What are the symptoms of breast cancer?
Different people have different symptoms of breast cancer. Some people do not have any signs or symptoms at all.
Some warning signs of breast cancer …
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Different people have different symptoms of breast cancer. Some people do not have any signs or symptoms at all.
Some warning signs of breast cancer are:
Keep in mind that these symptoms can happen with other conditions that are not cancer.
If you have any signs or symptoms that worry you, be sure to see your doctor right away.
What is a normal breast?
No breast is typical. What is normal for you may not be normal for another woman. Most women say their breasts feel lumpy or uneven. The way your breasts look and feel can be affected by getting your period, having children, losing or gaining weight, and taking certain medications. Breasts also tend to change as you age.
For more information, see the National Cancer Institute’s https://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/breast-changes.
What do lumps in my breast mean?
Many conditions can cause lumps in the breast, including cancer. But most breast lumps are caused by other medical conditions.
The two most common causes of breast lumps are fibrocystic breast condition and cysts. Fibrocystic condition causes noncancerous changes in the breast that can make them lumpy, tender, and sore. Cysts are small fluid-filled sacs that can develop in the breast.
Source: Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Although breast cancer mostly occurs among older women, in rare cases breast cancer does affect women under the age of 45. About nine percent of all new cases of breast cancer in the United States are found in women younger than 45 years of age.
Breast cancer in young women is:
All women are at risk for getting breast cancer, but some things can raise a woman’s risk for getting breast cancer before age 45. Learning what factors increase your chance of getting breast cancer is an important first step in assessing your risk. Learning the symptoms of breast cancer also may also help you know when to talk to your doctor.
Source: Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
When breast cancer is inherited
Sometimes, changes or “mutations” occur that prevent genes from doing their job properly. Certain mutations in the BRCA genes make cells more likely to divide and change rapidly, which can lead to cancer.
All women have BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, but only some women have mutations in those genes. About one in every 500 women in the United States has a mutation in either her BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene. If either your mother or your father has a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation, you have a 50 percent chance of having the same mutation.
Some groups are at a higher risk for a BRCA gene mutation than others, including women with Ashkenazi Jewish heritage.
Why brca gene mutations matter
Not every woman who has a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation will get breast or ovarian cancer, but having a gene mutation puts you at an increased risk for these cancers.
About 50 out of 100 women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation will get breast cancer by the time they turn 70 years old, compared to only seven out of 100 women in the general United States population.
About 30 out of 100 women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation will get ovarian cancer by the time they turn 70 years old, compared to fewer than one out of 100 women in the general U.S. population.
What you can do
If you have a family history of breast cancer or inherited changes in your BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, you may have a higher breast cancer risk. Talk to your doctor about these ways of reducing your risk:
Surgery to reduce your risk of breast cancer. That includes prophylactic (preventive) mastectomy (removal of breast tissue) and prophylactic salpingo-oophorectomy (removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes).
Antiestrogens or other medicines that block or decrease estrogen in your body.
It is important that you know your family history and talk to your doctor about screening and other ways you can lower your risk.
For more information about breast cancer prevention, visit https://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/breast-prevention-pdq.
Source: Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Studies have shown that your risk for breast cancer is due to a combination of factors. First, being female and getting older: most breast cancers are found in women who are 50 years old and up.
Some women will get breast cancer even without any other risk factors that they know of. Having a risk factor does not mean you will get the disease, and not all risk factors have the same effect. Most women have some risk factors, but most women do not get breast cancer. If you have breast cancer risk factors, talk with your doctor about ways you can lower your risk and about screening for breast cancer.
Risk factors you cannot change:
Risk factors you can change:
Research suggests that other factors such as smoking, being exposed to chemicals that can cause cancer, and changes in other hormones due to night shift working also may increase breast cancer risk.
If you have a strong family history of breast cancer or inherited changes in your BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, you may have a high risk of getting breast cancer. You may also have a high risk for ovarian cancer.
Talk to your doctor about ways to reduce your risk, such as medicines that block or decrease estrogen in your body, or surgery.
Source: Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Many factors over the course of a lifetime can influence your breast cancer risk. You can’t change some factors, such as getting older or your family history, but you can help lower your risk of breast cancer by taking care of your health in the following ways—
Staying healthy throughout your life will lower your risk of developing cancer, and improve your chances of surviving cancer if it occurs.
Source: Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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