Breast Cancer Symptoms

Symptoms of Breast Cancer

Prompt treatment and prevention of further complications are of utmost importance in any health condition. So, identifying the breast cancer symptoms earlier will help with the treatment and prevention at the right time. The initial symptoms of Breast cancer in women generally appear quickly, sometimes within weeks or even days. The symptoms of breast cancer in adults can appear within weeks or months, seen as lump or Thickening in the breast or underarm, changes in the nipple, etc.

To identify breast cancer symptoms, a medical professional can go through a breast examination, imaging tests, and biopsies. You can self-examine your breast to detect changes. This can help you find breast changes, and then you can discuss those changes with a doctor.

Around the world, breast cancer is a common cancer in women, which had an estimated 2.3 million new cases and 670,000 deaths in the year 2022. As per a record, China, the United States, and India had seen the highest number of breast cancer cases in 2022. Hence, breast cancer diagnosis to find out the symptoms of breast cancer will help.

Symptoms of Breast Cancer

There are many Breast Cancer symptoms that help find out a person is affected by Breast Cancer.

What are the Symptoms of Breast Cancer?

The following are the common symptoms of Breast Cancer.

Lumps: A new lump seen in the breast or armpit, or a swelling appearing in the breast, chest, or armpit. This is the 1st stage of breast cancer symptoms.
Pain: Breast or armpit Pain that doesn't go away
Skin changes: Dimpling, puckering, flaky skin, Redness, or rash in the breast or nipple region.
Changes in the Nipple: Pulling in of the nipple, a discharge from the nipple, or a change in the nipple shape.
Changes in the Breast size or shape: Changes appearing in the size or shape of one or both breasts.
Swollen lymph nodes: Swollen lymph nodes appear in the armpit.

Signs of Breast Cancer

There are many signs of Breast Cancer that have to be found out before it leads to dangerous conditions. We have discussed major Breast Cancer symptoms; let's see the other symptoms of breast cancer. The other symptoms of breast cancer include :

Thickening of a portion of the breast.
Irritation of skin on the breast(which is the stage 3 breast cancer symptoms).
Redness or flaky skin in the nipple area.
Pain in the nipple region.
Nipple discharge other than breast milk, like blood.
Changes in the nipple position.
Ongoing Pain that is not your menstrual cycle.

What is Breast Cancer?

Breast cancer is a common disease that happens when breast cells have abnormal growth and form tumours. It's the most common cancer seen in women and the second most common cause of cancerous death in females.

Stages of Breast Cancer

There are many stages of Breast cancer, which are based on factors such as breast cancer type, tumour size and location, and if cancer has spread to other regions of your body. Various Breast cancer stages are:

Stage 0 : The disease is noninvasive, meaning it hasn't spread from your breast ducts to other parts of your breast.
Stage I : The nearby breast tissue will have cancerous cells in stage 1.
Stage II : A tumor or tumors will be formed by the cancerous cells. The tumor is either less than 2 centimeters across and spreads to underarm lymph nodes or it is larger than 5 centimeters across but does not spread to underarm lymph nodes.
Stage III : This stage is locally advanced breast cancer. In stage III, breast cancer is present in nearby tissue and lymph nodes.
Stage IV : Cancer spreads from your breast to regions such as bones, lungs, liver, or brain.

Types of Breast Cancer

There are many types of Breast Cancer. The different types of Breast Cancer are :

1) Noninvasive Breast Cancer

Noninvasive Breast Cancer is further classified as :

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS): This type is called pre-cancer or stage 0 breast cancer.
Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS): Another type of noninvasive breast cancer.

2) Invasive Breast Cancer

Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC): This is the most common type of invasive breast cancer.
Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC): This is the second most common type of invasive breast cancer.

3) Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

This aggressive type of breast cancer doesn't contain estrogen or progesterone receptors.

4) Inflammatory Breast Cancer

This rare and aggressive type of breast cancer leads to the breast appearing inflamed.

Causes of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer happens when breast cells mutate and change to cancerous cells that divide and multiply to form tumours. But, the researchers are not sure what triggers such changes. However, research shows that many risk factors might increase your chance of developing breast cancer.

