Symptoms of breast cancer

Classically, the patient finds a lump in her breast and it is a good rule to apply for all women that no such lump can be left uninvestigated. However, the use of screening mammography has revolutionised the early detection (and cure rate) of breast cancer and the finding of suspicious areas on the mammogram, when no lump is felt, is an increasingly common presenting feature.

 

More advanced cases present with larger lumps, inversion of nipple or skin and nipple discharge or bleeding. Still later, the lump may erupt through the skin or an axillary/armpit lump of lymph nodes may occur, and occasionally the growth of this axillary lump may outstrip the breast tumour itself such that the armpit lump is more obvious than the original (primary) cancer.

 

Also, occasionally, the cancer may have spread early in its natural history and although the primary breast cancer is still small, nevertheless, there are secondary tumours (metastases) at other sites that cause the presenting features – e.g. bone pains due to bone spread, general ill health or jaundice due to liver metastases.