My Discovery: Although I shared my experience on my journey page, I felt it important to share it here as well based on the symptoms below. I noticed inflamed lymph nodes in my armpit prior to finding a lump. Please DO NOT ignore these. After my shower, I felt a lump when putting lotion on. I put lotion on everyday but hadn't noticed this earlier. When I looked in the mirror I could clearly see the breast looked different, bigger, harder, deformed, not like my normal breast. As I inspected more, I noticed the nipple was just starting to suck in at the base of the nipple, not the tip of the nipple but the base. When I bent forward, I found that made it much easier to feel the lump. I have never had discharge from my nipples but when I went for my mammogram I had experienced discharge from both nipples.
A lump in your breast
A lump or mass in the breast is the most common symptom of breast cancer. Such lumps are often hard and painless, though some may be painful. Not all lumps are cancer though. There are a number of benign breast conditions (like cysts) that can also cause lumps. It's still so important to have your doctor check any new umps or mass right away. If it does turn out to be cancer, the sooner it is diagnosed the better.
Swelling in or around your breast, collarbone or armpit
Brest swelling can be caused by inflammatory breast cancer, a particular aggressive form of the disease.
Swelling or lumps around your collarbone or armpits can be caused by breast cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes in those areas. The swelling may occur even before you can feel the a lump in your breast, so if you have this symptom, please be sure to see your doctor.
This is where I was uneducated 4 weeks prior to finding the lump. Now that you know this is a symptom, please go see your doctor when you feel this inflammation.
❥See more information related to Lymph Nodes by clicking on the "Lymph Nodes" drop down under Awareness.
Skin thickening or redness
If the skin of your breast starts to feel like an ornage peel or gets red, have it checked right away. Often, these are caused by mastitis, a breast infecton. If your symptons don't improve after a week, get it checked again becaue these symptons can also be cause by inflammatory breast cancer. This form of breast cancer can look a lot like a breast infection, and because it grows quickly, it's important to diagnose as soon as possible.
Breast warmth and itching
Like skin thickening and redness, breast warmth and itching may be symptons of mastitis. If anti-biotics don't help, see you doctor again.
Nipple changes
Breast cancer can sometimes cause changes to how your nipple looks. If your nipple turns inward, or the skin on it thickens or gets red or scaly, get it checked right away. All of these can be symptons of breast cancer.
Nipple discharge
A discharge (other than mill) from the nipple may be alarming but in most cases it is caused by injury, infectin or a benign tumor. Breast cancer is a possibility though especially i the fluid is bloody or reddish in color. See your doctor right away.
Pain
Although most breast cancers do not cause pain, some do. More often women have breast pain or discomfort related to their menstrual cycle. This type of pain is most common in the week or so before their periods and often goes away once menstruation begins. Some other benign breast conditins, such as mastitis, may cause a more sudden pain. In these causes the pain is not related to the menstrual cycle. If you have breast pain that is severe or persists and is not related to the menstrual cycle or you are unsure, ask you doctor. You could have cancer or a benign condition that needs to be treated.
Information obtained from the American Cancer Society.
A lump or mass in the breast is the most common symptom of breast cancer. Such lumps are often hard and painless, though some may be painful. Not all lumps are cancer though. There are a number of benign breast conditions (like cysts) that can also cause lumps. It's still so important to have your doctor check any new umps or mass right away. If it does turn out to be cancer, the sooner it is diagnosed the better.
Swelling in or around your breast, collarbone or armpit
Brest swelling can be caused by inflammatory breast cancer, a particular aggressive form of the disease.
Swelling or lumps around your collarbone or armpits can be caused by breast cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes in those areas. The swelling may occur even before you can feel the a lump in your breast, so if you have this symptom, please be sure to see your doctor.
This is where I was uneducated 4 weeks prior to finding the lump. Now that you know this is a symptom, please go see your doctor when you feel this inflammation.
❥See more information related to Lymph Nodes by clicking on the "Lymph Nodes" drop down under Awareness.
Skin thickening or redness
If the skin of your breast starts to feel like an ornage peel or gets red, have it checked right away. Often, these are caused by mastitis, a breast infecton. If your symptons don't improve after a week, get it checked again becaue these symptons can also be cause by inflammatory breast cancer. This form of breast cancer can look a lot like a breast infection, and because it grows quickly, it's important to diagnose as soon as possible.
Breast warmth and itching
Like skin thickening and redness, breast warmth and itching may be symptons of mastitis. If anti-biotics don't help, see you doctor again.
Nipple changes
Breast cancer can sometimes cause changes to how your nipple looks. If your nipple turns inward, or the skin on it thickens or gets red or scaly, get it checked right away. All of these can be symptons of breast cancer.
Nipple discharge
A discharge (other than mill) from the nipple may be alarming but in most cases it is caused by injury, infectin or a benign tumor. Breast cancer is a possibility though especially i the fluid is bloody or reddish in color. See your doctor right away.
Pain
Although most breast cancers do not cause pain, some do. More often women have breast pain or discomfort related to their menstrual cycle. This type of pain is most common in the week or so before their periods and often goes away once menstruation begins. Some other benign breast conditins, such as mastitis, may cause a more sudden pain. In these causes the pain is not related to the menstrual cycle. If you have breast pain that is severe or persists and is not related to the menstrual cycle or you are unsure, ask you doctor. You could have cancer or a benign condition that needs to be treated.
Information obtained from the American Cancer Society.