The symptoms of breast cancer will vary depending on the type of cancer, its stage, and whether it has spread to other parts of the body. Each individual may experience symptoms differently. Early breast cancer usually does not cause pain and may cause no symptoms at all. And, some breast cancers never cause symptoms or other indications of a problem.
The most common breast cancer symptoms include:
- A lump or thickening (a mass, swelling, skin irritation, or distortion) in or near the breast or in the underarm area
- A change in the size or shape of the breast
- A change in the color or feel of the skin of the breast, areola, or nipple (dimpled, puckered, red, swollen, or scaly)
- Nipple discharge, erosion, inversion, or tenderness
Early Warning Signs
It is important to detect breast cancer early, when it can be more easily treated. Some of the more common early indicators of breast cancer include:
- A lump or thickening (a mass, swelling, skin irritation, or distortion) in or near the breast or in the underarm area
- A change in the size or shape of the breast
- A change in the color or feel of the skin of the breast, areola, or nipple (dimpled, puckered, red, swollen, or scaly)
- Nipple discharge, erosion, inversion, or tenderness
Make a screening appointment as soon as possible if you have any of these early warning signs of breast cancer.
Cooper provides breast cancer screening without a referral from a primary care physician. For screening information and to make an appointment, click here.
Risk Factors for Breast Cancer
There are several factors that may increase your risk. These risk factors may include:
- A mother, sister or daughter with breast cancer
- Two or more close relatives with breast and/or ovarian cancer, especially under age 50
- Breast cancer in a close male relative
- A breast biopsy showing atypical cells or lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS)
- Ashkenazi (Eastern European) Jewish descent with a family history of breast and/or ovarian cancer
- Known or suspected genetic mutations
- Prior radiation to the neck or chest
Though you may not be able to control all of your risk factors for breast cancer, there are some of the things you can do to reduce your risk, including:
- Eat a healthy diet
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Exercise regularly
- Limit alcohol
- Refrain from smoking
- Avoid hormone replacement therapy for menopause
- Conduct breast self-examinations monthly
- Get screened regularly, especially if you have a family history of breast cancer or are at a higher risk
What to Look for in a Self-Examination
In addition to regular screening if you have any risk factors for breast cancer, you can conduct self-examinations frequently. A combination of regular screening and monthly self-examinations can increase the chance of catching breast cancer early, when it is more easily treated.
Here are the steps to perform a breast self-examination:
- While looking in the mirror, stand up straight with your hands on your hips. Look at the size and shape of your breasts as well as the color.
- Now raise your arms over your heads and look for any changes in your breasts.
- Lying down, put your left arm under your head and use your right hand to feel your left breast. Press firmly on your breast with your fingertips and make a small circular motion. Repeat the circular motion all over the breast and include your collarbone, armpit and top of your abdomen. Then switch arms to check your other breast.
- Standing straight or sitting with your left arm raised, use your right hand to feel your left breast. Press firmly on your breast with your fingertips and make a small circular motion. Repeat the circular motion all over the breast and include your collarbone, armpit and top of your abdomen. Then switch arms to check your other breast.
Symptoms by Type
There are many different types of breast cancer. Their symptoms may vary depending on the type of breast cancer as well as the severity. Some types of breast cancer have unique symptoms here are symptoms of some of the more common types of breast cancer
Ductal Carcinoma
The most common type of breast cancer begins in the lining of the ducts and is called ductal carcinoma.
Common symptoms for ductal carcinoma include:
- A lump or thickening (a mass, swelling, skin irritation, or distortion) in or near the breast or in the underarm area
- A change in the size or shape of the breast
- A change in the color or feel of the skin of the breast, areola, or nipple (dimpled, puckered, red, swollen, or scaly)
- Nipple discharge, erosion, inversion, or tenderness
Lobular Carcinoma
Another common type of breast cancer, called lobular carcinoma, occurs in the lobules (milk-producing glands).
Common symptoms of lobular carcinoma include:
- A change in the size or shape of the breast
- A change in the color or feel of the skin of the breast, areola, or nipple (dimpled, puckered, red, swollen, or scaly)
- Recent nipple inversion
Inflammatory Breast Cancer
Inflammatory breast cancer is a rare but aggressive form of invasive breast cancer. Common symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer include:
- Redness and feeling of warmth on the skin of the breast
- Breast skin that appears thick and pitted, much like an orange peel
Triple Negative Breast Cancer
Triple negative breast cancers are those that do not have estrogen receptors and progesterone receptors, and do not have an excess of the HER2 protein on the cancer cell surfaces. These breast cancers tend to occur more often in younger women and in African-American women.
Common symptoms of triple negative breast cancer include:
- A lump or thickening (like a mass)
- Redness or pain in the breast
- Nipple discharge or inversion
Metastatic Breast Cancer
Cancer that spreads is the same disease and has the same name as the original, or primary cancer. When breast cancer spreads, it is called metastatic breast cancer, even though the secondary tumor is in another organ. This may also be called "distant" disease.
Metastatic breast cancer can spread to many different regions of the body and include different symptoms depending on the area the cancer has spread to. The most common regions where metastatic breast cancer can spread, and their symptoms, include:
- Lymph nodes
- Lump or swelling in the armpit, arm, hand, collarbone area or breastbone (sternum)
- Liver
- Feeling of discomfort or pain in the midsection
- Fever
- Weight loss
- Decreased appetite
- Fatigue/weakness
- Yellowish color on the skin or the whites of the eyes
- Lungs
- Feeling of discomfort of pain in the lungs
- Shortness of breath
- Coughing
- Wheezing
- Coughing up blood and mucus
- Brain
- Headache
- Changes in memory, mood or personality
- Slurred speech
- Dizziness
- Blurred vision
- Balance problems
- Seizures
- Stroke
- Bones
- Severe pain that comes on suddenly
- Difficulty moving
- Back or neck pain, weakness or numbness
- Fatigue/weakness
- Nausea
- Decreased appetite
- Dehydration
- Difficulty urinating or passing bowel movements
Contact Us
To make an appointment with a breast cancer expert at MD Anderson at Cooper, call 855.MDA.COOPER (855.832.2667).