The first symptom that patients report about breast cancer
is typically a lump that feels different from the normal breast tissue. In
accordance with reliable medical information sources such as Merck Manual more
than 80% of breast cancer cases are discovered when patients (mostly women)
feels a lump. Regarding professional signs, the American Cancer Society (ACS)
affirms that a real and first medical indication of breast cancer is shown by
mammograms, which can be perfectly assessed by physicians. Apart from these
first sings, it is important to mention that lumps found in lymph nodes located
in the armpits and/or collarbone may also be a sign of breast cancer.
Other common manifestation of a possible breast cancer can be changes
in breast size or shape, skin dimpling, nipple inversion, or spontaneous
single-nipple discharge. Pain is not a reliable sign to evaluate if the
suffering person has cancer or not. On the other hand, pain can be a sign of
other breast-related ailments such as mastodynia.
In addition, inflammatory breast cancer presents some specific
symptoms and signs, which are shown when breast cancer cells attack the dermal
lymphatics, small lymph vessels in the skin of the breast. First, it can be
similar to any skin inflammation and thus is known as inflammatory breast cancer
(IBC). Symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer include pain, swelling, warmth and
redness throughout the breast, as well as an orange peel texture to the skin
referred to as peau d'orange.
Besides, Paget's disease of the breast is an eczema-like change in
the skin of the nipple, and a high percentage of women, who suffer from this
disease, have an underlying breast cancer. This subjacent disease may be an
invasive breast cancer or ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). In this type of
breast cancer, the disease is totally placed within the milk ducts. If Paget's
disease is allowed to advance, symptoms may include tingling, itching, increased
sensitivity, burning, and pain. There may also be discharge from the nipple.
Many women diagnosed with Paget's disease (about 50%) also present a lump in the
breast.
A recurrence of breast cancer or metastatic disease means that the
disease has spread beyond the breast cells. In this case, breast cancer will
cause different signs and symptoms, which will vary according to where the
metastasis is located. Metastatic breast cancer can spread to bones, liver and
brain. Some general symptoms such as unexplained weight loss, fever or chills
can seldom indicate an occult breast cancer. Other non-specific symptoms can
also be signals of a metastatic breast (bone or joint pains, for
example).
It is vital to clarify that most symptoms of breast disorder do not
mean underlying breast cancer. There are many benign breast diseases such as
mastitis and fibroadenoma, which can show some breast disease symptoms.
Therefore, the most important thing to take into account is that patients and
doctors must consider every sign and symptom to discard breast cancer or to face
it in early stage to have all the possibilities of winning the battle against
this disease.
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