Patient resources
Breast cancer
Signs and symptoms of breast cancer
While your healthcare provider and regular breast cancer screenings will help monitor your health, you also play a vital part. By knowing and monitoring your body for possible signs and symptoms of breast cancer, you are doing your part to manage and ensure your own well-being. If you detect any symptoms, call your provider immediately to discuss your options for further screening.
What are the symptoms of breast cancer?
The first sign of breast cancer is often a painless lump. But early breast cancer is often found on a mammogram before a lump can be felt. Other symptoms of breast cancer may not appear until the cancer is more advanced. These include:
- A thickening in the breast or armpit.
- A change in the size or shape of the breast.
- Changes in the skin of the breast, such as a dimple or skin that looks like an orange peel.
- A change in the nipple, such as scaling of the skin or a nipple that turns in.
- A green or bloody fluid that comes from the nipple.
- A change in the color or feel of the skin around the nipple (areola).
Source: Healthwise
