What Are Some Signs That Tell You That You Have Breast Cancer?

besides the lump?
& are there any ways to prevent it from happening?


This entry was posted on Monday, January 25th, 2010 at 11:56 pm and is filed under Cancers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

7 Responses to “What Are Some Signs That Tell You That You Have Breast Cancer?”

  1. First, just to correct some misinformation – MOST cancerous breast lumps are not painful, but they can be – mine was.
    Early breast cancer usually has no symptoms at all. The signs and symptoms of possible breast cancer are:
    change in size – one breast may have become noticeably larger or lower
    nipple change – if it becomes inverted (pulled in) or changes its position or shape
    rash – on or around the nipple
    discharge – from one or both nipples
    puckering or dimpling – around nipple
    swelling – in your armpit or around your collarbone (from lymph nodes)
    lump or thickening – that feels different from the rest of the breast tissue – but remember that most breast lumps are not cancerous
    As for prevention – I’m afraid obody knows what causes breast cancer – cancer researchers don’t, so nobody here will. So nobody knows how to prevent it.
    It is a lot easier and less scary for people who haven’t had cancer to ‘blame the victim’ by putting an individual’s cancer down to lifestyle factors like diet than it is for them to accept that cancer is a largely random disease that can strike any of us at any time.
    I once thought that my organic vegan diet would protect me against cancer. It didn’t.
    There ARE recognised risk factors for breast cancer, some preventable, some not. They’re only risk factors though, and most women ticking one or all of the boxes don’t get breast cancer and some women who have none of these risk factors do get breast cancer.
    The risk factors are:
    Genetic – but only 5-10% of breast cancers are genetic/hereditary
    Getting older – the greatest risk factor; 80% of those diagnosed with breast cancer are over 50
    Having children at an older age or not at all. The more children a woman has may also slightly lower her risk. Breast-feeding helps protect against the disease. The longer a woman breastfeeds her children, the more she lowers her risk.
    Starting periods at a younger than average age (under 12) or having a late menopause (after 55)
    .
    Taking the contraceptive pill or hormone replacement therapy (HRT) causes a small increase in risk. However, the risk gradually returns to normal after you stop taking them.
    Being overweight (especially after the menopause).
    Regularly drinking more than 1 unit of alcohol per day slightly increases the risk of breast cancer.
    Having a previous diagnosis of breast cancer increases the risk of developing a new cancer in the other breast.
    As I said though, someone may tick all of these boxes, and never get cancer.

  2. The first symptom of breast cancer for many women is a lump in their breast. But 9 out of 10 breast lumps (90%) are benign. That means they are not cancers. Most benign breast lumps are
    Areas of benign breast change, causing lumpiness that is more obvious just before a period, particularly in women over 35
    Cysts – sacs of fluid in the breast tissue. These are quite common
    Fibroadenoma – a collection of fibrous glandular tissue. These are more common in younger women
    Pain doesn’t usually mean cancer. Many healthy women find that their breasts feel lumpy and tender before a period. And some benign breast lumps are painful. Many women get pain in their breasts for a while, which goes after a time. There may be no obvious reason for the pain, even with lots of tests. Most breast pain is not caused by cancer, but some breast cancers do cause pain, so if you are worried, see your GP.

  3. Prevention may be higher daily doses of vitamin D, and eat your broccoli, and maintain a low fat diet. Signs of breast cancer might be an inverted nipple, nipple discharge, surface redness and irregular surface , pau de orange,. The last two are for inflammatory breast cancer or Paget’s disease of the breast.

  4. Ridin The Storm Out on January 26th, 2010 at 12:08 pm

    Hi- If you find a lump with a self exam, that is a reason to go to the Dr. Also, get yearly Mammograms, if the Physician feels this is necessary. Here are some sites that will help you out. Good luck and take care!

  5. Check your breasts for dimpling of the skin or nipples that are going in rather than out, or anything that looks out of the ordinary (for you).

  6. a diet that is rich in “essential fatty acids” can prevent and sometimes remove breast cancer fibers. Other than massaging your breast and finding a lump, you will need to have a “mamo-gram” women should be checked every so often

  7. Well what I can tell you is that the actual tumor does not hurt. If there is a lump, you can percuss it, pinch it, anything and it won’t hurt, whereas cysts and the like are accompanied with pain.

Leave a Reply