Breast Cancer: Do You Know The Signs?
Courtney Carter
/ Categories: WELLNESS, 2024

Breast Cancer: Do You Know The Signs?

Beyond screenings: Detecting breast cancer begins with you

While breast cancer account for 1 in 3 cancers in women in the United States, it can occur in people of all genders. In fact, the National Breast Cancer Foundation estimates 310,720 women and 2,800 men will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 2024.

While regular screenings are an important step in detecting cancer, being familiar with your breast tissue and knowing what's normal for you can help you identify any concerning changes between screenings.

Here’s what to look for:

Breast Lumps

The most common and well-known sign of breast cancer is a new lump or mass in the breast tissue. While not all lumps are cancerous, it's important to have any new lumps evaluated by a healthcare professional. Cancerous lumps tend to be:

  • Painless

  • Hard

  • Have irregular edges

However, breast cancer lumps can also be soft, round, tender, or even painful.

Changes in Breast Appearance

Breast cancer can cause visible changes to the breast, including:

  • Swelling of all or part of the breast

  • Skin dimpling (often resembling an orange peel)

  • Changes in size or shape

  • Redness, dryness, flaking, or thickening of the nipple or breast skin

Nipple Changes

Pay attention to any changes in your nipples, such as:

  • Nipple retraction (turning inward)

  • Pain in the nipple area

  • Nipple discharge (other than breast milk)

Skin Changes

Breast cancer can affect the skin of the breast, causing:

  • Irritation or dimpling

  • Redness or flaky skin in the nipple area or the breast

  • Thickening or swelling of part of the breast

Pain

While most breast cancers are not painful in the early stages, some people may experience:

  • Breast pain

  • Tenderness in a specific area

Lymph Node Changes

Breast cancer can spread to nearby lymph nodes before it's detectable in the breast itself. Look out for:

  • Swollen lymph nodes under the arm or near the collarbone

Other Symptoms

In some cases, breast cancer may cause:

  • Changes in breast texture

  • A flat or indented area on the breast

  • Differences in temperature between breasts

If you notice any of the above symptoms, schedule an appointment with your doctor immediately.  

 

Knowing what to look for does not take the place of having regular screenings for breast cancer that can often identify breast cancer before symptoms like those noted above appear.

If you’re not sure if you’re due for an annual screening, contact your doctor today. Finding breast cancer early gives you a better chance of successful treatment.

Breast Health NURSE Navigator:  An ally in your time of need.

A diagnosis of breast cancer can turn your world upside down. There are suddenly new terms and new care paths to navigate all while coming to grips with your diagnosis. The nurse navigator will be a constant presence and coordinator of the social, emotional and educational needs of the patient and family members.  As a clinical navigator for breast health, the Nurse Navigator also provides valuable support and information to people concerned with the health of their breasts. 

SVMC’s Breast Health and Imaging Center is pleased to offer the care and support of a full-time Breast Health Navigator to all patients who desire her assistance.

Seline Skoug, RN, MS helps patients navigate the healthcare system to ensure patients have a smooth journey through diagnostic imaging, breast biopsies and if needed transition to the Cancer Center team by providing:

  • Guidance through screening and diagnostic exams

  • Education

  • Support

  • Works with a multi-disciplinary team for your care.

To learn more about how Seline can help you or a loved one, contact SVMC’s Breast Health and Imaging Center at 802.440.4240. 


Malcolm Paine, MD, FACOG is a member of the Obstetrics and Gynecology team at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington, Vermont.

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A Note from SVMC Dentistry

Unlike many other types of health care, most dental procedures require that a patient be present in the office with their mouth uncovered and wide open. In addition, many dental procedures, produce a lot of spray or aerosolized particles that could spread infection. For these reasons, reopening dental offices while COVID-19 circulates requires many strict precautions to ensure safety for patients and staff.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Vermont Department of Health have issued the requirements necessary to reopen our office for patient care. For the next few months, the changes lessen by half the number of patients we are able to see per day and dramatically change the care experience.

Here are some of the changes we've made:

  • We are screening and testing our staff, and all staff are wearing more protective equipment than ever, including treatment gowns and gloves, head coverings, facemasks (such as surgical masks, N95 masks, or respirators), and face-shields, as required during treatment procedures.
  • Patients can use the "virtual" waiting room to lessen the number of people in our waiting room and observe social distancing. We ask that only one person accompany a patient to a dental appointment and only if the patient needs assistance.
  • We screen patients at the Medical Office Building entrance to ensure they have no symptoms and that they are wearing a facemask. Patients must wear their facemask at all times, except during the actual treatment.
  • Some preventive care and treatments carry a higher risk for producing airborne oral droplets. These procedures may be modified to ensure that care is safe.
  • Most dramatically, depending on the dental treatment, a room must remain idle for 15 minutes - 1 hour to allow droplets to settle before disinfection. This limits the number of patients that we can treat each day.

While it is very disappointing to us—after all, we became dentists and hygienists because we like to provide dental care—all existing appointments will be suspended and a new schedule will be created, based on the time it takes for a room to be disinfected. We understand that this is frustrating for patients who must wait longer than usual for an appointment, but it is also necessary to make care safe for all.

Major changes to the ventilation systems—the installation of HEPA filtration and negative-pressure in our treatment rooms—will eliminate airborne droplets more quickly and enable us to see more patients per day. This change is expected to be complete later this summer.

In the meantime, we appreciate your patience as we meet your needs as best we can. We encourage you to continue vigilant home care and reach out to us with your questions. Most of all, we look forward to returning to a more normal time when we can deliver all of the dental care our community needs safely and efficiently.

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