Signs Of Breast Cancer That Aren’t A Lump
For decades, the medical community and the media have waged an effective awareness campaign about the signs and symptoms of breast cancer, educating the public about the importance of diligently monitoring their breasts for lumps. And the tactic has worked. Early detection has contributed to a 39 percent decline in breast cancer deaths in women from 1989 to 2015, according to the American Cancer Society. While thats an important step forward, many other abnormalities that may also indicate breast cancer are lesser known and discussed. Some, then, may be led to assume that no lump and no tumor mean no cancer, but that may be a dangerous conclusion to draw.
The majority of the publicity assigned to breast cancer is a lump, and the majority of patients might feel a mass in the breast, but there are definitely other symptoms besides a lump, says Ricardo H. Alvarez, MD, MSc, who leads the Breast Cancer Center Institute at Cancer Treatment Centers of America® . Visual changes may be especially key in helping detect breast cancer early.
You can see a lot of things just by looking at your breasts in the mirror. When your arms are by your side, you don’t always see everything. Put your hands on your hips or raise them up. Having arms in two different positions while looking is also helpful.– Cynthia Lynch, MD, Medical Oncologist at our hospital near Phoenix
When Should I Call My Healthcare Provider About A Breast Lump
Breast tissue is naturally lumpy. If the lumpiness feels like the rest of your breast, or like your other breast, you probably dont need to worry. Call your healthcare provider if you notice:
- An unusual lump or mass in your breast or under your arm that feels harder than the rest of the breast or is different on one side as compared to the other.
- Other breast changes including nipple inversion , dimpled skin, or bloody/clear nipple discharge.
- Redness, pain or focal tenderness in your breast.
- Nipple changes such as excoriation or scaling.
Breast lumps have many causes. Most of the time, theyre not cancer. If you feel a breast lump or any other change in your breast, talk to your healthcare provider. They can figure out the cause of the lump and if you need treatment. Dont put off taking care of your breast health. If the lump is cancer, treatment is most successful if started early.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 01/14/2021.
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Warning Signs Of Breast Cancer
The warning signs of breast cancer are not the same for all women.
The most common signs are:
- A change in the look or feel of the breast OR
- A change in the look or feel of the nipple OR
- Nipple discharge
If you have any of the warning signs described below, see a health care provider .
If you dont have a provider, one of the best ways to find a good one is to get a referral from a trusted family member or friend.
If thats not an option, call your health department, a clinic or a nearby hospital. If you have insurance, your insurance company may also have a list of providers in your area.
Learn more about finding a health care provider.
In most cases, these changes are not cancer.
One example is breast pain. Pain is more common with benign breast conditions than with breast cancer, but the only way to know for sure is to get it checked.
If the change turns out to be breast cancer, its best to find it at an early stage, when the chances of survival are highest.
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Metastatic Breast Cancer & Pain
Metastatic breast cancer may also cause pain. It could be from a larger tumorthese are often over two centimeters in diameteror pain in other regions of the body due to the spread of cancer. If breast cancer spreads to your bones, it may cause bone pain in your chest, or back pain with leg weakness. If cancer spreads to your brain, it may cause headaches.
If breast cancer travels to the adrenal glands, you may feel a dull back pain. If your breast cancer spreads to your liver, you could have pain in the upper right part of the abdomen and develop jaundice .
How Can I Care For My Breast Infections At Home
While receiving treatment for infection, you can also take steps to relieve uncomfortable symptoms at home:
- Warm compresses may ease pain and help lactation. Try applying a warm, wet washcloth to the infected area for 15 minutes, four times a day.
- Empty the breast well.
- Anti-inflammatory medications, such as ibuprofen , may help relieve pain.
- Use varied positions to breastfeed.
- If possible, avoid prolonged engorgement before breastfeeding. Feed or pump when its time.
Meeting with a lactation consultant to alter your breastfeeding technique or position may help prevent the infection from returning.
If youre breastfeeding, use these tips to reduce your chances of developing a breast infection:
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What Happens At An Appointment For A Breast Lump
If you feel a lump or anything unusual in your breast, see your healthcare provider. Heres what you can expect at the initial appointment:
- Health history: Your healthcare provider asks you about your symptoms, medical history and family history.
- Breast exam : These imaging scans provide detailed views of the breast.
- Discussion about other tests you might need: Your healthcare provider may want to examine the lump further.
How To Check Your Breasts For Lumps
Weve covered the seven more unusual symptoms of breast cancer to look out for, but the most common symptom is a lump in the breast.
It is crucial you keep checking your breasts for lumps regularly.
Most breast lumps dont turn out to be cancer, but if you find a lump you should see a doctor immediately.
