Breast cancer is emerging as the leading cancer in women globally and in India. The majority of the cases in India are detected in late stages resulting in low survival rates. The only way to change these numbers is by increasing awareness about breast cancer and letting everyone know that it is a treatable disease, and the chances of survival are higher if it is detected in time. The country’s national program on prevention of non-communicable diseases, of which breast cancer is an important component, advocates screening of breast cancer in women above the age of 30 years.
Clinical Breast Examination by a trained health care provider, ideally annually, and mammograms are important screening tools for early breast cancer detection. According to Dr. Padmavathi Dyavarishetty, professor and Head Department of Community Medicine. K.J. Somaiya Medical College and Research Centre, a woman empowered with the knowledge of breast cancer symptoms and skills of self-breast examination, who is aware of how her breast looks and feels, can notice even the slightest change prompting her to seek a medical opinion. Thus, ensuring that awareness about symptoms of breast cancer percolates to every corner of our vast country is of paramount importance and is the cornerstone of reducing mortality from breast cancer.
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Symptoms of Breast Cancer
- According to Dr. Padmavathi, the most common symptom of breast cancer is a hard painless lump with irregular margins which a woman may notice while bathing or doing a self-breast examination. Rarely the cancerous lump may be soft, round, and painful. Not all lumps are cancerous but detecting a lump early and getting a doctor’s opinion is vital to initiate early treatment.
- A change in the texture of skin could be a sign of breast cancer. The skin covering the lump may thicken, change colour or look red. It also may look flaky, dimpled, or pitted like an orange peel.
- Nipple discharge, often blood-stained and unilateral, requires a thorough clinical examination. It is normal for women who are breastfeeding to have a milky discharge from the nipples, but it is advisable to contact a doctor about any other nipple discharge. Rarely there may be eczema-like changes to the skin of the nipple and the area of darker skin surrounding the nipple (areola). It is usually a sign of breast cancer in the tissue behind the nipple and is known as Paget’s disease of the nipple/breast.
- Often a lump below the nipple area can result in pulling the nipple inwards. So, a woman who notices any new nipple changes, like the nipple is inverted/reversing inward into the breast or the position of the nipple in both the breasts is not uniform, should be concerned and promptly seek medical opinion.
- It is normal for a woman to have one breast slightly larger than the other, however, a sudden change in size, shape, or contour of the breast requires medical attention.
- At times a woman may notice swelling in the armpit area. This swelling is due to swollen lymph nodes which are small, firm, and may be tender to the touch. Such lymph node swelling may also be felt around the collarbone. Though it could be due to breast cancer, other breast infections/ abscesses, and other unrelated illnesses may cause swelling of lymph nodes. A doctor’s opinion is necessary to identify the cause.
- Approximately half of breast cancers develop in women who have no identifiable breast cancer risk factor other than gender (female) and age (over 40 years). So, whether a woman has a risk factor for breast cancer or not, after the age of 30 years she should do a monthly self-breast examination (SBE) and get an annual clinical breast examination.
