Cancer Society of America

Changes in the nipples: Changes in the nipple including shape, position, skin over it, getting a red scaly thick appearance, or any other notable change could be
associated as a symptom(s) for breast cancer. Don’t hesitate to contact your physician as soon as possible once you notice any of these changes in nipple.

Discharge from the nipples: Any discharge from the nipple is an alarming symptom of breast cancer. It can be bloody, greenish, watery, or white. Most of the time,
those discharges could be due to other reasons than cancer, however you must consult with your physician to exclude the possibility of breast cancer first.

Pain in the breast: Breast cancer is usually painless. It’s normal for any woman to have a mild to moderate pain in her breast just before her menstrual cycle. This
is mainly related to high level of female hormones during this period. Infection of breast or mastitis may cause sudden severe pain with inflammation of the breast and
redness. In mastitis, the pain is not related to the time of menstrual cycle.

If you have pain in your breast that is persisting or not related to your menstrual cycle, you have to see your doctor soon. Any discharge from the nipple is an
alarming symptom of breast cancer. It can be bloody, greenish, watery, or white, most of the cases are benign, but the doctor must exclude the possibility of breast
cancer first.

Ten tips for Breast Cancer Prevention

Physical activities and adopting a healthier life style reinforce minimize breast cancer risk. It is commonly known that you can’t intervene with some risk factors like
family history as such are genetically passed in your DNA which you have no control over as of now. However, you can take strong action toward cancer prevention
by altering your habits and life style. The following pieces of advice introduce ways to help to achieve this goal:

Reduce Alcohol: Breast cancer is more likely to strike women that consume large quantities of alcohol, so it is advised to limit your intake to just one drink
per day, regardless of the type. You should apply this rule even to softer drinks like wine, liquor and beer.
Quit Smoking: Give up smoking instantly as evidence has showcased that there is a strong connection between breast cancer and smoking. In any case,
smoking is nothing but bad news for anyone health, so try to stay out of it, especially if you are going through pre-menopause.
Weight Control: Obesity and excessive weight elevate risk of breast cancer, especially if you are overweight after menopause. Try to keep your weight
balanced.
Generate Activity: Include physical activities in your daily life. Through physical activities, you can control your weight and have a good chance of staying out
of breast cancer. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, it is recommended to add a 150-minute of aerobic activity or a 75-minute of
more strenuous aerobic activity per week, if you are more fit and into sports. Additionally, you can benefit from strength training, which you can add twice in
your weekly schedule.
Breast Feed: Breast feeding is considered another weapon against breast cancer, so try to shield yourself through that for as long as you can.
Reduce Hormone-Therapy: Breast cancer is triggered by hormone therapies, especially when taken for periods of longer than 3-5 years. In case you are
under a hormone therapy due to menopausal symptoms, it is advised to address to your doctor for alternative options and non-hormonal therapies. Note that
physical activities can help you achieve your goals. However, if there is a great necessity to go under a short-term hormone therapy, you should go for
minimum doses.
Keep out of Environmental Pollution/Radiation: Stay away from any activity that exposes you to radiation, like computerized tomography, or environental
pollution. Breast cancer risk is enhanced if you are exposed to high doses of radiation produced by medical-imaging methods.
Adopt a Healthy Diet: When it comes to breast cancer, it is proven that enriching your diet with vegetables and fruit will shield you against breast cancer, as
well as other types of cancer and health issues such as diabetes and heart diseases. On the other hand, adopting a low-fat diet has limited benefits to offer
towards that direction.
Birth Control Pills: Birth control pills appear to play an important role to increase risk of breast cancer especially in younger women. However, according to
recent studies, women who have stopped using birth control pills after 10 years returned to the same level of risks for breast cancer as of those women that
have never used them before. Studies also suggest that birth control pills are not directly related to breast cancer risk.
Be Attentive: Be alert and get medical advice as soon as you realize any suspicious sign or symptoms in your breast. The moment you notice any kind of
change in your breasts such as change in nipple, skin tone or lumps, seek a medical advice. Make certain to start routine breast examinations such as
mammograms and other related screenings test as recommended by your doctor.

Cancer Society of America | Breast Cancer | Cause, Symptoms & Risk Factors of Cancer | Cancer Diagnosis | Cancer Prevention, Early Detection & Treatment

American

Cancer Society Of America is a qualified 501(c)(3) non profit tax-exempt charity organization located in Maryland. All your contributions, donations and charities are fully
tax-deductible. Please consult your tax advisor for all your donations.
Copyright © 2016 Cancer Society of America, Inc.

American American

Breast cancer is a very common type of cancer among women. Usually
it doesn’t cause any symptoms until it’s too late. That’s why there
is a special screening program to detect breast cancer early. Even
if you follow the recommended screening tests for breast cancer,
it’s important to be aware of any changes in your breast that may
be an alarming symptom for breast cancer.

Alarming symptoms of breast cancer

A mass in the breast: The most common alarming symptom of breast cancer is new palpable mass in the breast. Cancerous masses
are usually painless, hard, and immobile. Keep in mind that not all breast masses are cancerous, but once you feel any new masses or
growing one, you have to consult your doctor as soon as possible.

New swellings around breast or armpit: Any swelling in breast can be an indication of a very suspicious and aggressive type of breast
cancer known as inflammatory breast cancer, and still it can be normal! Swellings in the armpit may be caused by spreading of breast
cancer to lymph nodes in the armpit. Palpable swelling in armpit may be apparent before one feels a mass in breast. You certainly have
to consult your doctor once you feel any swelling in the armpit area.

Any changes in skin, redness or thickness: If you notice any change in skin over your breast, you have to consult your doctor as soon
as possible. The important changes include any visible redness, peeling, or increasing in thickness. Redness of breast is the most
commonly associated with a breast infection known as mastitis. This is very common among breast feeder women. Mastitis is usually
treated with antibiotics and pain killers; however if not improved within a week, this may raise the suspicion of an inflammatory breast
cancer.

Itching on breast or hotness: Feeling hotness or itching over the breast may be a symptom of breast infection, or it may be a sign of
inflammatory breast cancer.