Symptoms Of Breast Cancer Should You Be Seeing Your Doctor
Breast Cancer Symptoms - Should You Be Seeing Your Doctor? Early on with breast cancer symptoms do not really exist nor is it painful. As there are no early breast cancer symptoms it stresses the importance of a yearly mammogram screening and a monthly self-examination after the age of 40 and even before reaching that age if you are at a higher risk. With monthly self-examinations some women notice a lump under the arm or above the collar bone which does not go away. Also through continuous observation a woman may notice other potential breast cancer symptoms such as discharge from the breast, inversion of the nipple or changes to the skin which overlies the breast. During your self-examinations and continual observation you should on look out for the following and make and appointment with your doctor if you find: · an abnormal lump or thickening in or near the breast or underarm area it is still there for more than a week · a discharge from your breast · a new development in your nipple such as a sudden inversion · new skin changes in your breast. · any change in the size or shape of the breast Most lumps that are found in the breast are not cancerous. However, they do need to be checked and evaluated by your doctor. Swelling or redness in one your breast may be an indication of an infection in the breast tissue. An infection should also be treated promptly so you should see your healthcare provider immediately. You should also visit your nearest healthcare provider if you notice swelling, redness or severe pain in your breast under your shoulder or under your armpit. Although rarely a symptom of breast cancer, discharge from the breast is a common problem. However if the discharge is coming from one breast, or has blood in it, definitely see you doctor. It is also common for nipples to be inverted, however if this as a new development, there is cause for concern and this should also be discussed with your doctor. You may also notice changes to the skin on the breast such as redness, or skin texture changes. Skin diseases can also cause these changes so don't be too alarmed. However you should have this seen by your doctor, as they may also be associated with breast cancer. There are usually several steps involved in the diagnosis of breast cancer such as examination of the breast(s), ultrasonically or mammography. Finally, you may undergo a biopsy which is the only definitive method to diagnose breast cancer. Complete examination of the breast includes a visual inspection and palpitation, including the armpits and the areas around the collarbone. Breast cancer can develop over a period of months or years. Once it has been identified, treatment should be given with some urgency due to the fact that it is difficult to treat if the cancer spreads from the breast to other parts of the body. This is known as "metastasizing".
So-called "DES daughters," born to mothers who used the anti-miscarriage drug diethylstilbestrol during pregnancy, are at a substantially greater risk of developing breast cancer compared to women who were not exposed to the drug in utero. Reporting in the recent issue of the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, a nationwide team of researchers found that DES daughters over age 40 had 1.9 times the risk of developing breast cancer, compared to unexposed women of the same age. They also found that the relative risk of developing the cancer was even greater in DES daughters over age 50, but say the number of older women in their study group is, as yet, too small for a firm statistical comparison....