Mayo Clinic Q and A: Many women diagnosed with breast cancer don't have signs or symptoms - Mayo Clinic News Network (2024)
Cancer
By
Liza Torborg
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Is breast cancer always accompanied by a lump?
ANSWER:Breast cancer is not always accompanied by a lump. Many women diagnosed with breast cancer never have any signs or symptoms, and their cancer is found on a screening test, such as a mammogram. Among women who experience warning signs, a lump in the breast or underarm area is the most common red flag. However, as a recent study illustrates, some women will discover their cancer because they’re experiencing other, less common signs and symptoms.
In a presentation at the 2016 National Cancer Research Institute conference, British researchers noted that, among more than 2,300 women they studied who were diagnosed with breast cancer, 83 percent sought medical attention because they found a lump. For the other women, different signs and symptoms alerted them that something was wrong, including nipple abnormalities, such as discharge or a nipple that turned inward; breast-related pain; nonbreast-related pain, such as back pain; and unintentional weight loss.
Breast cancer also can cause changes in the skin of the breast, or nipple and areola, such as dimpling and pitting (similar in appearance to an orange peel), thickening, reddening, scaling, itching or swelling — with or without a lump. Depending on the symptoms, these changes may be attributed to rarer cancers, such as Paget’s disease of the breast or an unusual but aggressive form of breast cancer known as inflammatory breast cancer.
Breast cancer also can cause a skin rash that looks similar to mastitis — an infection of the breast tissue that most often affects women who are breastfeeding. If you find a new rash or breast redness, and you are not breastfeeding, that should be evaluated by your health care provider. If you are breastfeeding and experience persistent redness, that also should be evaluated.
It’s worth noting that breast changes, including lumps, often turn out to be noncancerous (benign). In addition, many women’s breasts change slightly over the course of a month. That is particularly true as they go through their menstrual cycles, when breasts tend to become more tender or lumpier. These changes, called fibrocystic changes, often involve the entire breast. The tenderness and lumpiness, which goes away after the menstrual cycle, is not associated with cancer. Breast tissue also changes as women age, becoming less dense over time.
The British study mentioned above also found it took women with signs and symptoms that didn’t include a lump longer to seek care than it did for women who found lumps. That said, it’s a good idea to become familiar with how your breasts normally feel, so that you can alert your health care provider to any changes and have the changes evaluated if they don’t resolve within a few weeks. (adapted from Mayo Clinic Health Letter) —Dr. Lonzetta Neal, Breast Diagnostic Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
ANSWER: Breast cancer is not always accompanied by a lump. Many women diagnosed with breast cancer never have any signs
signs
A medical sign is an objective observable indication of a disease, injury, or medical condition that may be detected during a physical examination. These signs may be visible, such as a rash or bruise, or otherwise detectable such as by using a stethoscope or taking blood pressure.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Signs_and_symptoms
or symptoms, and their cancer is found on a screening test, such as a mammogram. Among women who experience warning signs, a lump in the breast or underarm area is the most common red flag.
Breast cancer is sometimes found after symptoms appear, but many women with breast cancer have no symptoms. This is why regular breast cancer screening is so important.
If you have recently been diagnosed with breast cancer or any other cancer, you may be experiencing a wide variety of emotions: fear, anger, sadness, guilt, helplessness, and anxiety.
Data from nine published papers underwent actuarial analysis. Median survival time of the 250 patients followed to death was 2.7 years. Actuarial 5- and 10-year survival rates for these patients with untreated breast cancer was 18.4% and 3.6%, respectively.
The average 5-year survival rate for all people with breast cancer is 89%. The 10-year rate is 83%, and the 15-year rate is 78%. If the cancer is located only in the breast (Stage I), the 5-year survival rate is 99%. More than 70% of breast cancers are diagnosed at an Early Stage.
Lump, thickening or dimpling of the skin of the breast.Warmth or tenderness of the breast.Lymph node swelling under the arm.Flattening of the nipple or discharge from the nipple.
You can have breast cancer for years before noticing changes in your breasts like a lump. That said, not all lumps or bumps are cancer. Check with a healthcare provider if you have an unusual bump or mass that doesn't go away after a few days.
Breast cancer symptoms vary from person to person, and many people don't have any symptoms in the early stages. Some common symptoms include breast lumps, pain, swelling, and changes to the skin. If you notice any unusual changes to your breasts, see a doctor.
Diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer may induce psychological challenges such as anxiety, depression, anger, uncertainty about the future, hopelessness, desperateness, fear of recurrence of cancer, fear of separation from relatives, fear of pain, decrease in self-esteem, impairment of body image, fear of losing ...
A life-changing diagnosis like breast cancer can dig up a lot of emotions. It's not uncommon to have depression, anxiety, uncertainty, fear, loneliness, and body image issues, among others.
And if untreated, breast cancer universally becomes a fatal disease. It can happen over long periods of time, but if you don't have surgery and if you don't have other treatments, it doesn't go away on its own.
Cancer can go unnoticed for many years, especially if it's growing slowly or causing no symptoms. Some people are shocked to learn they have cancer after a routine check-up or seeing a doctor for something they thought was unrelated.
Some people might live for 20 years with metastatic breast cancer, she said, while others might only live for a year or so. "When [SEER] looks at metastatic breast cancer…it's in people who were stage 4 from the very beginning," she said.
A mastectomy may be a treatment option for several types and stages of breast cancer, including: Stage 0 ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) or other noninvasive breast cancer. Stages 1 and 2 (early-stage) breast cancer. Stage 3 (locally advanced) breast cancer after chemotherapy.
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in U.S. women, behind lung cancer. The chance that a woman will die from breast cancer is 1 in 39, or about 2.5%. In 2024, an estimated 42,250 women will die from breast cancer in the U.S.
Sometimes, there are no symptoms at all. Patients should always speak with a doctor if new signs or symptoms arise, but here are some of the most common signs of metastatic breast cancer: Bone pain or bone fractures due to tumor cells spreading to the bones or spinal cord.
Pinpointing breast cancer in its earliest stages isn't easy because breast cancer signs and symptoms are different for everyone. Sometimes there is a palpable lump or tenderness. Very often, there is neither. Generally, breast cancer shows no symptoms in the early stage.
Breast cancer may not cause any signs or symptoms in its early stages. Signs and symptoms often appear when the tumour grows large enough to be felt as a lump in the breast or when the cancer spreads to surrounding tissues and organs. Other health conditions can cause the same symptoms as breast cancer.
The first symptom of breast cancer most people notice is a lump in their breast or some thickening. Breast symptoms to look out for: a new lump or thickening in your breast or armpit. a change in size, shape or feel of your breast.
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DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Is breast cancer always accompanied by a lump?
