Do yourself a favor by knowing the condition of your breasts. This can be done through the use of mammography screening and other screening tests. Additionally, you can also analyze your breasts on a daily basis through self-screening, but this doesn’t take the place of medical screening tests. This act involves feeling your breasts for any abnormality like a lump or observing any ominous signs and symptoms of breasts cancer. Early detection of breast cancer offers possibilities of successful treatment for breast cancer
However how much early screening is encouraged to detect and curb the cancerous cells before they advance, not all breasts cancer can be ascertained through mammography. Often, breast cancer signs and symptoms vary across women and knowing the possible flags can be the difference between different breast cancer treatment options. Common symptoms include new lamp mass that can be painful and hard, nipple discharge, change in the look of nipple and breast in general. But breast cancer can also exhibit in other forms. They can be as smooth as normal but painful. Because of that, regular diagnosis and screening are emphasised.
Looking for the following signs of breast cancer can give you an insight of what is really happening with your breasts.
Lump
It’s normal for women breast’s to feel lumpy and bumpy. For this reason, there is no cause to worry if the lumpiness is regular on both breasts. However, a slight change in the size, shape and texture of the lump are a concern you should check. Although this is a high chance of breast cancer, it can also be a possibility of mild breast condition. Just to clear any anxious thoughts, you will have to consult a breast cancer specialist who’ll further examine you and explain what’s really going on with your breast. In treatment for breast cancer, lumps are often surgically removed through a process called lumpectomy.
Swelling
When you notice your breast has a swelling that is abnormal, you should probably go for breast cancer check-up. Generally, the breast might appear perfectly normal in the early stages of breast cancer, but the presence of swell on and around the breast area can indicate an advanced cancer stage. Swelling breasts is brought about by cancerous lymph nodes, which block body fluids to flow causing a condition known as lymphedema. To avoid all this and possibly avoid undergoing treatment for breast cancer, observe any changes in your breast on a regular basis, even the slightest change.
Coloring
As earlier mentioned, a lump or a swelling in the breast can mean two things. Either it’s a normal breast infection or a dangerous cancerous cell developing. But if you see a change in color of your breasts, have it checked. Usually, this change in color will be caused by a common breast infection called mastitis, which is treated with antibiotics. In case your symptoms persist, return a breast cancer doctor who will probably recommend another diagnosis to see the extent of the infection.
Dimpling
Puckering and dimpling of the breast might be an indication of breast condition called fat necrosis. This is a condition that develops when damaged fatty tissues form a lump on the breast, which is often mistaken for a tumor. When these damaged tissues occur near the breast surface, rashes develop on and around the breast with ring-shaped dimples around the nipple. Although these signs may not be a precursor to cancer, it’s still important that you get tested to make sure it isn’t a sign of inflammatory breast cancer. This type of cancer develops when the lymph nodes block and limit the flow of blood and fluids.
Although there other signs and symptoms of breast cancers apart from these, some might be visible than others, warranting expedite breast cancer care. Treatment for breast cancer can be as painful as any other cancer treatment. So, to avoid going through this ordeal, do your regular self-breast assessments, and keep track of any changes in your breast.