By Lily Limon
Family Nurse Practitioner, Canyon Health and Wellness Center
Here we are once again, braving the battle against breast cancer. The pink ribbons are out, the yogurt labels/shirts/bumper stickers and much more are printed in the sea of pink, and we are off for the fight for many lives.
But do you know what to look for, the signs (some silent) and the ways to prevent it?
The American Cancer Society has put out a many great resources in the Breast Cancer section of its website.
According to the organization in information released this year, the most common symptom of breast cancer in both men and women is a new lump or mass. It usually presents as “painless, hard mass that has irregular edges is more likely to be cancer, but breast cancers can be tender, soft or rounded.”
They also have presented as painful, but this was less frequently. For this reason, it is important to have any new breast mass, lump or breast change checked by a health care professional experienced in diagnosing breast diseases.
ACS 2019 reported that other possible symptoms of breast cancer include:
- Swelling of all or part of a breast (even if no distinct lump is felt)
- Skin irritation or dimpling (sometimes looking like an orange peel)
- Breast or nipple pain
- Nipple retraction (turning inward)
- Redness, scaliness or thickening of the nipple or breast skin
- Nipple discharge (other than breast milk)
For a list of local events in Arizona, see the local ACS chapter website.
