Dection of a breast lump that feels different from the surrounding tissue could often be the first sign of breast cancer.

But, almost 90% of all breast masses are caused by benign lesions (non cancerous) and not malignancy.

Some of the other symptoms of breast cancer include:-

• Lumps in the armpits/collar bone
• Change in texture of the breast skin such as redness, dimpling, crusting or puckering
• Change in size / shape of breast
• Nipple inversion
• Bloody discharge (unilateral) from the nipple
• Paget’s disease of the breast

Pain is not a reliable symptom as it could also indicate other health conditions.

Symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer include:-

• Pain
• Swelling,
• Warm feeling
• Red color throughout breast,
• Orange-peel texture of the skin on the breasts (peau d'orange)

Sometimes the disease is metastatic and would spread across to other parts of the body such as bone, brain, liver, lung and brain via the lymphatic system or blood vessels. The symptoms would then include:-

• Weight loss
• Chills / fever
• Joint / bone pain

Metastasis mostly involves bones, especially the vertebrae and the long bones of the ribs, arms and legs. When cancer spreads to the bones, it eats its way into the healthy bones to cause weak spots where the bones can easily break. Hence aching or weak bones are common in breast cancer patients and it is common for many of them to use a wheel chair.

Many of the symptoms of breast cancer are non specific and can also present in other breast diseases such as fibroadenoma, mastitis and benign breast disease.