Everybody talks about breast cancer, but what do you need to know about it? Physicians, advertising panels, media coverage, and many other communication resources have been spent to increase the awareness of the population about breast cancer. This is a relatively common disease among women, especially those who have a family history of estrogen-dependent cancer. However, all women should know and understand the signs and symptoms related to breast cancer regardless of their medical background.
In this article, we will summarize the most important symptoms of breast cancer. We will cover the earliest warning signs and progress further to the most concerning symptoms. If you identify any of these symptoms, it will be highly recommended to ask your physician about them, determine your condition, and follow an early treatment.
A breast lump
In most cases, a breast lump is the earliest symptom patients report in the event of breast cancer. Not all breast lumps are indicative of cancer, and only 20% of them become a serious health concern. There are breast cysts, collections of fatty tissue, and even benign growths of glandular tissue that would give you the same breast lump sensation. It is more common to feel them before or during your period. But a breast lump caused by cancer usually has some distinctive features.
In most cases, breast cancer lumps are painless. They feel very firm and solid, they usually have an irregular shape, and when trying to move it, you will realize they are fixed to the tissue. However, this is only a guide to suspect cancer, there are exceptions to this rule, and there’s no way to determine whether or not a breast lump is cancer without additional studies.
It is recommended that women constantly feel their breasts while in the shower to be aware of any change in consistency and detect breast lumps early. They should also compare their symptoms to their menstrual cycle in order to get a clear idea of how their breast tissue changes as a result of hormonal changes.
