4 Signs Of Breast Cancer You May Have Never Heard Of – Sometimes A Lump Isn’t The Only Sign

 

As a follow up to our article last week on Galactorrhea, we have decide to bring you another article on breasts. This time, we will be focusing on the lesser known symptoms on Breast Cancer.

Most women who are diagnosed with breast cancer usually share a common symptom: they usually feel a strange lump that turns out to be cancerous/malignant. But a lump isn’t the only symptom of breast cancer. In fact, preliminary research presented recently at the UK-based National Cancer Research Institute’s 2016 conference suggests that one in six women diagnosed with breast cancer first report a symptom other than a lump. Because there’s not as much awareness of these less common symptoms, the researchers hypothesized that so-called “atypical presentations” could be delaying some women’s diagnoses.

These statistics are shocking. This means that before the lump comes, it is possible that other symptoms may present themselves, and if they are not handled properly, it could mean the difference between detecting Breast Cancer at the first stage to detecting Breast Cancer at a later stage.

Of course, that’s not to say you should stop inspecting your breasts for lumps. In the study, new study, 83 percent of the women who had breast cancer symptoms and were diagnosed found a lump first. But a little more awareness of other signs can’t hurt.

Here are a few of those symptoms to watch out for.

• Dimpling or scaly skin

A rough patch of skin that feels scaly or thicker than usual or skin that starts to dimple can signal breast cancer, according to Dr Michael Weber. With some breast cancers, channels that go from the inside of the breast to the skin become blocked, resulting in skin changes that make the breast look like it’s covered in an orange peel.

• Swelling

Sometimes a lump can be lurking under the surface, even if a woman can’t feel it. This might change the shape or size of a breast, and could even result in some pain, which 6 percent of women in the recent research reported.

• Nipple changes

Some breast cancers will cause what’s called nipple inversion or retraction, in which the nipple turns inward. Typically, that’s because a mass is growing inside the breast and changes its shape, according to Dr Michael Weber. In the recent research, 7 percent of the women who were diagnosed with breast cancer reported nipple abnormalities.

• Nipple discharge

Another possible nipple abnormality can be discharge that’s not breast milk. Nipple discharge is, thankfully, most often not cancer, but it’s important to see a doctor immediately if the discharge comes out without you touching or squeezing the nipple, especially if it’s bloody and only affecting one side.

So have you noticed any of these symptoms lately?

If you have, then SEE YOUR DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY!

Culled from: Womenshealthmag.com.