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.

Print
1244

Theme picker

MORE NEWS

 

 

 

How to Become a Mask Wearer

Long before COVID-19, online chat groups for people with pulmonary fibrosis (PF) were filled with posts about how uncomfortable it is to wear a mask in public: not physically uncomfortable, a fact that was barely mentioned, but psychologically uncomfortable. For people with this condition or the lung transplant used to cure it, catching a cold or the flu could be deadly. They need to wear masks in public to help protect themselves from getting ill.

The participants discussed how awkward it is riding the bus in a mask, going to the grocery store in a mask, or boarding a plane while wearing one. They were mostly self-conscious that others would think they were ill or weak. Many would rather suffer the risk of getting fatally sick than put a mask on in a department store.

Now, we've all been directed to wear masks in public. Both Bennington and Wilmington's Select Boards have passed local mandates requiring masks in public places. This—along with distancing and handwashing—are crucial parts of returning to a more normal way of life. Suddenly, we are all feeling the psychological discomfort PF patients have felt for many years.

People usually have an interest in blending in. And, just like doing anything out of the ordinary, wearing a mask for the first time definitely feels like putting yourself out there. If we want to return to a somewhat normal way of life, masks are crucially important, along with frequent, thorough handwashing and keeping a distance from others.

Here are a few tips for making the leap from being someone nervous about wearing a mask to being a person who wears one regularly.

Do it for others. We know that people can spread COVID-19 as many as a few days before they get sick. Even if you feel fine, you could have COVID-19 right now without knowing it. At the same time, masks are far better at keeping sick people from spreading germs than they are at keeping people from getting sick. So wearing a mask isn't a sign of weakness; it's a sign of altruism. It's like saying, "I am not certain that I am not sick, so I want to pay those around me the consideration of limiting the likelihood I will infect them." Think of it as a badge of kindness.

Get a mask that fits. We know that masks are not completely comfortable physically. Getting the right fit makes a big difference in their "wearability." Cloth masks are readily available online and from local groups. The Green Mountain Mask Makers have excellent information and resources. If you can, purchase a few types in a few sizes to see which you like best. Buy enough of that type to allow washing between trips out in public.

Get a mask that you like. Once you have found a mask source and as long as you have a choice, pick one that you like. You can choose colors that match your wardrobe or that represent your interests, like camouflage. There are even masks that look like fashionable scarves when they hang around your neck. The sooner we start thinking of masks as part of our outfits, as essential and unremarkable as shoes or a belt, the healthier we will all be.

Try to quit caring about what others think. This one is hard. But one wise PF patient wrote, "I just don't give a darn!" Essentially, he shared that if people want to judge him for wearing a mask, so be it. Their opinions don't have a single thing to do with him. Many in the chat group applauded his confidence and vowed to adopt his attitude.

If we all do our best, soon the cultural scale will tip. Wearing a mask or not wearing one will cease to be a political statement. It will be normal. And thankfully, if wearing a mask in public, handwashing and sanitizing, and keeping our distance are all normal, going out into public again can be safe and normal too.

Donna Barron, RN, is the infection preventionist at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center.

Theme picker

MORE NEWS

Theme picker

VIEW ALL

Theme picker

VIEW ALL

Our Services

PARTNERSHIP IS POWERFUL MEDICINE

A commitment to excellence and a patient-centered approach sets Southwestern Vermont Health Care apart.

 Cancer Care
 Orthopedics
 Emergency
 Maternity
 Primary Care
 ExpressCare
 Cardiology
 Rehab & Residential Care
View All Services

Theme picker

Theme picker

Theme picker

Theme picker

Theme picker

VIEW ALL