Patient Health International – health information for patients and carers

Breast Cancer Symptoms

What are the symptoms of breast cancer?
In most cases, the first signs of breast cancer are seen as a small lump in the breast. Other, less obvious signs to notice are:

Symptoms
		Self Examination

Breast:	Nipple:	Arm:
A change in the size or shape of the breast	Becomes inverted (turned in)	Swelling in the armpit
A dimpling of the skin	Thickening
Thickening	Rash on the nipple (very rare)

The large majority (8 out of 10) of all breast lumps are found to be benign. Pain in the breast is not usually a symptom of breast cancer. Breasts can often feel lumpy and tender before a period in healthy women and some types of benign breast lumps are often painful in themselves.

For more detailed information about symptoms of breast cancer click here

Can breast cancer spread to other parts of the body?
In some situations, a few breast cancer cells can break away and spread through the lymph or blood systems to another part of the body, where they can form new tumours. The lymph glands in the armpit can sometimes be affected or the breakaway cells can lodge in the bones, the lungs or the liver. Not all breast cancer cells spread like this; some cells may be removed completely by surgery or radiotherapy or may die when treated medically, and some may simply lie dormant for many years.