Risk Factors of Breast Cancer

There are many risk factors that might increase Breast Cancer. Here are the factors that may increase the risk of breast cancer:

Family history - The chance of your risk of breast cancer is high if a parent, sibling or child had breast cancer. Also, the risk is high if your family has a history of breast cancer diagnosis at a young age. Also, your risk is higher if you have multiple family members with breast cancer. Still, most people diagnosed with breast cancer condition don't have a family history of breast cancer.
Personal Breast Cancer History - If you have cancer in one breast, then there is a higher chance of being diagnosed with cancer in the other breast.
A personal history of breast conditions may result in breast cancer. Some breast conditions like lobular carcinoma in situ, also known as LCIS, and atypical hyperplasia of the breast show that there are higher chances of breast cancer.
Start your period at an early age - Starting your period before 12 years old may increase your breast cancer risk. Also, beginning menopause at an older age, that is, after 55, may increase the breast cancer risk.
Being a Woman - Women are more likely to get breast cancer than men.
Dense Breast Tissue - Breast tissue contains fatty tissue and dense tissue. Dense tissue will have milk glands, milk ducts and fibrous tissue. People with dense breasts will have more dense tissue than fatty tissue in their breasts. Dense breasts can make it difficult to find breast cancer on a mammogram. If a mammogram shows that one has dense breasts, his/her breast cancer risk is increased.
Drinking Alcohol - Drinking alcohol increases the breast cancer risk.
Smoking - Tobacco use has been connected to several types of cancer, like breast cancer.
Never been pregnant - Not having been pregnant increases the risk of breast cancer.
Age - As your age increases, the risk of breast cancer also increases.
Inherited DNA Changes - Some DNA changes that increases the breast cancer risk can be passed from parents to children. The well-known changes called BRCA1 and BRCA2, can increase your breast cancer and other cancers risks.
Menopausal Hormone therapy - Some hormone therapy medicines intake to control menopause symptoms might increase breast cancer risk. The risk is connected to hormone therapy medicines that mix estrogen and progesterone. The risk may be reduced when you stop taking these medicines.
Obesity - Obese people have an increased breast cancer risk.
Radiation Exposure - As a child or young adult, if you have got radiation treatments to your chest, your breast cancer risk is higher.
Giving birth to your first child at an Older age - After age 30, if you give birth to your first child, then that might increase the breast cancer risk.

How is Breast Cancer Diagnosed?

A healthcare provider might do physical exams or order mammograms to see the breast cancer signs. But they perform the following tests to diagnose the disease :

1) Breast Ultrasound - Breast ultrasound is not a replacement for the mammography process as a primary screening tool for breast cancer; however, it is used to further analyze suspicious regions found on a mammogram or physical examination, particularly in the tissues. Breast ultrasound uses sound waves to make breast tissue images, thus helping in understanding the Breast cancer symptoms pictures.
2) Breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Scan - The breast MRI method uses magnetic fields and radio waves for breast cancer diagnosis and screening. This procedure is done particularly for those with dense breast tissue or high-risk persons, complementing ultrasound and mammography.
3) Breast Biopsy - In a breast biopsy, a tissue sample is taken for examination. This method helps to determine if a breast abnormality detected via imaging or physical exam is cancerous.
4) Immunohistochemistry test to check for hormone receptors - In the Immunohistochemistry (IHC) tests, a tissue sample from a breast biopsy is used to determine if breast cancer cells have hormone receptors (estrogen and progesterone) or HER2. This helps guide treatment decisions.
5) Genetic tests - Genetic tests can identify people with a higher risk of breast cancer to find out the mutations that cause breast cancer. Such genetic tests are :

i) BRCA testing: Focuses on mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2.
ii) Multigene panels: Tests for mutations in multiple genes, like BRCA1 and BRCA2, at the same time.
Iii) Next-generation sequencing: Can evaluate a number of genes to find potential mutations.

Treatment for Breast Cancer

Surgery is the basic breast cancer treatment, but other treatments are also practiced by the healthcare providers. The common Breast cancer surgeries are :

1) Mastectomy - In a Mastectomy, the entire breast will be removed surgically as a preventative measure for individuals at high breast cancer risk or for people with breast cancer. The types of Mastectomy are :

Simple Mastectomy - Removal of the whole breast, nipple, and areola.
Skin-Sparing Mastectomy - Removal of the breast tissue and nipple.
Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy - Removal of the breast tissue.
Modified Radical Mastectomy - Removal of the whole breast, chest muscles lining, and axillary lymph nodes.
Radical Mastectomy: Removal of the whole breast, axillary lymph nodes, and pectoral muscles (though less common).
Prophylactic Mastectomy - Removal of both breasts.

