Breast Cancer – Symptoms and Risk Factors

Breast cancer has emerged as major cancer amongst women of India, displacing cervical cancer. Data from the Ministry of Health has ranked breast cancer as the number one cancer among Indian women with a rate as high as 25.8 per 100,000 women and mortality of 12.7 per 100,000 women.

Breast cancer is no longer cancer of older women around 25% of breast cancer is beginning to be seen in women younger than 50. Hence, all women need to know the signs and symptoms of breast cancers and risk factors for the development of breast cancer.

The common symptoms of breast cancer are:-

• Lump in the breast or under am (around or in armpit area)
• Thickening / swelling change in skin texture of part of the breast
• Redness /flaky skin in the nipple area
• Change in nipple area/pain
• Discharge from nipple (other than breast milk)
• Change in size or shape of the breast g) pain in any area of the breast.

If any woman notices any of these, it is important that she approaches her physician and get a detailed examination including an Ultrasound of the breast and if warranted mammography. Awareness of the signs and symptoms can help in early diagnosis and better outcomes. The risk factors for breast cancer include

• Family history of cancer
• Use of oral contraceptives
• Late marriage
• Late childbirth
• Obesity.

Controlling one’s weight through proper diet and exercise go a long way in reducing the risk of breast cancer apart from improving general health. Regular self-breast examination and approaching a physician if any noticeable change is observed in the breast will help diagnose breast cancer early.