Breast Cancer Information
Symptoms & Detection
Early Detection of Breast Cancer
When breast cancer is found and treated early, the chances for survival are better. Women can take an active part in the early detection of breast cancer by having regular screening mammograms and clinical breast exams (breast exams performed by health professionals). Some women also perform breast self-exams.
A screening mammogram is the best tool available for early detection of breast cancer, before symptoms appear. A mammogram is a special kind of x-ray. It is different from a chest x-ray or x-rays of other parts of the body. Screening mammograms are used to look for breast changes in women who have no symptoms of breast cancer.
To help improve the chances of early breast cancer detection, the National Cancer Institute recommends that:
Women in their 40s and older should have mammograms (pictures of the breast made with x-rays) every one to two years.
Women who are at higher than average risk of breast cancer should talk with their health care providers about whether to have mammograms before age 40 and how often to have them.
Mammograms can often detect breast cancer before it can be felt. Also, a mammogram can show small deposits of calcium in the breast. Although most calcium deposits are benign, a cluster of very tiny specks of calcium (called microcalcifications) may be an early sign of cancer.
Although mammograms are the best way to detect breast cancer early, they do have some limitations. A mammogram may miss some cancers that are present (false negative) or may find things that turn out not to be cancer (false positive). And detecting a tumor early does not guarantee that a woman's life will be saved. Some fast-growing cancers may already have spread to other parts of the body before being detected.
Still, regularly scheduled screening mammograms, together with clinical breast exams, offer the best chance of detecting and treating breast cancer early. Studies show that mammograms reduce the risk of dying from breast cancer.
Women should talk with their doctor about factors that can increase the risk for breast cancer. Women of any age who are at higher risk for breast cancer should ask their doctor when to begin and how often to have screening mammograms and breast exams.
Some women perform monthly breast self-exams to check for any changes in their breasts. When doing a breast self-exam, it's important to remember that each woman's breasts are different, and that changes can occur because of aging, the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, menopause, or taking birth control pills or other hormones. It is normal for the breasts to feel a little lumpy and uneven. Also, it is common for a woman's breasts to be swollen and tender right before or during her menstrual period. Remember that for women in their forties and older, a monthly breast self-exam is not a substitute for regularly scheduled screening mammograms and clinical breast exams by a health professional.
Breast Cancer Symptoms
Early breast cancer usually does not cause pain. In fact, when it first develops, there may be no symptoms of breast cancer at all. But as the cancer grows, it can cause changes that women should watch for:
- A lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm area;
- A change in the size or shape of the breast;
- Nipple discharge or tenderness, or the nipple pulled back (inversion) into the breast;
- Ridges or pitting of the breast (the skin looks like the skin of an orange; or
- A change in the way the skin of the breast, areola, or nipple looks or feels (for example, warm, swollen, red, or scaly).
A woman should see her doctor about any breast cancer symptoms like these. Most often, they are not cancer, but it's important to check with the doctor so that any problems can be diagnosed and treated as early as possible.
