7 Early Signs Of Breast Cancer You Shouldn't Ignore

7 Early Signs Of Breast Cancer You Shouldn’t Ignore

Your breasts are made up of fatty tissue that contain small chambers called lobules, where breast milk is made.
The milk travels through tiny channels or ducts to reach the nipples.

Lymph vessels are connected to lymph nodes which are located inside your breasts and under your arm and help your body fight disease.

Breast cancer occurs when healthy breast cells change and become abnormal, grow out of control, and form tumors, that can also spread to other parts of the body.
Today 1 in 8 women develop invasive breast cancer, no matter to which age group they belong.

Breast cancer is the 2^nd most commonly diagnosed cancer in women and is responsible for the death of more women than all cancers taken together.
Early intervention is essential in the survival of breast cancer.

7 Early Signs Of Breast Cancer You Shouldn't Ignore

#1 Lump in the breast or under the arms
A lump is usually the first sign of breast cancer and is easiest to spot.
These lumps usually don’t hurt but feel hard.
Check with your doctor if you notice any unusual lumps.

#2 Swelling under the arm
Look out for any areas that are unusually swollen.

#3 Changes in the skin around the nipples
Look at your nipples and if you notice any change of color, shape, or texture in the skin around your nipples, visit your doctor.
Remember that changes in skin pigmentation are also a common symptom in skin cancers.

#4 Gland enlargement
Enlarged glands in the breast or around the underarms are also one of the indicators for breast cancer or another type of infection and it should be examined by your doctor.

#5 Dimpling or scaly skin
Skin that starts to dimple, or a rough patch of skin that feels thicker than usual, can signal breast cancer.
This results in skin changes, that make the breast look like it’s covered in an orange peel.

#6 Changes in nipples
Breast cancers can cause what’s called nipples inversion or retraction, in which the nipples turn inward.
Typically, this is because of a mass growing inside the breast which changes its shape.
7% of the women who were diagnosed with breast cancer reported nipples abnormalities.

#7 Discharge in nipples
Nipples’ discharge most often is not cancer, however, it is important to see your doctor immediately.
Especially if the discharge comes out without touching or squeezing the nipples and is bloody in color.

These symptoms are some of the commonly seen indications you may notice prior to breast cancer; however, you will be able to confirm or discard the suspicions only by a doctor’s examination.
Regularly examining your breasts is the best way to catch these changes in your body as soon as they happen.

Sources
medenta.org – early signs of breast cancer
cdc.gov – breast cancer risks

Most at risk for breast cancer are:

Older age
The risk of breast cancer increases with age and most of the invasive breast cancers today, are found in women over age 55 years.
Dense breasts
Dense breast tissue makes mammograms hard to read and can also increase your risk for breast cancer.
Early menstruation
If you had your first period before your 12^th birthday, you have an increased risk for breast cancer.
Giving birth at an older age.
Women who have their first child after age 35 years are at an increased risk for breast cancer.
Hormone therapy
Current or recent past users of hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) are at an increased risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer.
Having had breast cancer before
If you have had breast cancer in one breast, you are at greater risk of getting breast cancer in your other breast.

Parent or sibling with breast cancer
If a close female relative has had breast cancer, you are also more at risk of developing it.
This can include your mother, grandmother, sister, or daughter.
Late start of menopause
Women who only start menopause after the age of 55 are more likely to develop breast cancer.
Never having given birth
Women who have never become pregnant or given birth are more likely to develop breast cancer.
Overconsumption of daily alcohol
Being overweight or obese especially post menopause

Regular screening for breast cancer can help find cancer early

What does this involve?

Examining your own breasts
Get into a habit of checking your own breasts once a month.
Feel each breast and armpit and look for any of the 7 signs of breast cancer listed at the beginning of this article.
Clinical breast exam and screening mammogram
If a change is seen on a screening mammogram, a diagnostic mammogram is performed and includes extra detailed images of the breast.
A breast ultrasound can also be used to determine if a suspicious lump is solid, or fluid-filled.
A fluid-filled lump is often benign, while a solid lump can be cancerous.
A breast MRI shows more detail than a mammogram and is often used for very small masses or changes in the breast that cannot be seen by a mammogram.
A breast biopsy is a test that removes a few cells or a small amount of tissue from the suspicious area in the breast and is then analyzed by looking at the cells under a microscope

Breast cancers are classified by how they behave.

Types of breast cancer include:

Non-invasive cancer
This type has fortunately not spread outside the tissue where it began.
Invasive cancer
Cancer has spread and also invaded healthy tissue.
Recurrent cancer
Which returns even after it was treated
Metastatic cancer
Cancer has spread from the origin where it started to other areas of the body.

