Breast cancer is almost always associated with a lump on the breast. However, that’s not always the case and in some patients, doctors notice no lumps at all. It all depends on the type of cancer a person is suffering from, its stage, and other signs and symptoms.
Most importantly, having certain symptoms does not always mean you are suffering from breast cancer. Many other factors go into the diagnosis apart from the breast cancer symptoms already accounted for. That is why most oncologists at Wockhardt Hospitals root for the early detection of breast cancer to ensure the patient gets the right treatment on time.
To help evaluate things on time, let’s understand the early breast cancer symptoms, including their types, in detail.
What is Breast Cancer, Actually?
Breast cancer is a condition where the breast cells in the body grow abnormally. These cells divide more rapidly compared to other healthy cells and form a lump or a mass. In worst cases, the breast cells may also expand further and reach the lymph nodes or other parts of the body.
Breast cancer mostly begins with cells in the invasive ductal carcinoma or the milk-producing ducts. They may also form in the invasive lobular carcinoma or the glandular tissue. This cancer type mainly happens due to various hormonal, lifestyle and environmental factors.
What Are the Common Breast Cancer Types?
Healthcare professionals have diagnosed multiple types of breast cancers over the years. However, the most common ones are:
Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS)
It is a non-invasive type of breast cancer (stage 0) that occurs when cancer cells form in a particular breast duct. In this case, the cancer cells stay in the same duct and do not spread into the rest of the breast tissue.
HER2-positive Breast Cancer
This is an invasive breast cancer type that makes a lot of extra HER2 protein. These types of breast cancers often grow more quickly as seen in several reports and studies over the years. There are some targeted therapy medicines for these cancer types that help impact the cells making HER2 protein in the human body.
Invasive Ductal Carcinoma
This type of breast cancer generally starts in a breast duct. It is one of the most common forms of breast cancers that impact several individuals worldwide.
Invasive Lobular Carcinoma
Invasive lobular carcinoma generally starts in a milk gland in the breast, which is also called a lobule.
Triple-negative Breast Cancer
In this type of cancer, the cancer cells do not have any receptors for HER2 or for the hormones progesterone and estrogen. Hence, the specific medications that target HER2 cannot work against this type of breast cancer. In some cases, endocrine therapy is recommended to block hormones in the body but that also may not work in triple-negative breast cancer.
Early Symptoms of Breast Cancer Everyone Must Know
As we mentioned earlier, breast cancer can have several symptoms but what matters more is the early signs that can help oncologists provide the best treatments.
A painless lump in breast is one of the first signs associated with breast cancer. However, the primary fact here is that you may not always feel it yourself. Most lumps related to cancer are detected through routine screening with the help of a mammogram.
Most women do not even have the apparent signs of breast cancer at the time of this diagnosis. Tumors are very tiny, especially during the early stages of breast cancer. That is why they are rarely noticeable to the touch of a person or the naked eye.
This is where mammograms come in and help detect the tumor in a breast. That can be done long before people actually start noticing the symptoms and when the cancer is more likely treatable.
In most cases, the tumors can be quite small, almost the size of a pencil, which is around 1 mm. In other cases, they are around 50 mm, which is the size of a lime.
Mammograms can easily spot tumors in the breast on the smaller end of the spectrum, when they can’t yet be seen. However, these tools alone cannot catch every case of breast cancer on their own. That is why it is important for you to pay attention to changes in your breasts because you are the one who is most aware about the changes in your body.
Symptoms of breast tumors vary from one person to another. Some common and very early warning signs of breast cancer are as follows:
- Swelling, redness, or other visible changes in one or both breasts
- An increase in size or change in shape of one of the breasts
- Changes in the appearance of the nipples
- Nipple discharge (instead of breast milk)
- General pain in any other part of the breast
- Nodes or lumps felt on or inside of the breast
Early Invasive Breast Cancer Symptoms
There are some symptoms that are more common in invasive breast cancer, such as:
- Irritated or itchy breasts
- Change in breast color
- Increase in breast shape or size (over a short period of time)
- Changes in touch (may feel tender, hard, or even warm)
- Peeling or flaking of the nipple skin
- Lump in breast or thickening
- Redness or pitting of the breast skin (like orange skin)
However, there is also a chance that benign conditions may have caused the above changes. For example, changes to the breast’s skin texture may be caused by a skin condition like eczema. Meanwhile, swollen lymph nodes may also be caused by an infection in the breast or an unrelated illness. The correct thing to do here is to approach an oncologist at Wockhardt Hospitals for evaluation to determine whether the early sign you notice is cause for concern.
