What should you know about breast cancer symptoms?

Pain can occur, although a concerning change may also develop without pain. Symptoms vary, and no symptom by itself confirms cancer.

Possible presentations include a firm area or thickening in the breast or armpit; dimpling, puckering, redness, or scaling of the skin; a nipple turning inward; or discharge that is new, especially when bloody. One breast may change in size, contour, or position.

These findings also occur with cysts, hormonal changes, infection, injury, and other non-cancerous conditions. Their cause cannot be determined reliably by appearance or touch alone.

Arrange an appointment if you find a change that is new, persistent, or different from your usual breast tissue. Note its location, when it began, whether discharge occurs without squeezing, and whether the change follows your menstrual cycle.

Assessment may include a breast and lymph-node examination. Depending on the finding, the clinician may recommend mammography, ultrasound, MRI, or a biopsy. A biopsy examines cells or tissue and is the test that can establish whether an abnormal area is cancer.

Request prompt review for a new lump, spontaneous bloody nipple discharge, nipple inversion that is new, skin dimpling, or a persistent change in breast shape. Do not wait for pain before arranging an assessment.

Urgent medical attention is appropriate when redness, heat, swelling, and pain develop quickly with fever or marked illness. Those features may reflect an infection that requires treatment, and similar-looking breast inflammation still needs clinical evaluation.

Ask which features of the change guide the choice of imaging, whether comparison with earlier scans will help, and what happens if a scan is unclear. If tissue sampling is advised, ask how it is performed, when results should arrive, and who will explain them.