Common types of breast cancer are:

Invasive ductal carcinoma
Invasive lobular cancer

Less common types of breast cancer include:

Inflammatory breast cancer
Tubular breast cancer
Colloid breast cancer
Metaplastic breast cancer

How are stages of breast cancer determined?

Breast cancer can be divided into stages based on the size of the tumor and its spread.
Cancers that are large are mostly at a higher stage.
The same goes for cancers that have invaded nearby tissues or organs.

To stage breast cancer, your doctor must determine the following:

Is the cancer invasive or non-invasive?
How large is the tumor?
Are there lymph nodes are involved?
Has cancer spread to nearby tissue or organs?

Stage 0 breast cancer
Cancer cells are confined to the ducts in the breast and have not spread into nearby tissue.

Stage 1 breast cancer

Stage 1A
The primary tumor is no greater than 2 cm and the lymph nodes are not affected.

Stage 1B
The tumor is found in nearby lymph nodes and either there is no tumor in the breast, or the tumor is no greater than 2 cm.

Stage 2 breast cancer

Stage 2A
The tumor is smaller than 2 cm and has spread to a few nearby lymph nodes.
Alternatively, it is between 2 and 5 cm and has not spread to any lymph nodes.

Stage 2B
The tumor is between 2 and 5 cm and has spread to armpit lymph nodes
Alternatively, it is larger than 5 cm and has not spread to any lymph nodes.

Stage 3 breast cancer

Stage 3A
Cancer has spread to more axillary lymph nodes or has enlarged the internal mammary lymph nodes and the primary tumor can be any size.
This stage also includes tumors that are greater than 5 cm and that has spread up to 3 axillary lymph nodes or any breastbone nodes.

Stage 3B
A tumor has invaded the chest wall or skin and can possibly have invaded up to 9 lymph nodes.

Stage 3C
Cancer is found in excess of 10 or more axillary lymph nodes, lymph nodes near the collarbone, or even internal mammary nodes.

Stage 4
In stage 4 the tumor can be any size and the cancer cells have spread to nearby and distant lymph nodes and also to distant organs.

Source
healthline.com – stages pf breast cancer

The main treatments include:

Treatment of breast cancer depends on the type and stage of your cancer.

Surgery
Radiation
Chemotherapy
Hormone therapy
Targeted therapy
Combination treatments

Common types of breast cancer treatments are:

Lumpectomy- removes the tumor and a small portion of healthy normal tissue around it.
Simple mastectomy – removes the entire breast
Modified radical mastectomy – removes the entire breast and lymph nodes under the arm.
Prophylactic mastectomy – removes either one or both breasts, thereby reducing the risk of developing breast cancer.
Mastectomy with reconstruction – Reconstruction of the breast/s occurs at the same time as removal of the breast/s.
Sentinel lymph node biopsy – Determines if one or more lymph nodes contain cancer cells.
Axillary node dissection surgery – Removes lymph nodes in the armpit region
Reconstructive surgery – Restores the appearance of the breast after a mastectomy or large tumor removal.
Radiation therapy – Cancer cells are killed with the use of radiation energy and is recommended treatment for post-surgery or chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy – Destroys cancer cells with the use of drugs.
It can be given as an IV or a pill.
Chemotherapy is also used to shrink the tumors before surgery called neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
Adjuvant chemotherapy – Is used to kill cancer cells after surgery.
Palliative chemotherapy – Helps to control metastatic breast cancer
Hormone therapy – This is given if your tumor is positive for the hormones estrogen or progesterone.
Hormone therapy also lowers the risk of breast cancer coming back.
Targeted therapy – Drugs or other substances are used to identify and fight specific types of cancer cells with less harm to normal cells.
They can stop cancer cells from growing, identify and kill cancer cells and increase the immune system’s attack on cancer cells.

Metastatic breast cancer

Cancer has spread from the breast to other of the body.
The most common places include the liver, bones, lungs, and brain.
There is no actual cure for metastatic breast cancer and therefore treatment only helps to prolong survival.
Today people are living 5 or even for more than 10 years with metastatic breast cancer due to advances in treatment.

Metastatic breast cancer treatment may include:

Ongoing chemotherapy
Hormone therapy
Targeted therapy
Immunotherapy with new innovative medicines in clinical trials

Lifestyle changes to help prevent breast cancer

Women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer or are undergoing treatment for breast cancer, can reduce the recurrence rate and increase the chance of survival by adopting some lifestyle changes.

These changes include:

Reducing weight
Adopting a suitable diet
Stop taking unnecessary drugs
Avoiding alcohol misuse
Source
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov – lifestyle changes for prevention of breast cancer