Breast cancer: 8 symptoms to watch out for

2023-10-27 15:15:00

Breast pain may be a sign of a tumor

« THE breast pain are common and rarely associated with breast cancer, reassures Dr. Marc Espié, oncologist specializing in breast cancer at Saint-Louis hospital (AP-HP, Paris). One in two women will experience it during their lifetime. »

Those usually occurring before menstruation, for example, should not worry. Acute pain in one breast may be due to a cyst which, following an ultrasound or mammogram, will most often prove to be benign. Another possible cause: mastitis, namely inflammation of the breast. It becomes red and painful. Finally, certain chronic pain can be referred to the breasts “due to musculoskeletal pain in the sternum, ribs or spine,” specifies Dr. Espié. However, if a breast pain is permanent and persists for 15 daysit is better to consult to find out if it is breast cancer or not.

Dense breasts

Some breasts are made like this: they are dense, that is to say they are composed of more glandular and fibrous tissue than fatty tissue. “Doctors are concerned regarding it because it interferes with the clinical examination and the mammogram is less readable », explains Dr Espié. In this case, an x-ray makes it possible to establish the level of the breast density.

This being associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, more frequent monitoring can then be decided. “If the woman is under 40 years old, it is mainly by ultrasound in order to avoid unnecessary irradiation,” indicates the specialist. In older women, we associate mammography and ultrasound. »

A lump or lymph node in the breast or armpit

Before her period, a woman can sometimes feel like a lump in her breast because the gland swells at this time, explains Dr. Espié. If it disappears followingwards, there is no point in panicking.

Except in this case, the appearance of a persistent lump in a breast or a lymph node in the armpit must immediately prompt consultation. In the vast majority of cases, particularly before the age of 50, this lump is not cancerous. It may be a cyst, a fibroadenoma (benign tumor), an area of ​​mastosis (more richly glandular) or an indurated area (the tissue is thickened).

An ulceration or wound

“If a woman has a nipple on her nipple lesion with an eczema appearance, especially on one side, you must consult quickly, insists Dr. Espié. This may be an expression of Paget’s disease of the nipple, a rare form of breast cancer. » A mammogram or ultrasound will allow you to check.

Nipple retraction or deviation

Nipple retraction can be a harbinger of breast cancer, but it can also occur because following menopause, as we age, the milk ducts (through which milk flows) change.

” The nipple deviation is more worrying, underlines the specialist. It’s a sign that something is going on underneath. » Even if a tumor is discovered on this occasion, it can be benign.

Any changes must attract attention. Dr Espié.

Breast discharge

No worries if the flow is bilateral and has the appearance of milk : this can happen when you take certain medications (neuroleptics for example) or due to a rare and benign tumor of the pituitary gland, a gland located in the brain. In some cases, the discharge is bilateral, and has a brownish, greenish, or even bluish color. It flows through several pores in the nipple. This happens in some women whose breasts are mastotic, i.e. grainy, sometimes painful, and has nothing to do with breast cancer.

“What should be worrying are the spontaneous discharge from one breast and one nipple pore, warns Dr. Espié. You sometimes notice it with a stain on your bra. » The colors of the flow vary: water color, yellow or red. There is then a 10 to 15% risk that this will reveal cancer. A flow cytology (examination of the cells under a microscope), in addition to a mammogram or ultrasound, is performed.

A change in volume

“A breast which suddenly becomes asymmetrical or changes in volume should always be a warning, especially following the age of 50,” warns Dr. Espié. Lobular breast cancer can even cause retraction of the entire breast. It is born in the cells of the lactiferous lobules of the mammary gland. However, it remains rarer than ductal cancer, which develops from cells in the milk ducts.

Orange peel, redness… An appearance of skin abnormalities

Dimples, wrinkles… A change in appearance of the skin, especially on one breast, should lead to consultation. “This reflects attachments of tumors to the skin or muscles,” explains Dr. Espié. When a breast or one of its parts turns red and takes on an orange peel appearance, “this often accompanies aggressive so-called inflammatory breast cancers,” warns the oncologist.

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