Make checking your breasts part of your regular routine, you can do it while youre in the shower, or while youre getting dressed.
You should feel all around your breasts, from your underboob all the way up to your armpits and collarbone.
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Breast Changes Of Concern
Some breast changes can be felt by a woman or her health care provider, but most can be detected only during an imaging procedure such as a mammogram, MRI, or ultrasound. Whether a breast change was found by your doctor or you noticed a change, its important to follow up with your doctor to have the change checked and properly diagnosed.
Check with your health care provider if your breast looks or feels different, or if you notice one of these symptoms:
- Lump or firm feeling in your breast or under your arm. Lumps come in different shapes and sizes. Normal breast tissue can sometimes feel lumpy. Doing breast self-exams can help you learn how your breasts normally feel and make it easier to notice and find any changes, but breast self-exams are not a substitute for mammograms.
- Nipple changes or discharge. Nipple discharge may be different colors or textures. It can be caused by birth control pills, some medicines, and infections. But because it can also be a sign of cancer, it should always be checked.
- Skin that is itchy, red, scaled, dimpled or puckered
I Found A Breast Lump On Self
I was watching videos on Youtube and came across a video by a breast cancer survivor. In that video, she showed how to conduct a self-breast examination. Curiously, I followed the instructions, and I was surprised to find a lump! For a second, I thought it could just be my imagination, but it was still there the next day. However, I had no pain, discharge, or any other abnormal symptoms.
I had been using the Your Doctors Online application for more than a month at that point, so I logged in and got connected with Dr. Honaker. He calmed me down and took a detailed personal and family history. After I had described what the lump felt like in detail, he told me the likely cause was a fibroadenoma, a noncancerous breast lump. Because I didnt have any symptoms, the lump didnt require treatment.
After the consultation, I finally managed to book an appointment with my GP as well. She further confirmed that it was a fibroadenoma. Your Doctors Online never fails to impress me with their quick and thorough diagnosis. Calla.
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The Breast Cancer Centers At Ctca
At the Breast Cancer Centers at each of our CTCA® hospitals, located across the nation, our cancer experts are devoted to a single missiontreating breast cancer patients with compassion and precision. Each patients care team is led by a medical oncologist and coordinated by a registered oncology nurse, who helps track the various appointments, follow up on tests and answer questions that come up along the way. Your care team also may include a breast surgeon, radiation oncologist, radiologist, pathologist and a plastic and reconstructive surgeon with advanced training in helping patients restore function and appearance. Fertility preservation and genetic testing are also available for qualifying patients who need them.
Our pathologists and oncologists are experienced and trained in tools designed to diagnose, stage and treat different types of breast cancer, from early-stage ductal carcinoma in situ to complex diseases such as triple-negative and inflammatory breast cancer. As part of our patient-centered care model, which is designed to help you keep strong during treatment, your multidisciplinary care team may recommend various evidence-informed supportive therapies, such as naturopathic support, psychosocial support, nutritional support, physical and occupational therapy and pain management. The entire team works together with a whole-person focus, which is at the heart of our centers dedication to personalized and comprehensive care.
What Are The Symptoms Of Breast Cysts
Breast cysts can feel soft or hard and can be any size, ranging from a few millimetres to several centimetres. Theyre usually oval or round in shape and can develop quickly anywhere in the breast. For some people, cysts can feel uncomfortable and even painful. Before a period, cysts may become larger and feel sore and tender as hormone levels change. However, many women can have cysts and not be able to feel them at all.
Although much more common in women, men can also get breast cysts.
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If You Can Move The Lump Around Does That Mean It Isnt Cancer
Early detected breast cancer is often mobile, meaning that it can be moved within the breast tissue. This is actually a good sign, because cancerous lumps that are fixed to the skin of the breast or the chest wall are often associated with a more advanced cancer that has involved other parts of the breast, not just the fatty tissue. Mobile breast lumps have a greater chance of being surgically removed, and you should bring them to your doctors attention immediately.
Cancer Tumors Versus Cysts And Fibroadenomas
Cysts, which are fluid-filled lumps, are common in the breast and are benign. They form when fluid builds up inside breast glands, and tend to be smooth or round. Fibroadenomas, which are benign tumors made up of glandular and connective breast tissue, are usually smooth and firm or rubbery to the touch. Both of these conditions tend to affect younger women fibroadenomas are most common in women in their 20s and 30s, and cysts are most common in women under 40.
Despite these common descriptions, it is impossible to tell by touch whether a lump is cancer.
