4 Breast Cancer Symptoms You Need To Tell Your Doctor About

1. A lump in one breast.

A mass that is smooth and moveable under the skin is likely to be a fluid-filled cyst. If it feels solid, it's probably a fibroadenoma, a benign growth. However, either could also be a sign of cancer, so have it looked at.

2. A sore on your nipple.

A bug bite-like sore, scabby bump, or rash on the nipple itself that doesn't go away after a few weeks may signal Paget's disease, a form of breast cancer.

3. Puckered skin on one breast.
 
If the flesh on your breast becomes pitted or dimpled like an orange peel, it may indicate inflammatory breast cancer, a type of cancer that blocks the lymph nodes.

4. A mark or mole that has changed color or shape.

Though skin cancer most commonly arises on a woman's legs, the upper chest is also a prime target. Watch for the ABCDs: The mark is Asymmetrical or has an irregular Border, different Colors, or a Diameter wider than a pencil eraser.

Be sure to check out other facts about breast cancer--and ways you can help in the fight against the disease--in our Breast Cancer Awareness feature.


Source: Suzanne Trupin, MD, clinical professor of ob-gyn at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign College of Medicine

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