• Lumps. Breast cancer lumps vary and may be hard or soft and have rounded or uneven edges.
• Swelling of part of the breast
• Skin irritation or dimpling
• Nipple pain or the nipple turning inward
• Redness or scaliness of the nipple or breast skin
• Nipple discharge other than breast milk
• A lump in the underarm area
  

REMEMBER: These signs and symptoms do not necessarily mean that you have breast cancer. However, you should tell your doctor right away about any lump in the breast or underarm area and any changes in the skin of the breast, nipple, or areola (the area around the nipple).


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A Clients Testimony:
My breast cancer was not detected by mammogram and I went from doctor to doctor until someone finally said "let's do a biopsy" ... by that time the cancer was at stage three with involvement in 16 of 19 lymph nodes. Pay attention to your body, sometimes God talks to you in mysterious and important ways. My only symptoms were some sharp (not constant) pain from time to time and some discoloration of the nipple when I raised my arms over my head. No lump to be felt and no sign of any problem on mammograms.


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Paget's Disease:

This is a rare form of breast cancer, and is on the outside of the breast, on the nipple and aureole. It appeared as a rash, which later became a lesion with a crusty outer edge. I would not have ever suspected it to be breast cancer but it was. My nipple never seemed any different to me, but the rash bothered me, so I went to the doctor for that. Sometimes, it itched and was sore, but other than that it didn't bother me. It was just ugly and a nuisance, and could not be cleared up with all the creams prescribed by my doctor and dermatologist for the dermatitis on my eyes just prior to this outbreak. They seemed a little concerned but did not warn me it could be cancerous.

Now, I suspect not many women out there know a lesion or rash on the nipple or aureole can be breast cancer. (Mine started out as a single red pimple on the aureole. One of the biggest problems with Paget's disease of the nipple is that the symptoms appear to be harmless. It is frequently thought to be a skin inflammation or infection, leading to unfortunate delays in detection and care.)
 
What are the symptoms?

1. A persistent redness, oozing, and crusting of your nipple causing it to itch and burn (As I stated, mine did not itch or burn much, and had no oozing I was aware of, but it did have a crust along the outer edge on one side.)

2. A sore on your nipple that will not heal. (Mine was on the aureole area with a whitish thick looking area in center of nipple).

3. Usually only one nipple is effected.

How is it diagnosed?

Your doctor will do a physical exam and should suggest having a mammogram of both breasts, done immediately. Even though the redness, oozing and crusting closely resemble dermatitis (inflammation of the skin), your doctor should suspect cancer if the sore is only on one breast. Your doctor should order a biopsy of your sore to confirm what is going on.