Of all cancers affecting women, the most common one is breast cancer. In 2022, around 2.3 million women around the globe were diagnosed with breast cancer. While formation of a lump on the breast is the usual sign of breast cancer, there can be other uncommon breast cancer symptoms.
Identifying those symptoms is crucial for timely diagnosis and proper treatment. So, in this blog, we will discuss all the common and rare signs of breast cancer.
Types of Breast Cancer
Breast cancer can be of many types and hence, the symptoms vary from one type to another. It can be classified as:
- Invasive ductal carcinoma: almost 70-80% of breast cancer cases are IDC.
- Inflammatory breast cancer
- Invasive lobular carcinoma
- Ductal carcinoma in situ
- Paget’s disease
Common Signs of Breast Cancer
Before we tell you all about the uncommon breast cancer symptoms, it’s important to mention the common symptoms at first. The appearance of a new lump on one of the breasts means you must schedule an appointment with your gynecologist.
Note: Not all lumps on the breast are cancerous and some can be benign breast tumors. However, you cannot take any chances, especially if you are of age 40 or above. So, visit a doctor and get done with the diagnosis at the earliest. You should also monitor the lump daily to see if there is any change in its shape or size.
Lesser-known Breast Cancer Symptoms
According to the American Cancer Society, many people don’t realize they have breast cancer unless the cancer is in an advanced stage. This is simply because of lack of awareness.
While most people understand that breast lumps cannot be taken lightly, what about other unusual breast changes? For instance, is there increased warmth in your breasts lately? Then you will be surprised to learn that even this is a warning sign.
What are other rare signs of breast cancer? Let’s find out:
1. Swelling under armpit
It is a misconception that in breast cancer, a lump develops only on the breast. Breast cancer can begin anywhere in your breast tissue, and this includes your armpit. The intermammary region is again among the uncommon lump locations, So, be observant of these breast cancer early indicators.
2. Breast pain without lump
Have you been experiencing breast pain even where you cannot feel a lump? Mastalgia or breast pain can be linked with breast cancer. However, breast tenderness/ soreness can be because of a variety of conditions like:
- Hormonal changes before or during periods
- Pregnancy
- Breast injury
- Wearing a bra that’s too tight
- Breast infection
- Water retention
- Side effect of certain medications
- Breastfeeding
If the soreness persists, don’t your visit to the doctor.
3. Nipple discharge or nipple changes
The rarest kind of breast cancer is known as Paget’s disease which affects the nipple skin as well as the darker skin surrounding the nipple. Flattened nipple or inverted nipple are some other changes that are noticeable in women with breast cancer. Hence, women should never ignore the inverted nipple sign.
Similarly, a bloody discharge from nipples is one of the signs of breast cancer sage 1. Therefore, nipple discharge in breast cancer is a matter of worry.
4. Skin changes
Puckering, breast dimpling, or appearance resembling an orange peel is indicative of breast cancer. There can also be dryness and redness. So, if you notice skin changes on your breast or armpit, rush to your healthcare provider.
5. Arm pain
Breast cancer may spread to the long bones in the legs and the lymph nodes in the arms (if not treated on time). Arm pain breast cancer is not a good sign as it could mean that cancerous cells have attacked lymph nodes. So, this should be treated as an emergency as bones might break if they become too weak. It could be a hint that the person has advanced brain cancer which has started spreading to other parts of the body.
Some people also say that they have arm pain and stiffness during the treatment and it’s only a temporary side effect of the treatment.
Parting Thoughts
If breast cancer is detected early, it can be treated permanently. As far as treatment for breast cancer is concerned, the treatment plan is determined by oncologists based on the cancer type and stage. Hormone therapy, surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy are some effective treatment options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What are uncommon symptoms of breast cancer that people should watch for?
Unexplained breast rash, bloody discharge from the nipples, breast texture changes and arm soreness are some uncommon breast cancer symptoms.
Q. Can breast cancer cause symptoms outside of the breast area?
If breast cancer ends up spreading to multiple organs like brain, liver, bones, and lungs, the patient will experience symptoms based on which organ the cancer has attacked. Some general symptoms are loss of appetite, feeling unwell, and feeling fatigued.
References:
Breast cancer symptoms you shouldn’t ignore | MD Anderson Cancer Center
Symptoms of breast cancer | Cancer Research UK