Early Non-invasive Breast Cancer Symptoms
Non-invasive or stage 0 cancer is an early stage of breast cancer. What is implied here is pretty simple: the tumor at this stage is often very small. Given that the size of a tumor is pretty small and is detectable only with a mammogram, it is unlikely for a person to notice any early physical symptoms of breast cancer in the non-invasive case.
Screening Requirements for Early Detection of Blood Cancer
The best way to protect a person from breast cancer is by doing an early screening. Of course, it may not help prevent cancer but it can assist with some early treatment that is less invasive. So, there are three things to keep in mind in terms of early detection and screening:
Breast Self- Awareness
Every individual must check themselves regularly to ensure that they can spot any kind of change immediately. The correct thing to do is to check all parts of the breasts, the armpits, and the collarbone. This can be done once a month or a week after a person gets their period, especially after age 20.
Clinical Breast Exam
This examination involves checking both the breasts and the lymph nodes in the armpits. A clinical breast exam is generally recommended every 3 years between 20 and 30 years of age and every year after someone reaches the age of 40.
Mammography
It refers to an x-ray of the breast to find or detect cancer when it is too small to be felt. It is generally done after age 45 upon advice of the oncologist and based on other personal risk factors. The doctor may also recommend a diagnostic mammogram for further evaluation if any kind of abnormality is detected during the test.
Breast Cancer in Men: What Are the Early Warning Signs?
If you are thinking breast cancer is common only in women, then you are wrong. Men may also get breast cancer. A painless lump or thickening in the breast, chest or underarm area is one of the earliest breast cancer symptoms in men. Any other change in the breast or nipple should also be checked immediately.
Let’s look at the early warning signs in detail for men below:
- Hard knot or thickening in the breast, chest or underarm area (painless and tender, like a lump)
- Change in the breast shape or size
- Puckering, dimpling, or redness of the skin of the breast
- Itchy, rash, or scaly sore on the nipple
- Inverted nipple or nipple discharge (rare)
When or How Soon to See a Healthcare Provider?
Many people may be embarrassed to talk about the changes they see in their breasts or nipples. That is why individuals often miss out on the early breast cancer symptoms that can be noticed easily in most cases. However, putting off those decisions may interfere with a person’s health and may also delay the process of detecting breast cancer on time.
So, the rule is clear: whenever you see any changes in your breasts, underarms, or armpits, consult a doctor immediately. Our oncologists at Wockhardt Hospitals make sure to provide you with accurate treatment options so that you get well soon and return to your normal life.
Book an appointment today for proper diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.
FAQs on Early Warning Signs of Breast Cancer
1. What are the symptoms of breast cancer in men and women?
A lump in breast, nodes, nipple discharge, or increase in the size or shape of the breasts are among the earliest symptoms in both men and women. To get it diagnosed in a better way, it’s recommended to approach an oncologist as soon as possible.
2. How does breast cancer generally start?
Breast cancer generally starts when certain DNA changes or mutations happen in the healthy breast cells. It mostly happens in the milk ducts or lobules, which are also called the milk-producing glands.
3. How does a person’s body feel when they have breast cancer?
A person may have no physical feelings at all, especially during the early stage of breast cancer. When physical changes actually happen, you can see them in the form of breast pain, a lump, or other skin changes.
4. Can I check breast cancer at home?
You may check for early breast cancer symptoms by doing a visual mirror inspection, but you may not be able to detect everything in some cases. So, the correct way is to visit an oncologist and get your screening done.
5. Are there any silent symptoms of breast cancer?
Yes, there are some silent or subtle symptoms of breast cancer. For instance, you may get to see inverted nipples, skin dimpling, and unexplained discharge from the nipples.
