These symptoms may indicate breast cancer

If you have any of the symptoms below, it doesn’t mean you have breast cancer. Fortunately, they usually turn out to be innocent. But, it’s better to be safe than sorry. See a doctor if you have any of these symptoms. Your doctor can determine whether you should be examined in the hospital.

• An unusual lump.
• A lump attached to your breast skin.
• A lump attached to the muscle behind the chest.
• Any lump if you have already gone through the menopause.
• Flakes or eczema on or around the nipple (and eczema ointment won’t help).
• A dimple or indentation in the skin of the breast.
• Inverted nipple.
• Thickened gland in the armpit or above or below the collarbone.
• Red, warm chest.
• Brown or bloody fluid from your nipple.
• After the menopause: any kind of fluid from the nipple.
• A hardening.
• A change on the skin of the breasts. For example, flaking, pitting, redness, a poorly healing spot.
• Painful, different feeling place.

In short: does a breast look different than normal or does it feel different than you are used to? Have it looked at to be sure.

Nodule = cancer?

When you think of a lump, you may immediately think of cancer, but a lump in your breast is usually not caused by breast cancer. Breasts always feel a bit irregular and lumpy. Especially around menstruation. You may also have a benign lump. Such as a fluid-filled blister, a so-called cyst. Or a fat tissue or connective tissue nodule. Only examination can tell whether you have a benign or a malignant nodule.

This article has been approved by the World Cancer Research Fund. World Cancer has been the authority in the Netherlands in the field of nutrition, exercise, body weight and cancer for more than 25 years. There are no guarantees against cancer, but by eating and living healthily we can reduce the risk of cancer.