Breast cancer symptoms vary for different people; thus, everyone who has been diagnosed with the disease does not always have the same symptoms of breast cancer. If more women were aware of the signs and symptoms of breast cancer, they might be alerted to get checked by their health care professionals. The most common symptoms of breast cancer are breast lumps. If you feel a lump in your breast or a thickening of the tissue in your breast, you should consult with your doctor as soon as possible. Most women who have discovered lumps in their breasts do not have breast cancer. Most of the time, the lumps are benign tumors or cysts. Other breast cancer symptoms manifest as a bloody discharge from the nipple, a change in size or shape of the breast, a change in the skin of the breast – such as dimpling and pitting of the skin. The skin of the breast could also be reddened, and there could also be a red rash, or scaly areas around the nipple. If you notice a lump or swelling under your arm, in the armpit, this could also be a symptom of breast cancer.

If you notice a lump in your breast, or any of the other symptoms mentioned above, you should make an appointment with your doctor. Make the appointment even if you have recently had a mammogram done. The last thing you want to do is be complacent over your breast health. Don’t assume that everything is okay because you had a normal mammogram result. If you have tenderness in the breast, accompanied by swelling and redness of the breast, you should get yourself checked as soon as possible. These could be symptoms of breast cancer, but then again you could have an abscess or mastitis. You won’t know what is wrong until you go to your doctor. If you notice a swelling or a lump under your arm pit, it could be the start of a malignancy, or it could be an inflamed lymph gland. Don’t assume that your symptoms are evidence of breast cancer, and at the same time, don’t ignore your symptoms. It is important to be evaluated to confirm or rule out a breast cancer diagnosis.

Part of breast cancer screening is to educate women on the importance of having regular mammograms. Women 40 and above should have regular mammograms. A mammogram is a special kind of X-ray that can detect calcifications and tumors that are too small to be felt in a routine physical examination. The physician will decide if their patients need a mammogram every year or every two years. Breast cancer statistics show that 192,370 women in the United States will be diagnosed this year (2009). Breast cancer statistics also state that 123.6 people out of every 100,000 will be diagnosed with breast cancer.

Women need to get to know what their bodies feel like, which is why breast self-exams are so important. If you get to know what your breasts feel like from month to month, you will know if something looks or feels differently about them. Part of the breast self-exam is done standing in front of a mirror. You will look at the skin of the breasts for signs of puckering, inverted nipples, discoloration of the breasts, and a change in size and shape of the breasts.

When showering you can conduct another part of the breast self-exam, by feeling under your arm and along your chest wall above and below the collar bone. While your hands are soapy, move your fingers in an up and down the area of the breast that is covered by a bra. You can continue the exam while lying in your bed. When lying down you should elevate your right shoulder slightly with a small folded towel. Raise your right arm over your head and begin to systematically examine your right breast with your left hand. Start at the nipple; press in slightly and feel for the structures underneath. Work your fingers around your nipple in a circular fashion, feeling the tissues beneath. Continue examining the rest of the breast in this fashion. By doing breast self-exams you may be able to detect changes, and recognize breast cancer symptoms early. If you see or feel any changes in the way your breasts look and feel, report this to your doctor right away.