Breast Cancer Symptoms - What to Look Out For

Normally, the first symptom of breast cancer for most women is a lump in one of their breasts. Most lumps, 9 out of 10 or 90% of lumps turn out to be benign. Benign means that they are not cancerous. Most benign lumps found are:

• Breast cell changes, these cause lumps are more obvious in women just before their menstrual cycle, period, particularly in women over the age of 35.
• Fibroadenoma, which is a collection of fibrous glandular tissue, these are more common in younger women.
• Cysts, these are fluid filled sacs found in the breast and are common in women of all ages.

Changes to look out for, which could be due to breast cancer, are:

• A lump of thickening in an area of the breast
• The breast changes shape or size
• The skin becomes dimpled
• Nipple changes, such as inversion, where the nipple turns in on itself and sinks into the breast, or the nipple changes shape and become irregular.
• Discharge from the nipple, particularly if its blood stained or yellowish/greenish in color.
• A rash appearing on the nipple or surround area.
• A lump or swelling appearing in your under arm, armpit.

As with breast lumps, talked about above, these signs do not necessarily mean cancer. All of the above symptoms can be due to other medical issues. But the main thing to note is that, if you have any of these symptoms, please consult your doctor as soon as possible. It may well be a benign issue that can be treated easily. A trip to the doctor will either put your mind at rest or at worst, if you have a cancerous issue, you will be giving yourself the best chance of a successful treatment, as an early diagnosis is vital in fighting cancer.
Two other types of cancer are worth mentioning here that do not sit in with the above symptom lists:

• Inflammatory breast cancer - The whole breast can look very red and be sore and tender to the touch. The breast may also feel hard to the touch and the skin can sometimes look like an orange peel effect because the pores stand out in the inflamed area.
• Paget's disease - the breast will take on a red, scaly rash, which is normally itchy. This often looks like eczema and is sometimes misdiagnosed for that at first

If you find a lump
See your doctor straight away. If you notice anything unusual about your breast, have it examined. Even though most breast lumps are benign, they need to be checked to rule out cancer.

For further information on every aspect of breast awareness, check out Best 4 Breast.com Breast Awareness guide
R. foley is a consultant with over ten years experience. He has set up http://www.best4breast.com to help and offer advice on all matters relating to Breast Enhancement.
Please take time to visit his website to explore different options available to you.

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