These are risk groups for developing breast cancer, but if you started your period early, hit menopause late, are obese, and/or had no children or had them later in life, then you may be at risk as well.
But don't panic -- having any or all of these risk factors does not mean you will soon develop breast cancer. Risk factors may give a statistical picture of your cancer, but developing an eye for the signs of breast cancer can be just as helpful.
Here are the 10 most obvious signs of breast cancer.
- Lumps in the breast or armpit that linger after your menstrual cycle. This is often the first sign of breast cancer. The lumps are typically painless, although there may occasionally be bouts of prickly sensations. Lumps are often visible on a mammogram before they are felt.
- Pain or tenderness in the breast.
- Any change in size, contour, texture or temperature of the breast. Skin that is reddish and pitted like an orange peel may be a sign of advanced cancer.
- Swelling in the armpit.
- Flattening or recession of the skin where the cancer may be deep within tissues – it may not be able to be felt or seen.
- Unexplained shrinkage of breast or recent asymmetry of breasts.
- Unexplained swelling of the breast, especially if localized to one side.
- Nipple discharge that starts suddenly and unexpectedly.
- Changes in the nipple, such as nipple retraction, dimpling, itching or ulcerations. A scaly rash of the nipple could signal Paget’s disease, which may have underlying implications for breast cancer.
- A hard knot, lump or thickening of the tissue inside the breast.
The ironic thing is that, in most cases, this does not portend breast cancer. But if you have any of these signs of cancer, it is a good idea to have yourself checked out by your healthcare professional. One in eight women, or 12 percent, will develop invasive breast cancer in her lifetime.
Breast Cancer Defined
The breast comprises milk-producing glands, which end in the nipple. The breast structure is supported by fat and fibrous tissue. Typically, healthy cells multiply then die. But unhealthy, cancerous cells live longer, resulting in abnormal tissue growth. The patient’s own cancer cells multiply uncontrollably, often forming a lump or mass. These lumps also may be small calcium deposits. Cancer metastasizes when cancer cells break off from the original site and travel throughout the breast, through the lymph node channels or the bloodstream to other organs. This cancer is thought first to develop in the milk ducts or glands.
Among women, breast cancer is the most common cancer and second-leading cause of cancer deaths, after lung cancer. Women make up 99 percent of breast cancer cases; it is rare in men but still happens. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2015 there will be nearly 232,000 new cases of breast cancer. Though more than 60,000 cases will be early cancers, more than 40,000 women will die of breast cancer.
Risk Factors for Breast Cancer
By far, the three most important risk factors for breast cancer is age of the woman and personal and family history. Two-thirds of women diagnosed with breast cancer are older than 50; other women diagnosed tend to be between the ages of 39 and 49 years. African-Americans in this group have a higher occurrence rate than white women and are more likely to die from the disease.
Personal history includes other cancers the woman has survived. Those who have already had a bout of breast, colon, endometrial or ovarian cancer have a higher risk of developing breast cancer. Obesity in post-menopausal women can be problematic because it has been found that obesity interferes with estrogen metabolism.
Studies have found that the greater the exposure to estrogen, the greater the risk of breast cancer. In fact, estrogen may exacerbate the spread of breast cancer. Estrogen is important in the process of cell division, but when cancerous cells are encouraged to develop more rapidly with greater odds of mutations, this can very well turn into a cancerous growth.
Family history includes the health history of your parents, siblings, children, aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents. This group is considered to be first-degree relatives. If a relative has had breast cancer, the risk for the related woman increases by two to three times. This is particularly true if both breasts were involved in treatment, or the affected woman was premenopausal. Five to 10 percent of breast cancer cases are linked to genetic mutations passed through family ties.
There are two known gene anomalies that cause breast cancer: BRCA1 and BRCA2. One in two hundred women carries one of these genetic mutations, which predisposes women to breast cancer with up to an 85 percent lifetime risk. It is also associated with pancreatic cancer, melanoma and male breast cancer.
Other Risk Factors
Other risk factors include radiation exposure, menstruation before age 12, menopause at an age after 50, never been pregnant, no children birthed, or childbirth after the age of 30, and not breastfeeding. Postmenopausal women who participated in hormone replacement therapy that administered both estrogen and progesterone is at an increased risk of cancer. Drinking more than one or two alcoholic drinks a day or smoking also increases your risk. Basically, researchers have identified many genetic, hormonal, lifestyle and environmental factors as breast cancer risks.
Due Diligence Required
The good news here, folks, is that if breast cancer is caught early enough -- for instance, before it has spread beyond the breast -- there is a 90 percent survival rate after five years. The caveat: Recurrence of breast cancer is fairly common, so due diligence must be maintained.
And that is the mantra for every form of cancer: “due diligence.” Regular check-ups and screenings can make the difference between life and death for a woman. It is very important to see your doctor right away if you have any abnormal discharge from the nipples, prolonged unexplained breast pain that interferes with daily life, or there are changes in the breast such as redness, swelling, pain interfering with nursing, a mass or tender lump that remains after nursing, and changes in skin condition. Any of these signs may or may not be accompanied by a fever. Don’t delay, the earlier breast cancer is caught, the better the outcome for the patient.