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Breast Pain And Breast Cancer In Men
As with breast cancer in women, breast cancer in men is often painless. That said, it tends to push on nearby structures more rapidly than a tumor would in most women. In addition, hormone-induced breast pain is also, of course, less likely to occur in men. If you are a man experiencing breast pain, play it safe. Breast cancer can and does occur in men, and though only one in 100 breast cancers occurs in men, that’s still far too frequent.
Breast Pain And Tenderness
Breast pain and tenderness is very common and is usually not cancer. For people experiencing only breast pain, it is cancer in just 1 to 3 out of 100 people .
Cyclical breast pain comes and goes in relation to your period and is the most common kind of breast pain, affecting about 7 out of 10 people . It is a pattern of pain that typically occurs during the luteal phase with each menstrual cycle. Cyclical breast tenderness is a sign that ovulation has occurred and is typically experienced in the 5-10 days leading up to the start of a period, but goes away after the period starts . It is most often described as aching, heavy, and tender, but can also feel sharp or shooting .
Pain that is not cyclical could be due to something in the breast or ribcage like inflammation, infection, or injury, or could be a sign of cancer . Non-cyclical breast pain that is persistently in one spotâespecially if there is also a breast lumpâshould be evaluated by a healthcare provider .
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Breast Lumps Caused By Injuries
The common breast lumps that develop as a result of injuries include seroma and breast hematomas. The injuries involved may be due to physical trauma or breast surgery.
Breast hematomas
A breast hematomas refers to a collection of blood within a localized area within the breast as a result of from internal bleeding . Symptoms usually include breast pain, lumpy swelling and visible discoloring on the breast.
It is usually caused by trauma but may sometimes result from a non-traumatic cause. The trauma makes tiny blood vessels in the breast rupture, causing an area of localized bleeding in the breast.
Seroma
A seroma is a sac of clear fluid that may develop in the breast tissue after surgery or injury. The fluid is made up of a fluid produced by the injured cells and blood plasma that seeps out of burst small blood vessels in the breast tissue.
A seroma can occur in any part of the body. Usually, the body will absorb the fluid gradually over several days or weeks. However, a knot of hardened tissue sometimes remains in the affected area.
Lump In Breast Before Period During Pregnancy Or Breastfeeding
Usually, breast lumps that occur before or during period are breast cysts. They are triggered by hormonal changes related to the menstrual cycle.
Lumps due to clogged milk ducts are very common among women during pregnancy, especially in the third trimester. By this time, the breasts are undergoing changes for milk production after birth.
On the other hand, breast lumps that occur during breastfeeding are generally related to infections. Breastfeeding may irritate the nipples, areola and the surrounding area. As a result, bacteria may enter the breast through the tiny skin breaks or cracks due to the irritation.
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What Are The Causes Of Breast Lumps
Causes of breast lumps include:
- Changes in the breast tissue : Tiny, fluid-filled sacs and fibrous tissue feel like lumps.
- Breast cysts: Fluid-filled sacs form when fluid becomes trapped in the milk ducts. Cysts are common in premenopausal women.
- Fibroadenomas: This benign lump is the most common breast tumor in young women . Fibroadenomas are most common during a persons reproductive years.
- Breast infection: An infection in the breast tissue can cause a lump.
- Breast cancer: A tumor growing in the breast tissue causes a lump.
What Does A Tumor Feel Like Under The Skin
Lumps, tumors and all sorts of things one can feel in the breast can feel surprisingly similar: firm, as opposed to the normal, more spongy tissue of the breast. They are often irregularly shaped as opposed to a sphere or ball shape. Lumps are also usually mobile within the breast, and can be moved around within the breast.
However, its important to note that this can vary from person to person. Ultimately, anytime you feel something thats different from what your normal breast tissue feels like, or if you notice anything that generally feels unusual, you should speak to her medical team about that.
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What Is Sclerosing Adenosis
Sclerosing adenosis is excess growth of tissues in the breast’s lobules. This often causes breast pain. While these changes in the breast tissue are very small, they may show up on mammograms as calcifications and can make lumps. Usually a biopsy is needed to rule out cancer. In addition, because the condition can be mistaken for cancer, the lumps are usually removed through surgical biopsy.
How Can I Maintain Good Breast Health
Pay attention to your body. If you notice changes or something feels off, talk to your healthcare provider. Ways to keep your breasts healthy:
- Be aware of breast changes and report any concerns to your healthcare provider.
- Talk to your healthcare provider about screening options.
- Know your breast density and how it may affect your mammogram.
- Report changes in your family history to your provider every year.
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Breast Or Nipple Pain
Breast cancer can cause changes in skin cells that lead to feelings of pain, tenderness, and discomfort in the breast. Although breast cancer is often painless, it is important not to ignore any signs or symptoms that could be due to breast cancer.
Some people may describe the pain as a burning sensation.
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