Signs and Symptoms of Breast Cancer

Signs and Symptoms of Breast Cancer - More than eighty percent (80%) of the Breast Cancer cases are discovered, when the women feels a Lump in her Breast. The Lump feels different, from the rest of the tissue. By the time it is detected it may probably has been growing for several years. A mammogram can detect the Breast Cancer at the earliest. Lymph node lumps, located in the armpits can also indicate a Breast Cancer.

Other indications are changes in the size, Shape, skin dimpling, nipple invation, spontanuos single nipple discharge of the Breast. Mastodynia, may or may not be due to Breast Carcinoma.

When the Breast Cancer invades small limph vessels in the skin of the breast(Dermalymphatics). It looks like skin inflomation and hence, known as inflamatory Breast Cancer(IBC). Symptoms of IBC include pain, swelling, warmth, and redness through out the breast. It may also cause orange peel texture to the skin, reffered to as peau d'orange.

Another symptom of Breast Cancer is Pagets disease of the breast. It represents as exzematoied skin changes like redness, mild flaking of the nipple skin. As the disease advances, symptoms like tingling, itching, hypersensitivity, burning and pain may occur. There may also be discharge from the nipple, 50% of the women diagnosed with pagets disease have a lump in their breast.

Some times Breast Cancer presents as a metastatic disease i.e Cancer which ahs spread beyond the original organs.

Symptoms of metastatic Breast Cancer depend on the location of metastatis, like Bone, Liver, Lung, Brain, etc. Unexplained weight loss, fevers and chills may sometimes due to occult Breast Cancer. Pains in various organs like Bones, Joints can also be sometimes due to metastatic Breast Cancer's.

Most Symptoms of Breast disorders may not be due to underlieing Breast Cancers. Benign Breast Diseases like mastitis and fibroedenoma of the Breast are more common causes of these Symptoms. How ever the apperience of a new symptom should be taken seriously, because of the possibility of an underlieing Breast Cancer at any Age.

Risk Factors -> The primary risk factors are Sex, Lake of child baring or Breast feeding and elivation in harmone levels. American institute for Cancer Research concludes that maintaining a healthy, weight, low alcohol cunsumption, sufficiant physical activity and breast feeding of their children can greatly reduce the risk of Breast Cancer in Women.

Genetic factors usually increase the risk moderately, except for those persons who carry BRCA mutations. Additional risk factors includes a high fat diet, high alcohol intake, obesity, tobacco use, radiation, endocrime disruptions and shift work. Cumilative effect of mamography radiations may also result in breast cancers.

Inaddition to the above:

1. Personal history of Breast Cancer - Women with Breast Cancer in one Breast have an increased risk of getting Cancer in the other Breast.

2. Family history - Risk of Breast Cancer increases if her mother, sister, or daughter had a Breast Cancer.

3. Certain Breast Changes - Having certain types of abnormal cells(A typical hyperplasia and lobular corcinoma in situ[LCIS] increase the risk of Breast Cancer).

4. Race - Risk is more for European Women Ancestry than those of African and Asian Ancestry.