Like a lot of cancers, breast cancer grows by simple cell division. It begins as one malignant cell, which then divides and becomes two bad cells, which divide again and become four bad cells, and so on. Breast cancer has to divide 30 times before it can be felt. Up to the 28th cell division, neither you nor your doctor can detect it by hand.
With most breast cancers, each division takes one to two months, so by the time you can feel a cancerous lump, the cancer has been in your body for two to five years. It can certainly seem like a lump appeared out of nowhere – especially if you or your doctor have recently examined your breasts and not felt anything suspicious – but in reality, the cancer has simply doubled that one last time necessary to be noticeable. By the time you can feel it, a breast tumor is usually a little more than one-half inch in size – about a third the size of a golf ball. It has also been in your body long enough to have had a chance to spread.
This sounds scary, but what it really underscores is the importance of regular mammograms. These screening tests can usually detect breast cancer when it’s about one-quarter inch in size or smaller – a year or more before it would be detectable by hand. Mammograms also make possible the early diagnosis of some pre-cancerous conditions and early-stage cancers that appear as tiny calcifications (microcalcifications) on mammography, but aren’t detectable by physical examination.
You have a choice to use natural remedies to treat cold and cough and do not have to rely medicine at first instinct when you fall sick.
Breast cancer can present itself in many different ways through a variety of symptoms. For example, you may find a suspicious lump that sticks out from the rest of the breast tissue, but the lump is soft instead of hard or rounded instead of irregularly sized, or even painful. These cases may also be signs of breast cancer and should not be ignored simply because they do not fit the “hard, irregular-shaped, and painless” description.
Breast cancer doesn’t always have signs you can see or feel. That’s why screening tools such as mammograms are so important. Here are some uncommon signs of breast cancer to be aware of.
Leaking Nipple
In one study, tests on the fluid coming from their nipples suggested cancer. Mammograms found small, widespread spots due to intraductal carcinoma, an early form of breast cancer. But it’s a lot more likely that this symptom is not a sign of breast cancer. A study of hundreds of women found that nipple discharge was not strongly linked with the disease. You may have another issue, like galactorrhea, a milky discharge caused by a higher level of the hormone prolactin.
A lot of women fear cancer if they see a blood stain in their bra or a smear of blood on a nipple. Sometimes they’re right: It could be a sign of breast cancer. However, it’s usually harmless. There are many reasons you might have a bleeding nipple, or bloody nipple discharge. Unless you know exactly why your nipple is bleeding (for instance, because of a sports bra), mention this symptom to your doctor at your next visit.
Swollen Lymph Nodes Lymph nodes are clusters of cells that help your body filter out and destroy bacteria, viruses, and other harmful things that can make you sick. It’s rare, but they can also swell when you have cancer. In the case of breast cancer, swollen lymph nodes may appear near the armpit or collarbone. You may even notice them before a breast tumor is big enough to feel. Any time you have a swollen lymph node, especially if it’s near the armpit or collarbone, play it safe and get checked out by your doctor.
Itchy Nipple & Skin Irritation Itchy nipples are common, and they usually get better on their own or with anti-itch creams. However, Paget’s disease is an exception. This rare form of breast cancer starts on the nipple and extends to the surrounding skin, called the areola. It can look like other skin conditions, such as dermatitis or eczema. It’s easy to mistake it for those common problems at first. Be sure to follow up promptly with your doctor if your itching doesn’t go away with simple treatments.
Tender, Swollen Breasts
There are several reasons you could have this symptom. Infection is a common one. Less often, inflammatory breast cancer is the cause. This rare cancer doesn’t often form a lump. Instead, your breast may go through rapid changes and become:
Visibly larger
Discolored (red or purplish)
Unusually warm
Dimpled, like an orange peel
Tender or painful
In inflammatory breast cancer, the cancer cells clog the breast’s lymph ducts, which normally drain extra fluid away. The blockage leads to fluid build-up that causes those classic symptoms.
Here are some other common symptoms that may indicate beginning signs of breast cancer:
Swollen lymph nodes under the arm or around the collarbone. Breast tissue covers the area under the arms and into the collarbone, and sometimes breast cancer can spread to the lymph nodes in these areas before the original breast tumor is even large enough to be felt.
Breast or nipple pain.
Nipple retraction. You may feel like your breast skin is being pulled inward, and you may notice that your nipple is actually pulling inward too.
Redness, scaliness, or thickening of the nipple or breast skin.
Nipple discharge. The discharge can include anything other than breast milk, and usually occurs without the breast being squeezed, or only on one breast.
Breast cancer symptoms vary widely. From the commonly known lumps to swelling to skin changes , there are many breast cancers with no obvious symptoms at all. In some cases, a lump may be too small for you to feel or to cause any unusual changes you can notice on your own. We strongly encourage regular checks, minimally once annually. Mammograms are great and they can be such a life saver for early diagnosis of some pre-cancerous conditions and early-stage cancers.
Tags: #breast, #nipple, #cancer, #lymphnodes, #scaliness, #skn, #mammograms, #early, #skinirritation, #leakingnip, #cancerouslump, #irregular, #lump
Commentaires