Breast cancer is a malignant neoplasm that begins in cells of the mammary gland.
It should not be confused with the other palpable breast nodules that you can feel , usually benign, that develop in the connective tissue or breast fat.

Breast cancer is is by far the the most succesful gynecological cancer in the world ,killing more women than even cervical cancer.
It is not limited to women,but they have it more commonly,breast cancer being the most common cancer among females.
One in eleven women are affected by this disease.

The symptoms of breast cancer:

The induration or nodule is palpable as "fixed" to the skin, is usually the most common symptom of breast cancer.
It is sometimes accompanied by pain or a sensation of pressure or heaviness.
The palpable breast changes are not all cancers but must always be examined by a doctor, the only person able to diagnose.

Breast Cancer

Other signs may appear, like soarness and redness of the nipple and even,in some cases,a bloody discharge.The majority of women with breast cancer are asymptomatic ,that means that they have a good general state of health the cancer at this stage is painless.
In advanced stages, symptoms of breast cancer are highly variable and depend mainly where the tumour is located and it’s size. They can manifest in the form of large glands in the axilla on the affected side, back pain (bone metastasis), an irritating cough accompanied by shortness of breath (pulmonary metastasis), loss of 'appetite, weight loss, jaundice (jaundice, liver metastases), etc..
All these symptoms should immediately consult a doctor even if they are not necessarily indicative of breast cancer.

What changes to monitor towards breast cancer?

One of the first things to watch for is the appearance of lumps in the breast.
In most cases, these lumps are benign and do not constitute a tumor, but a cyst or a fibrous adenoma.
As a precaution, contact your doctor at the onset of these abnormalities.

Other changes to watch are:

Abnormalities of the skin, such as dimples or wrinkles on its surface.
A change in shape or size and shape of breasts.
A nipple that is returning.
The appearance of roundness.
A small ball palpable from 1 cm, which was not there before.
A lump under the armpit.
Discharge from the nipple, or redness of the nipple (rare)

The pain is not in itself a symptom of breast cancer.
Indeed, many women experience breast pain when approaching their rules.
Do not forget that the lumps in the breast occurs frequently, especially just before menstruation.


In most cases, breast cancer occurs primarily by a painless lump in the breast or armpit. You or your partner may have noticed, or even your doctor will be detected during a routine physical exam or screening mammogram.

Other possible signs include:

* A lump or swelling in the armpit;
* Changing the size or shape of breasts;
* The appearance of dimples or folds in the skin - thickening or dimpling the skin is sometimes called "orange peel";
* Redness, swelling or warmth in the affected breast;
* An inverted nipple, that is to say, turned inward;
* Crust or scaling on the nipple.

Often these symptoms are caused by health problems other than cancer. Analysis needed to make a diagnosis.