2) Lumpectomy - Lumpectomy involves the removal of a breast tumour and a small portion of surrounding tissue, leaving the remaining of the breast intact. A lumpectomy is also called breast-conserving Surgery or partial Mastectomy.

3) Breast Reconstruction - Breast reconstruction is a surgery that helps rebuild a breast after its removal. The procedure is done using implants, tissue from the body, or a combination of both ways.

Medical providers might mix Surgery with any of the below treatments:

Chemotherapy - Chemotherapy uses drugs to destroy cancer cells. This method is mostly given in cycles, with rest periods between every cycle to permit the body to recover.
Radiation therapy, including intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) -
Immunotherapy - The Immunotherapy method uses drugs to help the immune system of the body fight against cancer.
Hormone therapy - Hormone therapy targets slowing or stopping the growth of hormone-sensitive tumours by effectively blocking hormones or interfering with their effects on breast cancer cells. This is often used after Surgery to minimize the risk of recurrence.
Hormone therapy involving Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs) helps treat estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer by blocking estrogen from linking to cancer cells and mimicking estrogen in other tissues.
Targeted therapy - Targeted therapy uses drugs to target molecules on cancer cells, interfere with their growth and spreading, and do less harm to healthy cells.

Foods to Eat in Breast Cancer

Eating some foods helps fast recovery during Breast Cancer. Here are the foods to be included during Breast Cancer.

Category	Items
Protein Foods	Protein powder or dry milk to meals Grated cheese with vegetables, rice, potatoes, and salads. High-protein snacks like almonds, peanuts, and cheese.
Soy Foods	Soybeans (edamame), tofu, soy milk, and miso soup. Note: But ask your Doctor how many servings of soy a day would help you and if you have taken hormone therapy or some other treatment.
Antioxidants Foods	Vegetables, fruits, nuts, and other foods. Broccoli, liver, carrots, blueberries, and mangoes.
Lycopene foods	Red tomatoes and pink grapefruits
Beta-Carotene Foods	Carrots, apricots, yams, and other vegetables and fruits.

Foods to Avoid During Breast Cancer

There are some foods which have to be avoided to prevent further complications. Here are those foods that have to be avoided during Breast Cancer.

Category	Items
Alcohol	All alcoholic drinks
Processed Meats	Bacon, sausages, and deli meats, containing nitrates and high sodium levels.
Fried foods	Fried foods containing hydrogenated oils
Foods High in Added Sugar	Foods with more added sugar
Foods With Saturated and Trans Fats	Fatty cuts of meat, and full-fat dairy products.
Diets high in refined carbs	Typically the Western diet
Raw or Undercooked Foods	Raw or undercooked meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and unpasteurized dairy products
Some Types of Fishes	King mackerel, marlin, orange roughy, shark, swordfish, tilefish, ahi tuna, and bigeye tuna.
Unwashed Fruits and Vegetables	Unwashed Fruits and Vegetables with contaminants
Leftovers	Leftover foods could harbour bacteria
Foods with Artificial Additives	Foods containing artificial additives

Breast Cancer Medications

Some medications help in Breast Cancer treatment; let's see them.

Medicine Names	Name of the Treatment Process it is used	Formula
Cyclophosphamide	Chemotherapy	C7H15Cl2N2O2P
Capecitabine (Xeloda)	Chemotherapy	C15H22FN3O6
Epirubicin	Chemotherapy	C27H29NO11
Fluorouracil	Chemotherapy	C4H3FN2O2
Gemcitabine	Chemotherapy	C9H11F2N3O4
Paclitaxel	Chemotherapy	C47H51NO14
Vinblastine	Chemotherapy	C46H58N4O9
Trastuzumab (Herceptin)	Targeted Therapies	C6470H10012N1726O2013S42
Abemaciclib (Verzenio)	Targeted Therapies	C27H32F2N8
Palbociclib (Ibrance)	Targeted Therapies	C24H29N7O2
Ribociclib (Kisqali)	Targeted Therapies	C27H36N8O5
Olaparib (Lynparza)	Targeted Therapies	C24H23FN4O3
Pertuzumab (Perjeta)	Targeted Therapies	Chemical formula of a monoclonal antibody.
Tamoxifen	Hormone Therapies	C26H29NO
Anastrozole (Arimidex)	Hormone Therapies	C17H19N5
Letrozole (Femara)	Hormone Therapies	C17H11N5
Exemestane (Aromasin)	Hormone Therapies	C20H24O2
Fulvestrant (Faslodex)	Hormone Therapies	C32H47F5O3S
Goserelin Acetate (Zoladex)	Hormone Therapies	C59H84N18O14 • (C2H4O2)x
Pembrolizumab (Keytruda)	Immunotherapy	C6504H10004N1716O2036S46

These medications will only be provided by your Doctor, you must not take these tablets for Breast Cancer, without his/her prescriptions.

