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Symptoms of Breast Cancer
Early breast cancer usually does not cause pain. In fact, when breast
cancer first develops, there may be no symptoms at all. But as the cancer grows, it can cause
changes that women should watch for.
These are
A lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm area.
A change in the size or shape of the breast.
A discharge from the nipple.
A change in the color or feel of the skin of the breast, areola, or nipple (dimpled, puckered, or scaly).
A woman should see her doctor if she notices any of these changes. Most often,
they are not cancer, but only a doctor can tell for sure.
Diagnosis
An abnormal area on a mammogram, a lump, or other changes in the breast can
be caused by cancer or by other, less serious problems. To find out the cause of any of these
signs or symptoms, a woman's doctor does a careful physical exam and asks about her personal and
family medical history. In addition to checking general signs of health, the doctor may do one or
more of the breast exams described below.
Palpation. The doctor can tell a lot about a lump—its size, its texture, and whether it moves easily—by palpation, carefully feeling the lump and the tissue around it. Benign lumps often feel different from cancerous ones.
Mammography. X-rays of the breast can give the doctor important information about a breast lump. If an area on the mammogram looks suspicious or is not clear, additional x-rays may be needed.
Ultrasonography. Using high-frequency sound waves, ultrasonography can often show whether a lump is solid or filled with fluid. This exam may be used along with mammography.
Based on these exams, the doctor may decide that no further tests are needed
and no treatment is necessary. In such cases, the doctor may need to check the woman regularly to
watch for any changes. Often, however, the doctor must remove fluid or tissue from the breast to
make a diagnosis.
Aspiration or needle biopsy. The doctor uses a needle to remove fluid or a small amount of tissue
from a breast lump. This procedure may show whether a lump is a fluid-filled cyst (not cancer) or
a solid mass (which may or may not be cancer). Using special techniques, tissue can be removed with
a needle from an area that is suspicious on a mammogram but cannot be felt.
If tissue is removed in a needle biopsy, it goes to a lab to be checked for cancer cells. Clear fluid
removed from a cyst may not need to be checked by a lab.
Surgical biopsy. The surgeon cuts out part or all of a lump or suspicious area. A pathologist examines
the tissue under a microscope to check for cancer cells.
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