Though many people associate the presence of a lump in either one or both the breasts as a warning sign of breast cancer, at times, these lumps aren’t cancerous. So, here, we’ll discuss with you some of the most common breast cancer symptoms that you should be careful about, along with ways to differentiate between a benign and a malignant lump.

Breast cancer in women

Early signs

Some of the most common breast cancer symptoms in the early stages include:

• Formation or appearance of a new lump, which hasn’t gone away even after the next menstrual period
• Pain in the breasts, which hasn’t gone away even after the next period
• Skin irritation on the breasts
• Rashes on the breast
• Unexplained swelling or redness on the breast
• Tingling sensation on breasts
• The appearance of a lump or a swelling below the arm or near the collarbone

You must note that if the lump is cancerous, it is primarily determined by its irregular edges or border.

Later signs
In the later stages, the common symptoms experienced in breast cancer are:

• Nipple retraction or inverted nipple
• Sudden change in the size of any one of the breasts
• Pre-existing lump becomes bigger
• The appearance of orange peel-like texture around the breasts
• Sudden dimpling around the breasts
• Pain in the vagina
• Incomprehensible weight loss
• The appearance of visible veins on breast’s surface
• Lymph nodes around the armpit grow larger

Causes of benign lumps

It could be because of a:

• Damaged tissue (fat necrosis)
• A non-cancerous tumor (fibroadenoma)
• Breast infection
• Lumpy breasts (a fibrocystic breast disorder)

When are the lumps a symptom of breast cancer?
If you are experiencing fat necrosis, it is impossible to distinguish the lump as cancerous or non-cancerous without performing a biopsy. Now, though breast lumps are predominantly because of certain less grave situations, if the lump is new, it could be a common sign of breast cancer.

Breast cancer in men
Typically, breast cancer is not associated with males. Though rare, there have been instances of breast cancer in men. It is primarily prevalent in older males but could appear in anyone, irrespective of age. Just like women, breast tissues are found in men too. Hence, even they can get breast cancer. However, since the breasts of a man are fairly less developed as compared to the breasts of a woman, the appearance of this cancer is uncommon in them.

Symptoms

• Formation or appearance of a lump
• Nipple discharge
• Scaling or redness of nipples
• Inverted nipple
• Incomprehensible skin irritation, swelling, rashes, redness, or itchiness on the area around the breast
• Breast tissue becomes thicker suddenly

Since men usually do not examine their breasts regularly, it is unfortunate that breast cancer in males is not diagnosed until it reaches its later stages. Hence, keeping a regular check is necessary for both men and women.