Recovery time for Breast Cancer

Recovery time for the breast cancer surgery will depend on the surgery and reconstruction types.

Treatment Process	General Recovery Time	Special Case
Breast - Conserving Surgery (lumpectomy)	2–4 weeks	Many people return to work before 5–10 days.
Mastectomy	3–4 weeks	6–8 weeks in case of breast reconstruction
Mastectomy with reconstruction	6–8 weeks

How to Prevent Breast Cancer?

Some healthy lifestyle choices like eating a healthy diet, exercising, and maintaining a healthy weight help prevent breast cancer. Such lifestyle changes that prevent Breast Cancer include :

Eating healthy: Eat a healthy and balanced diet containing fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meat.
Regular Exercising: Try to have a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise every week.
Avoid Smoking: Smoking can cause many types of cancer. Quit Smoking if you have that habit.
Restrict alcohol: Quit drinking alcohol or drink in moderation.
Have a healthy weight: Being obese increases the risk of developing breast cancer.

Other things that can help prevent Breast Cancer include :

Getting regular mammograms.
Mothers can breastfeed if possible.
Consult your Doctor about the risk factors.
If possible, have genetic testing if your family have a history of breast or ovarian cancer.
Try to have an enhanced screening, tamoxifen, or prophylactic Mastectomy if you have high risk.

Conclusion

There are many signs and symptoms of Breast cancer in women and men. While these signs and symptoms of breast cancer are diagnosed, treatment could help in a fast recovery. Always consult a healthcare provider to find out the symptoms of breast cancer. In India, the highest age-adjusted incidence rates for breast cancer are seen in Delhi, which is followed by Chennai, Bangalore. The breast cancer symptoms in Malayalam speaking region Thiruvananthapuram are seen high after Bangalore.

If you notice early symptoms of breast cancer, get treatment from your Doctor. Moreover, as prevention is better than cure, it is wiser to practice prevention methods.

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FAQ

What is the 1st symptoms of breast cancer?

The first symptom of breast cancer is a lump in the breast or underarms, though many people don't have any initial symptoms of breast cancer.

How can you prevent breast cancer?

One can prevent breast cancer your risk by eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, being physically active, and especially avoiding Smoking and avoiding drinking

Can you live a long life with breast cancer?

Yes, many people diagnosed with breast cancer can live long, fulfilling lives with high survival rates for several stages, like 5-year and 10-year survival rates.

How to check breast cancer at home?

You can see for breast cancer symptoms at home by visually inspecting and feeling your breasts. Juts face forward and see for puckering, dimpling. Check for the changes in the size, shape or symmetry of the breast. Check to look into if your nipples are turned in.

Who is high risk for breast cancer?

People with a higher risk for breast cancer are women who have a family history of breast cancer, aged people, people with some genetic mutations (such as BRCA1 and BRCA2), those who began menstruating early or reached menopause late, and obese people.

Can I live 20 years after breast cancer?

Yes, several people with breast cancer live 20 years or above after diagnosis, particularly with early detection and treatment and advancements in medical care.

Is stage 4 cancer 100% death?

No, stage 4 cancer does not always indicate a 100% death sentence. It is surely a serious diagnosis, but several persons with stage 4 cancer could live for years with treatment.

What age does breast cancer start?

Breast cancer can happen at any age prior to puberty, but it's common in females over 50. But, breast cancer in younger women is not unheard of

What color is breast cancer discharge?

Nipple discharge can be in several colours, like clear, milky, yellow, green, or bloody. The colour alone isn't a definitive sign of breast cancer.

Do your nipples change with breast cancer?

Yes, changes in your nipples, like inversion, discharge, or rash, could be a warning sign of breast cancer. So, you must get medical help if you notice any unusual changes.