What are the first few signs of breast cancer?
Breast Cancer Signs and Symptoms
- Swelling of all or part of a breast (even if no lump is felt)
- Skin dimpling (sometimes looking like an orange peel)
- Breast or nipple pain.
- Nipple retraction (turning inward)
- Nipple or breast skin that is red, dry, flaking, or thickened.
- Nipple discharge (other than breast milk)
What are the 7 signs of breast cancer?
Top 7 Signs Of Breast Cancer
- Swollen lymph nodes under the arm or around the collarbone.
- Swelling of all or part of the breast.
- Skin irritation or dimpling.
- Breast or nipple pain.
- Nipple retraction.
- Redness, scaliness, or thickening of the nipple or breast skin.
- Nipple discharge.
What does breast cancer feel like in the beginning? Changes in touch (may feel hard, tender or warm) Peeling or flaking of the nipple skin. A breast lump or thickening. Redness or pitting of the breast skin (like the skin of an orange)
What pain do you feel when you have breast cancer? Although most breast cancers do not cause pain in the breast or nipple, some do. More often, women have breast pain or discomfort related to their menstrual cycle. Also, some non-cancer breast conditions, such as mastitis, may cause a more sudden pain.
What are the first few signs of breast cancer? – Additional Questions
How long can you have breast cancer without knowing?
Breast cancer has to divide 30 times before it can be felt. Up to the 28th cell division, neither you nor your doctor can detect it by hand. With most breast cancers, each division takes one to two months, so by the time you can feel a cancerous lump, the cancer has been in your body for two to five years.
How fast does breast cancer spread?
On average, breast cancers double in size every 180 days, or about every 6 months. Still, the rate of growth for any specific cancer will depend on many factors.
Does pain from breast cancer come and go?
The bottom line. IBC causes a wide range of symptoms, including breast pain, redness, swelling, changes to the breast skin or nipples, and more. Many of the symptoms of IBC come on suddenly and may even appear to come and go. However, these symptoms will become consistently worse as the disease progresses.
Is breast cancer pain continuous?
Pain caused by breast cancer is typically gradual. Anyone who experiences breast pain, especially if it is severe or persistent and not linked to the menstrual cycle or any other cause, should consult a healthcare professional.
How does breast cancer affect the body?
Sometimes breast cancer spreads, or metastasizes, through the bloodstream to other parts of the body. It can lead to tumors in your brain, bones, liver, lung, and elsewhere. Complications may include blocked blood vessels, bone fractures, and pressure on the spinal cord.
What are signs of breast cancer other than lumps?
Here are some of the other possible signs and symptoms of breast cancer besides having a noticeable lump in the breast.
- Changes to the skin’s texture.
- Nipple discharge.
- Dimpling.
- Lymph node changes.
- Breast or nipple pain.
- Nipple retraction or inversion.
- Redness.
- Swelling.
Do you feel unwell with breast cancer?
Some general symptoms that breast cancer may have spread include: Feeling constantly tired. Constant nausea (feeling sick) Unexplained weight loss and loss of appetite.
Where does breast cancer spread first?
The lymph nodes under your arm, inside your breast, and near your collarbone are among the first places breast cancer spreads.
Does breast cancer show up in blood tests?
Blood tests are not used to diagnose breast cancer, but they can help to get a sense of a person’s overall health. For example, they can be used to help determine if a person is healthy enough to have surgery or certain types of chemotherapy.
Is breast cancer more common in left breast?
Fact 6: Breast cancer is more common in the left breast than the right. The left breast is 5 – 10% more likely to develop cancer than the right breast. The left side of the body is also roughly 5% more prone to melanoma (a type of skin cancer).
Will a doctor tell you if they suspect cancer?
Doctors need the information about grade and stage to plan your treatment. It may take a few days before your doctor has the results of all the tests. They will then be able to tell you whether you have cancer, and talk with you about your treatment options.
Is breast cancer curable?
Fortunately, breast cancer is very treatable if you spot it early. Localized cancer (meaning it hasn’t spread outside your breast) can usually be treated before it spreads. Once the cancer begins to spread, treatment becomes more complicated. It can often control the disease for years.
Who is most likely to have breast cancer?
Most breast cancers are found in women who are 50 years old or older. Some women will get breast cancer even without any other risk factors that they know of. Having a risk factor does not mean you will get the disease, and not all risk factors have the same effect.
How can I be sure I don’t have cancer?
What are some general signs and symptoms of cancer?
- Fatigue or extreme tiredness that doesn’t get better with rest.
- Weight loss or gain of 10 pounds or more for no known reason.
- Eating problems such as not feeling hungry, trouble swallowing, belly pain, or nausea and vomiting.
- Swelling or lumps anywhere in the body.
What are the 4 stages of breast cancer?
There are four substages:
- T1mi: The tumor is the size of 1 mm or smaller.
- T1a: The tumor’s size is between 1 and 5 mm.
- T1b: The tumor size is between 5 and 10 mm.
- T1c: The tumor size is between 10 and 20 mm.
Is Stage 1 breast cancer curable?
Stage 1 is highly treatable, however, it does require treatment, typically surgery and often radiation, or a combination of the two. Additionally, you may consider hormone therapy, depending on the type of cancer cells found and your additional risk factors.
What happens if you have stage 1 breast cancer?
Stage 1. Stage 1 breast cancer means the tumor is very small and either has not spread or may have a tiny bit of spread in a nearby lymph node. A cancer that has spread into the surrounding area is referred to as invasive breast cancer. Stage 1A: The tumor is very small and has not spread to the lymph nodes.