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In the past, breast cancers were often detected when the women or their health care providers feel a lump in the breast. The lumps are in general painless.
However, most breast cancers now are first detected through mammography exams, also known as mammograms. Mammogram is a low-dose x-ray image of the breasts.
Other symptoms of breast cancers include persistent swelling or tenderness of the breasts, redness or scaliness, ulceration or retraction of the nipples. Patients with breast cancer may also observe spontaneous discharges from the nipples. - Don't panic if you observe changes of your breasts. There several benign conditions that may cause your breast to change. For instance, during pregnancy, your breast tissues will change and your breast will become larger. The presence of a breast lump maybe due to cysts or fibroadenomas, which are not cancerous. Consult your doctor if the change is persistent and does not go away after your menstrual cycle.
- Many people mistake that breast pain is the symptom of breast cancer. In fact, most breast tumors are painless and breast pains are most likely due to some noncancerous conditions.
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You can reduce your risk of developing breast cancer by exercising regularly, limiting your alcohol intake, eating a low-fat diet and quitting smoking.
If you are 40 and older, you should have mammogram taken every year to screen for early cancer. This will significantly improve your chance of surviving breast cancer. Patients with breast cancers detected at early stage have a 5-year survival rate of almost 90 to 95% according to the American Cancer Society. - If you have an altered BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, you are very likely to develop breast cancer in your lifetime. Start mammogram screening early and watch out for symptoms of breast cancer.
