Early breast cancer doesn’t always have symptoms you notice. As the tumor grows, though, you may see or feel breast changes, including:
- Lump. You may see or feel a lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm area.
- Change in size. You might notice a change in the size or shape of the breast.
- Dimples. Sometimes the skin of the breast dimples or puckers.
- Inverted nipple. Take note if your nipple seems to be turned inward.
- Discharge. Fluid coming from the nipple, especially if it’s bloody, shouldn’t be ignored
- Scaly, red, or swollen skin. See your doctor if you see skin changes on the breast, nipple, or areola (the dark area of skin at the center of the breast), including ridges or pitting so the skin looks like an orange.
If you notice these symptoms and they don’t go away, be sure to see your healthcare provider. Many times, these signs are not due to cancer, or another health problem could be causing them. Whatever the case, the sooner you know, the sooner you can stop worrying or the situation can be resolved.
Next to skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common type cancer that develops in women. Men also get breast cancer, although this is still extremely rare.
Cancer always starts in the cells, which make up the tissue that is found in the breast and throughout the body. Cells have a life of their own – they grow and mature and eventually die off, at which point they’re replaced.
Sometimes, though, something goes haywire – new cells might form even though the body doesn’t need them, and sometimes old or damaged cells don’t die off as they’re supposed to.
When this happens, cells start growing wild. All the extra cells build up and form a mass of some sort that’s called a lump, growth a tumor.
Tumors in the breast can be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer).
Benign tumors are generally not harmful. Malignant or cancerous tumors, though, can invade nearby tissue and spread to the lymph nodes and other areas of the body. When cancer spreads, this is known as metastasis.
Men do develop breast cancer, and it’s very similar to the disease seen in women. It starts either in the ducts or the lobules, forms tumors and can spread from there. Male breast cancer is rare, accounting for only about one percent of all breast cancers diagnosed.
Every cancer diagnosis is different, just as every person who is diagnosed with cancer is different. Cancer knows no barriers to race, age, or social group. However there is one thing that each and every person who is diagnosed with cancer will have in common: help with fighting and beating the disease.
Life after being diagnosed with cancer will be different for everyone. Some people will have minimal disease and it will be a short chapter of their lives, while others will have a diagnosis that will change the course of the rest of their lives. Cancer diagnoses can change relationships, your routines, your work and home life. One thing is certain, no one person’s experience will be exactly the same. There are however, plenty of resources to learn about what life was like for other people, and what they did to achieve balance, maintain their health and personal life, keep peace of mind, and enjoy their lives with or after cancer.
Clinical Trials
The search for a cure for cancer is an ongoing, constant battle. Clinical trials are the basis upon which new treatments and medications are proven to help the fight against cancer, or if researchers should pursue another tactic. The advancement of medicine depends on willing and able cancer patients to volunteer for experimental treatments so that future generations will have proven and effective cures. Not every patient with cancer will be eligible for a clinical trial, as the scientific method needs specific patients with specific types of cancers. However, patients who are selected for trials may benefit from being at the cutting edge of new research, and gain time they otherwise might not have had.
The National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health has a comprehensive database of over 10,000 ongoing clinical trials that both help advance medicine and help patients.
Financial Help
Unfortunately, cancer treatment can be costly, even if a patient has very comprehensive health insurance. For patients who do not have health insurance, the cost of treatment may seem insurmountable. Fortunately many pharmaceutical companies offer cost assistance to help make treatment more affordable. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network has compiled a Virtual Reimbursement Room where patients can find information for accessing financial help with their treatment costs.
Breast cancer is diagnosed using a number of different methods. And along with diagnosing the disease itself, additional testing will be performed to determine the type of breast cancer it is. Clinical breast exam Your healthcare provider exams both of your breasts, underarms and collarbone area for lumps, dimpling, rashes or redness. Your nipple will be examined for discharge or scaly patches. Lumps the size of a pea can be detected with this method. Benign lumps are usually smooth, soft, round and easily moved, whereas a cancerous lump often is hard, has an odd shape and doesn’t move.
Mammogram
- Mammograms take an x-ray picture of your breast which reveals the inside of the tissue. They can pick up a lump before it can be felt. They also show clusters of small specks of calcium called microcalcifications.
- Lumps and specks can be from cancer, precancerous cells or other conditions, such as scarring. As a result of this uncertainty, additional tests are needed to diagnose breast cancer. Mammography is recommended for all women at some point in their lives. Talk to your doctor about developing a breast cancer screening program that’s best for you.
Other imaging tests
If an abnormal area is found during a clinical breast exam or with a mammogram, the doctor may order other imaging tests:
- Ultrasound. This painless test uses sound waves to create pictures of suspicious areas. An ultrasound can see if the lump solid, filled with fluid, in which case it’s a cyst, or a mixture of both. Cysts usually aren’t cancer, while solid lumps may be.
- MRI. The detailed pictures produced by an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) show the difference between normal and diseased tissue.
Biopsy
- Cancer is diagnosed following a biopsy, which involves removing tissue from the lump and looking for cancer cells. A biopsy is the only way to tell for sure if cancer is present.
- There are several different types of biopsies performed. And your healthcare provider will refer you to a specialist to perform the procedure.
According to the American Cancer Society, some 229,060 women and 2,190 men in the United States are expected to learn they have breast cancer this year.
Of all these people, 99 percent of them will be alive in five years (5-year survival rate) if the cancer has not moved outside the breast.
However, breast cancer will take the lives 39, 920 women and 410 men in this country this year.
Surgery is the most common treatment for breast cancer. Your doctor can explain each type, discuss and compare the benefits and risks and describe how each will change the way you look:
- Breast-sparing surgery. This is an operation to remove the cancer but not the entire breast. It’s also called breast-conserving surgery, lumpectomy or a segmental or partial mastectomy. Sometimes an excisional biopsy is the only surgery a woman needs because the surgeon removed the whole lump during that procedure.
- Mastectomy. This operation removes the entire breast (or as much of the breast tissue as possible). In some cases, a skin-sparing mastectomy may be an option. For this approach, the surgeon removes as little skin as possible.
Surgery is the most common treatment for breast cancer. Your doctor can explain each type, discuss and compare the benefits and risks and describe how each will change the way you look:
- Breast-sparing surgery. This is an operation to remove the cancer but not the entire breast. It’s also called breast-conserving surgery, lumpectomy or a segmental or partial mastectomy. Sometimes an excisional biopsy is the only surgery a woman needs because the surgeon removed the whole lump during that procedure.
- Mastectomy. This operation removes the entire breast (or as much of the breast tissue as possible). In some cases, a skin-sparing mastectomy may be an option. For this approach, the surgeon removes as little skin as possible.
Life after being diagnosed with cancer will be different for everyone. Some people will have minimal disease and it will be a short chapter of their lives, while others will have a diagnosis that will change the course of the rest of their lives. Cancer diagnoses can change relationships, your routines, your work and home life. One thing is certain, no one person’s experience will be exactly the same. There are however, plenty of resources to learn about what life was like for other people, and what they did to achieve balance, maintain their health and personal life, keep peace of mind, and enjoy their lives with or after cancer.
Your experience with cancer will depend on the type of cancer you have, your choices of treatment and the lifestyle you lead. Be sure to speak with your Doctor about the side effects of your disease and the treatments you choose. Your Doctor will be able to consult with you on realistic lifestyle expectations.