Breast cancer: 5 myths deconstructed by an oncologist

Sometimes it’s difficult to recognize the symptoms of an illness, and breast cancer is no exception. In a article published on the website of the Cleveland Cliniconcologist Dr. Megan Kruse takes stock of the real symptoms of breast cancer and deconstructs the myths.

The different symptoms of breast cancer

First of all, regarding the common symptoms of different types of breast cancerMegan Kruse makes the following list:

• A change in the size, shape or contour of the breast.
• A lump, lump, or thickening in or near the breast, or under the armpits.
• A change in the look or feel of the skin on the breast or nipple.
• Redness on the skin of the breast or nipple.
• An area with a different appearance compared to the rest of your chest.
• A hardened area under the skin.
• A discharge of clear or bloody fluid from your nipple.

Of course, these symptoms may vary from person to person. But if you suffer from one or more of them, it is recommended to consult your general practitioner to carry out tests and make a diagnosis.

Apart from health professionals, it is sometimes difficult to know the signs of the disease and, above all, to distinguish them from false symptoms. To help you sort it out, Megan Kruse has listed the most common myths, wrongly!

The different myths around breast cancer

First myth: If a breast lump is mobile, it is not cancer. No because “most breast cancers start mobilely, says Dr. Megan Kruse. It’s often only when they grow up that they attach themselves to something, that they stop moving.”

So if you’re doing self-checks, you have to look in and around the breast because if there’s a lump, it can move. The ideal, like the reminder the National Cancer Institute is to have your breasts examined (observation and palpation) once a year from the age of 25 by your general practitioner, gynecologist or midwife.

Second myth: breast cancer does not hurt. False, this disease is painful depending on the affected area and the aggressiveness of the tumor. So, if you have persistent chest pain, you should consult quickly because the earlier the cancer is diagnosed, the better the prognosis. According to the websiteHealth Insurance, there would be a 99% five-year survival rate for breast cancer detected at an early stage compared to only 26% when it is diagnosed at a late stage. But Dr. Megan Kruse reassures: “Most women experience general breast pain or aches that comes and goes. This is usually not a sign of cancer but rather of hormonal fluctuations or too much caffeine.“

Myth Three: Women with lumpy breast tissue have dense breasts. The answer is No according to Dr. Megan Kruse: “Lumpy breast tissue has nothing to do with breast densityshe explains. Your breasts may look lumpy but not appear dense on a mammogram.” The lumpy appearance of the breast is rather a sign of cystic fibrosis of the breast, also called fibrocystic changes of the breast, which is a common benign condition.

The presence of dense breast tissue is also not serious. According to Canadian Cancer Society, it makes it more difficult to detect cancer in the breasts because breast tissue appears white on mamography, like tumors and can therefore hide them. It is for this reason that women with dense breast tissue can opt for a 3D mammogram or, for those at high risk, MRI screening.

Myth 4: Doctors can tell if a lump is cancer just by touching it. False, no health professional can establish this diagnosis with a simple palpation. “[Ceux] who say “Everything is probably fine” without looking further can delay the diagnosis of breast cancer”, believes Dr. Megan Kruse. If in doubt, you can always request a mammography and more in-depth examinations.

Myth 5: Fluid discharge from the nipple is a symptom. It all depends on the type of liquid. Women who have breastfed may have leftovers, which may cause greenish to black discharge. “What is more concerning is a clear or bloody discharge that escapes when you do not apply pressure, says Dr. Megan Kruse. This type of discharge can be a sign of breast cancer in about 10% of cases. Even if there is a discharge with blood, the cause is usually a benign condition inside the milk duct [les canaux qui transportent le lait vers le mamelon].”

In France, the organized screening Breast cancer affects all women between 50 and 74 years old. Every two years they receive an invitation to have a screening mammogram, which is fully covered by social security. But, even if you have regular follow-up, it is very important to consult if you notice an anomaly.

“Many of my breast cancer patients have had this lump for several months before showing it to a doctor, warns Dr. Megan Kruse. The sooner a lump is assessed, the better the chances of recovery if it turns out to be cancer and the sooner the patient will be reassured that the lump is not cancerous.”