells from the lining of milk ducts while lobular carcinoma develops in cells of the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. In some cases, breast cancer can start in in the cells of connective tissue, fat, or muscle.

Based on four characteristics, including the size of the cancer, whether the cancer has spread to other parts of the body beyond the breast, whether cancer is in the lymph nodes and whether the cancer is invasive or non-invasive and, breast cancer is divided into 5 stages:

• Stage 0: At this stage, the cancer cells grow only in a certain area, not spread out or invade neighboring normal tissue.
• Stage I: This stage is divided into IA and IB. At this stage, the tumor is 2 centimeters or less and cancer cells have invaded normal surrounding breast tissue.
• Stage II: This stage encompasses 2 subcategories IIA and IIB. The tumor at this stage is between 2 and 5 centimeters and may be found in the lymph nodes.
• Stage III: This stage includes 3 subcategories: IIIA, IIIB, and IIIC. At this stage, breast tumor measures larger than 5 centimeters and has spread to the tissues around the breast
• Stage IV: In this stage, invasive breast cancer has spread to other parts of the body.

For women, breast cancer death rate is merely lower than lung cancer death rate. Around 81% of breast cancer cases are women who are over the age of 50. However, women are not the only ones affected by breast cancer. In fact, men are also diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 60 and older but it is rare, accounting for just one in 125 cases. Therefore, it is extremely important to detect breast cancer early and start treatment as soon as possible. Here are some common signs and symptoms of breast cancer in females that you can look for in order to increase the chance of catching this disease early.

1. A Change In The Size, Shape Of A Breast: 

This is also one of the most common signs and symptoms of breast cancer in females that you should watch out. This happens due to tissue growth. As tissue develops, it may push out the size or shape of the breast without causing a glaring lump.

It is hard for you to notice the appearance changes of breast in terms of size and shape. Yet, it does not mean that there is no way to find out the changes in the shape and size of your breast. Your partner can feel the changes of your breast easily and he will tell you immediately. You may also find out it when you look at yourself in the mirror or put on your bra.

In fact, breasts are normally different sizes. However, if there is an abnormal change in shape or a drastic increase in size in a short amount of time, it is necessary to see the doctor for a test.

2. Breast Pain:

Pain can be resulted from a variety of other things that are not cancer such as stress some fertility treatments, fluctuating hormones or wearing a bra that doesn’t fit right. In case your pain is not triggered by one of the above reasons or goes with other symptoms, tell the doctor immediately.

This common sign and symptom of breast cancer occurs as breast tumors grow. It is crucial to keep track of where, when and how often the pain occurs because you will have to report it to the doctor in order to get the accurate result.

3. Upper Back, Shoulder And Neck Pain: 

This common signs and symptoms of breast cancer is often missed because it is easily confused with sore muscles. The very fact, however, is that some women who are with breast cancer feel pain in their shoulders or back instead of their breast. Breast tumors mostly develop in the glandular tissue of the breast, which close to the chest wall and extends deep into the chest. If tumor grows and pushes backward toward the spine and ribs, rather than in the breast, the resulting pain may be felt in the back. Hence, if such treatments as stretching, rest or physical therapy cannot take the pain away, you should see a doctor.

4. A Lump In The Breast:

The most common first signs and symptoms of breast cancer in females is a lump in the breast. When the women feel a lump, more than 80% cases are diagnosed with breast cancer. The lump may be tender and hard but it is usually not painful. It is very different from the rest of the breast tissue and has an irregular shape. Moreover, the lump may feel like it is attached to the chest wall or skin. It cannot be moved or go away with the menstrual cycle. It is present all the time and does not get smaller

5. A Change In Nipple Appearance: 

A breast tumor is mostly beneath the nipple. For this reason, the change in nipple is the common sign and symptom of breast cancer in females that you should be aware of. The following are some changes in nipple related to breast cancer:

• There are ulcers, crusting or scaling on your nipples. This may be a sign of some rare types of breast cancer like Paget disease of the nipple.
• Other than breast milk, nipple discharge is bloody or other things like milky or watery.
• Nipple discharge occurs when you are not breast feeding.
• Your nipples suddenly become inverted, indented or flattened.
• There is a decrease in nipple sensitivity.
• The skin of the nipple may become crusty, scaly, or inflamed.

Because you are the only one who knows best what your nipples look like, pay more attention to any changes in nipples and make sure to see the doctor if you feel one of the signs I mentioned above occurs.

6. Itchy Breasts: 

This symptom is also the common sign and symptom of breast cancer in females that you should not ignore. This sign is mostly associated with inflammatory breast cancer which is typically more aggressive than other types of breast cancer and develops quickly. Therefore, the earlier it is diagnosed the better. Inflammatory breast cancer usually happens with a combination of symptoms like redness, swelling, dimpling, itching and pain. Paget’s disease of breast is also a form of breast cancer that may include itching as a symptom and it usually has a scaly rash around the nipple.

One of the risk factors for developing breast cancer is diet. Though studies have yet to show for sure which types of foods increase risk of breast cancer, some researchers believe that a healthy diet plan can help prevent breast cancer for women. Therefore, you should read the Healthy Foods For Breast Cancer Prevention. In fact, this article is very informative as it reveals all the best details about healthy foods for breast cancer prevention. Hope that you can learn and make use of it to avoid breast cancer. Apart from breast cancer prevention, these foods in this article are natural ingredients so that your overall health can be improved. The information revealed in this article is proven by science so people should read and remember to widen knowledge without worrying about anything.

This article has shown you the list of 6 common signs and symptoms of breast cancer in females so that you should learn and make use of. I hope it is helpful for you – the readers of Vkool. If you find this article useful and informative and you do not want to make use of this amazing article alone, feel free to share for everyone.

If you care about the article and the signs and symptoms of breast cancer I revealed above, we are open to welcome any discussion about the topic. Leave your comments at the end of this post to let us know what you think. We appreciate your contribution and will respond all as soon as possible.

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