Breast Cancer Symptoms

Early breast cancer usually doesn't cause any pain. Most breast cancer cases are identified during a screening mammogram or after a person discovers a breast lump.

Although breast changes are often due to noncancerous causes (such as menstruation, pregnancy, or an infection), it's important for anyone who experiences breast changes to get evaluated by a doctor. Women who are still menstruating often wait until after the completion of their menstrual cycle and only get evaluated if their symptoms don't go away.

Early symptoms

• A lump or thickening of the breast, an area near the breast, or the armpit
• A change in the size, shape, or feel of the breast
• Pitted, red, scaly, swollen, or wrinkled breast skin
• Nipple tenderness or pain, inversion, or discharge

Advanced symptoms

• Breast pain or discomfort
• Bone pain
• Skin ulcers
• Swelling of the arm next to the cancerous breast
• Weight loss