Breast cancer and its symptoms

Every year, on the 19th of October,World Health Organization (WHO) commemorates breast cancer awareness day to shed light on what it is and how to fight against it. To raise awareness and help shed light on its breast cancer symptoms, this article aims to discuss breast cancer and the symptoms that emerge as a result of it. Being able to detect cancer in its early stages increases the chances of survival

What is breast cancer?

Amongst the many different types of cancers that exist, breast cancer is one of the most frequent types of cancer to persist. Although it usually occurs in females, it can also happen to males. A general definition of breast cancer is that it is a type of illness within breast cells. This disease, therefore, causes the cells to grow abnormally. There are many different types of breast cancers, but two of the most frequently occurring ones are invasive ductal carcinoma and invasive lobular carcinoma. These cancer cells then become a tumor which usually feels like a lump on your breast. An important distinction to make here is that lumps that appear on your breast can be of two types, malignant (cancerous) and benign (non-cancerous). Benign tumors grow relatively slowly and are close to a standard shape. They do not spread to the rest of your body. Although, by definition, it is non-cancerous, it is still advised to get any lump that appears on your breast to be checked by an oncologist to be sure it does not pose a threat of cancer at any point in time. There are four stages of breast cancer, pinpointed accurately by the oncologist you choose to visit. Usually, the first stage means you are at lower levels of risk, and the risk increases along with the stage number.

Symptoms include:

• One of the main symptoms is a lump in the breast. As mentioned above, it can be cancerous or non-cancerous, but regardless, a lump is one of the very first and most prominent signs of breast cancer.
• A lump can be on your breast, but it can also appear on your armpit, so it is essential to keep an eye out for not just the breast but areas around it as well.
• There may exist pain in some parts of the breast, specifically in the nipple area. The nipple area may feel irritation around it, may also pull inwards, and have a feeling of burning on it.
• There may be extra pain around the nipple area, aside from other parts of the breast.
• The breast may swell up or become thicker than usual. Swelling can also occur around the breast area, such as armpits.
• The skin on the breast may be irritable and cracking around the nipple.
• There may be blood discharge from the nipple.
• When there is a tumor, the area on your breast may feel flat or dent.
• One may also notice changes in the size of the breast as well as its texture.

If you feel you are experiencing any of these symptoms or know of someone who has had similar symptoms, the best way to go about it would be to contact a good oncologist. It is best to visit either a good oncologist in Lahore or a good oncologist in Karachi, depending on where you are located. A great way of detecting breast cancer early would be to get regular screening tests done to make sure there is no risk. For further assistance, oncologists nearby you can help assist you in detail, as mentioned above.