Symptoms & Risk Factors
Anything that increases your chance of getting a disease is called a risk factor. Having a risk factor does not mean that you will get cancer; not having risk factors doesn’t mean that you will not get cancer. People who think they may be at risk should discuss this with their doctor and work out an individualised screening program for their requirements which will include self-examination and possibly mammography or MRI screening.
Breast lumps in general
Changes that could be due to breast cancer are:
- A lump or thickening in an area of the breast.
- A change in the size or shape of a breast.
- Dimpling of the skin
- A change in the shape of your nipple, particularly if it turns in, sinks into the breast, or becomes irregular in shape.
- A blood-stained discharge from the nipple.
- A rask on a nipple or surrounding area.
- A swelling or lump in your armpit.
These signs don’t necessarily mean cancer. But if any of these things happen to you, you should get it checked out.
In a rare type of cancer called inflammatory breast cancer, the whole breast can look red and inflamed, and can be very sore. Another rare type of breast cancer shows up as a rash on and around the nipple. It is called Paget’s disease. It looks a bit like eczema and is sometimes mistaken for that at first.
Risk factors for breast cancer include the following:
- Older age.
- Menstruating at an early age.
- Older age at first birth or never having given birth.
- A personal history of breast cancer or benign (noncancer) breast disease.
- A mother or sister with breast cancer.
- Treatment with radiation therapy to the breast/chest.
- Breast tissue that is dense on a mammogram.
- Taking hormones such as estrogen and progesterone.
The National Cancer Institute’s Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool uses a woman’s risk factors to estimate her risk for breast cancer during the next five years and up to age 90. This online tool is meant to be used in consultation with a health care provider.
