Breast Cancer mostly occurs in women and rarely in men. A research in 2020 shows that there are 2.3 million women diagnosed with Breast Cancer in which 685,000 have died globally so, breast cancer now has become a very serious concern among women globally. If it is not treated on time then it can be life threatening. Signs of breast cancer in woman can differ depending upon the different types of breast cancers. If you identify the symptoms of breast cancer in early stage then there is a chance to overcome the disease. So here we are to help you gather all the information about the symptoms of breast cancer in women.

What Is Breast Cancer?

Breast cancer is a disease which occurs when breast cells grow uncontrollably and create mass tissue (Tumor). It can grow into the tissues surrounding the breast and can travel to the other parts of the body and form new tumors.

A breast is made of 3 parts, Lobules glands which produce milk, the ducts and tube which carry the milk to the nipple and the connective tissues which hold everything together. There are different types of breast cancers depending upon which cells have been affected. Most of the breast cancers occur on the lobules and ducts.

Who Can Mostly be Affected by Breast Cancer?

Breast cancer is mostly found in women. WHO mentioned that approximately 0.5 to 1% of breast cancers occur in men.

Different Types of Breast Cancers

There are several types of breast cancers. These are:

Ductal Carcinoma In Situ

It’s a non-invasive cancer which does not spread outside of the milk duct. Ductal Carcinoma is a very early cancer which is also known as stage 0 breast cancer. This type of cancer is very much treatable but if it’s left untreated then it can affect the tissues surrounding the breast.

Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (IDC)

It is the most common breast cancer among people. It’s an invasive cancer which begins to form in the milk ducts and spreads beyond the ducts into the breast tissues. The cancer cells also can spread in the other body parts.

Invasive Lobular Cancer (ILC)

This cancer forms in the lobules of the breast where milk gets produced and spreads through the normal tissues surrounding the breast. This type of cancer is the 2nd most common breast cancer among people.

Lobular Carcinoma In Situ (LCIS)

It’s a condition where abnormal cells can be found in the lobules of the breast but have not spread into the surrounding breast tissue. LCIS is absolutely treatable so, on time treatment is required in this case. However, if you have LCIS in any of your breasts then there is a high chance of developing breast cancer in either breasts.

Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC)

It is the most challenging and aggressive type of breast cancer where the cancer cells don’t have the estrogen and progesterone receptors (ER & PR) and also don’t make any HER2 protein or make lesser amounts of HER2 protein. This type of cancer is most difficult to treat. The recent research report suggests that each year more than 280,000 new cases of TNBC are found in the United States.

Inflammatory Breast Cancer

It is the most rare and aggressive breast cancer. In this case the cancer cells infiltrate the skin and lymph vessels of the breast and often don’t produce tumor or lump but when lymph vessels get blocked then symptoms start to appear which cause the breast to look inflamed.

Metastatic Breast Cancer

This type of breast cancer is also known as stage 4 breast cancer. When the cancer cells spread in the other body parts like lungs, liver, bones and brain.

Paget Disease Of The Breast

It is a most rare type of breast cancer which affects the skin of the nipple and around the nipple.

Tubular Carcinoma

Tubular carcinoma is a collection of cells which can feel like a spongy area of the breast. This is a slow growing cancer and usually can be found in women aged above 50 years.

Angiosarcoma

It’s a rare type of breast cancer which begins in the cells that make up the lining of blood and lymph vessels.

Phyllodes Tumors

This type of tumors develop in the connective tissues of the breast. Most of these tumors are non-cancerous but some can be cancerous in some cases.

Signs of Breast Cancer in Woman

Now that you have understood the different types of breast cancers, let’s understand their signs and symptoms one by one. Here, you need to note that the breast cancer symptoms in women can vary from person to person.

Breast Cancer Common Symptoms

• If you feel any lump in your breast or underarm and it doesn’t go away then it can be an early sign of breast cancer.
• If you feel swelling in your armpit or near collarbone this can be a sign of breast cancer.
• If you frequently feel pain and tenderness in your breast then you should consult with your doctor because this can also be an early sign of breast cancer.
• If you see or feel any change in your nipple like nipple that pulls inward, dimples, burns, itches or develops soreness then all these can be symptoms of breast cancer. Further, nipple discharge in breast cancer is the most prominent sign.

These are the most common signs of breast cancer in woman. Now let’s understand the symptoms of different types of breast cancers individually.

Symptoms of Invasive Ductal Carcinoma

Lump in breast and armpit, swelling, nipple discharge, thickness and redness in the breast skin, sore breast, pain in one spot, changes in appearance of nipple all these are symptoms of Invasive Ductal Carcinoma at an early stage.

Symptoms of Ductal Carcinoma in Situ

You may not notice any symptom of this type of breast cancer but in some cases lump in breast and bloody discharge from nipple can be noticed.

Symptoms of Lobular Carcinoma

This is the 2nd most common breast cancer among women. The symptoms of this type of breast cancer are fullness or swelling in the breast area. Flat or point inward nipple is also a prominent symptom of lobular carcinoma.

Symptoms of Lobular Carcinoma in Situ

This type of breast cancer doesn’t have any symptoms and it also can’t be felt during the breast examination. LCIS is often found during the tests of other conditions. For example, your doctor can find LCIS while performing a biopsy to analyze a breast lump.

Symptoms of Metastatic Breast Cancer

The symptoms of this type of cancer depends upon where it has spread. The symptoms of metastatic breast cancer are bone pain, headache, nausea, changes in brain function, yellow skin or eyes (jaundice), double vision, loss of appetite, weight loss, breathing trouble, muscle weakness and belly swelling.

Symptoms of Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Signs/Symptoms of triple Negative Breast Cancer are the same as other common breast cancer symptoms.

Symptoms of Inflammatory Breast Cancer

This type of breast cancer has symptoms like swollen breast, unusual nipple discharge, inverted nipple, thickness in the breast skin, tender, itchy and painful breast and redness in more than one-third area of the breast.

Symptoms of Paget Disease of the Breast

The most prominent symptoms of this disease are the nipple and areola (Dark area around the nipple) skin often look crusted, scaly and red. Bloody and yellow discharge from nipple, inverted nipple, burning and itchy feeling in breast are the other symptoms of Paget Disease.

Symptoms of Angiosarcoma

Lump in breast, change of skin color of breast area into purple that looks like bruise, breast skin that bleeds easily when scratched are the signs of Angiosarcoma.

Symptoms of Phyllodes Tumors

The most common symptom of Phyllodes tumor is painless breast lump. The size of the Phyllodes Tumor ranges between 1 to 45 cm and it can grow very quickly.

Uncommon Breast Cancer Symptoms

There are some unusual symptoms of breast cancer that are uncommon and you may not be knowing about these.

• Breast Puckering
• Changes in Breast size
• Rash on nipple
• Breast pain after menopause

Final Thought

Being diagnosed with breast cancer can be very frightening so, if you or your loved one is suffering from such disease then you must immediately consult with your doctor. We have described each and every possible signs of breast cancer in woman in this article so that you can understand the symptoms of breast cancer at its early stage and take the required action for the same because we believe the right treatment at the right time makes life better.

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