Learn The BasicsBreast cancer symptoms may not always be apparent to patients, especially if the cancer is still in an early stage. When symptoms do occur, they can vary widely and may appear in the breast itself, nearby lymph nodes, or, in advanced cases, other parts of the body.
These may include a lump or lumps in the breast or lymph nodes in the armpit, an inward turn in the nipple and changes in the overall appearance of the breast, like its overall shape and size.
There may also be less common symptoms of breast cancer, like a blood-stained or clear fluid discharge from the nipple, changes in the color of the skin of the breast or changes in its texture like peeling, scaling, crusting or flaking. Some patients with BC may experience pain in the breast or lymph nodes, which does not go away.
Common symptoms of breast cancer
Early signs of breast cancer may include a new lump in the breast or swelling in nearby lymph nodes, most commonly in the armpit. In the very early stages, changes may not be able to be noticed by touch and can only be detected via a mammogram. That is why it is important that women over the age of 50 undergo regular mammograms to check for early stage breast cancer. Some women are screened earlier based on shared decision-making with their healthcare provider.
Lumps in the breasts may also have other causes, like fibrocystic breast condition and cysts. However, any new lumps should be checked by a doctor to find out whether or not they are cancerous.
Other common symptoms of breast cancer may include a change in the size, shape or general feel of the breast.
A common breast cancer symptom is a nipple that turns inward. But there may be other changes in the look or feel of the nipple, like sinking or flattening, that may be a sign of breast cancer.
In some cases, the breast may be swollen and red or appear darker on the surface.
Less common symptoms of breast cancer
Discharge from the nipple in people who are not pregnant or breastfeeding may be a sign of breast cancer in some cases. This discharge may be clear, yellow or brown in color and may or may not contain blood.
Skin changes caused by breast cancer may include puckering, dimpling, redness, rash, thickening, or a texture resembling the peel of an orange. While these changes can be caused by non-cancerous conditions, they should be checked if they are new or persistent.
Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer that may present with a rash on the breast. This is usually caused by cancer cells blocking lymph vessels in the skin.
The symptoms of another rare type of breast cancer called Paget’s disease of the breast may include redness and itching in the nipple and/or areola and flaky, crusty or thickened skin on or around the nipple. Other symptoms of Paget’s disease of the breast may include a flattened nipple and a yellow or bloody nipple discharge.
Finally, purple nodules and a discolored rash or bruising on the breast or arm may be a sign of a very rare type of breast cancer called angiosarcoma, which represents only around 0.1% to 0.2% of all cases. These signs are very uncommon in other types of BC.
It is also important to remember that changes in the skin of the breast may also be caused by other conditions and are not specific to breast cancer.
Breast cancer does not usually cause pain in the breast or nipple. However, sometimes a non-cyclical pain that does not go away for more than a few weeks may be a sign of breast cancer and should be checked.
Other causes of breast pain could include hormonal changes, pregnancy or breastfeeding, an ill-fitting bra, injury, infection and non-cancerous conditions like fibrosis and non-cancerous cysts.
Symptoms of breast cancer after it spreads
Secondary symptoms of breast cancer, or symptoms caused by the spread of BC to other parts of the body, depend on which part of the body the cancer has spread to. In most cases, these include the bones, liver, lungs and brain.
In case breast cancer has spread to the bones, symptoms may include tiredness, nausea, constipation, irritability, fractures, confusion and thirst due to the release of calcium from the bones into the bloodstream. Other symptoms of breast cancer that has spread to the bones may include bone pain and back pain due to spinal compression or pressure to the spinal cord, stopping nerves in the spine from working properly.
Breast cancer that has spread to the liver may cause tiredness, a swollen abdomen, pain on the right side of the abdomen where the liver is situated, loss of appetite, nausea, jaundice or the yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes and itchy skin.
If breast cancer spreads to the lungs, it may cause symptoms such as a cough that does not go away, shortness of breath, chest pain, recurrent chest infections, coughing up blood and a condition known as a pleural effusion that causes a buildup of fluid between the chest wall and the lung.
Finally, if breast cancer has spread to the brain, it may lead to symptoms like headaches, weakness or numbness in the arms and legs, problems with memory, unusual behavior, nausea, vomiting, seizures, changes in eyesight or vision loss, confusion, difficulty understanding and difficulty speaking. The type of symptom that appears depends on the area of the brain to which the cancer has spread.
Other, more general secondary symptoms of breast cancer may include tiredness, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, weight loss, general feeling of unwellness and difficulty sleeping.
These symptoms may be the result of other medical conditions and do not prove that breast cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
Signs of breast cancer in men
The signs and symptoms of breast cancer in men are very similar to those in women. They may include a lump or thickening in the breast tissue, changes in the skin of the breast like dimpling, puckering, redness or scaling, changes in the nipple like redness or scaling, an inward turn of the nipple and discharge from the nipple.