Breast cancer symptoms and signs

Breast cancer is one of the most significant diseases today and yet knowing the symptoms of breast cancer can help you to avoid the fatality of this condition. Currently, breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths within the United States in women. It is a condition that is brought on by unknown factors which many believe includes genetics, the environment and the unknown. The United States estimates that some 178,000 women will develop breast cancer per year. Moreover, while this condition is one thought to only happen to women, it can and does affect many men each year as well. Up to 2000 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer each year. Even though these are sobering facts, there is some good news in the world of breast cancer survivorship.

Both men and women should perform regular breast self exams to help them to pinpoint the location, the size and the occurrence of lumps within the breast. Choose one day of the month and use that day every month to help you to pinpoint abnormal sensations in the tissue. Usually, the lumps that form that are normal occurrences will happen in about the same place each month. Therefore, anything out of the ordinary can easily be spotted. Once you do find a lump in your breast, contact your doctor right away to get a mammogram run. This will help to provide you with a good indication of whether or not the lump could be cancerous.

Another tool to use to know if the lump you have found is that of cancer (or could be) allows for waiting a full month, or menstrual cycle prior to contacting your doctor. If the lump has not gone away within that month's time, then it is time to get additional help from your doctor. Both men and women should do so.

Breast cancer symptoms can change from one person to the next. It is important to know your body. For this reason, any women in childbearing years should perform breast self examinations regularly to check for abnormal formations in the breast tissue. Men too should perform self checks to be sure that any abnormal formations are quickly taken care of.