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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Resuming Regular Care

So many important medical appointments were booked for March and April and canceled during the height of the pandemic. Now we are beginning to refocus on the fact that skipping appointments, even if you are feeling well now, could become harmful.

One important group of patients that we are eager to see are those with serious chronic conditions. These diseases require patients to see their primary care provider or a specialist at least once a year and sometimes far more frequently than that. Those with heart failure, kidney disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, for instance, all require regular contact with your provider.

Another group of patients we'd like to see are those with new medical concerns. We know that new medical concerns don't stop during a pandemic. Some conditions, like depression and anxiety, are far more prevalent during a pandemic than before. In many cases, new conditions are easiest to treat when patients first notice symptoms, and delaying care for these conditions can be dangerous.

Even regular care for those who are healthy is as important as ever. Other diseases—cancer in particular—haven't gone away. So, if you would normally be getting a screening such as a colonoscopy or mammogram, it's time to schedule an appointment. Many cancers can be detected and treated early with better outcomes. We can only expect those good results, if people are screened.

For children, regular vaccines are very important. If a big portion of the population neglects to get important childhood vaccines on schedule, we may be susceptible to outbreaks of measles or whooping cough.

There are many steps we have taken to improve safety for those seeking medical care. The first one is the availability of telemedicine. If the condition you are seeking treatment for does not require diagnostics or a physical exam, your provider can meet you virtually using any Internet-enabled device or over the phone. See details here.

If you do need to come to the office, you will notice check-ins at entrances, where staff check patients and visitors for respiratory symptoms and ensure that all are masked. You'll also notice efforts to space the waiting rooms to improve social distancing.

So how do you get the care you need?

  • If you have a primary care provider, call in to see what you may have missed during the pandemic. Did you miss an appointment to manage a chronic condition? Also share any new health concerns you have and check that you and your family members are up to date on all of your screenings and vaccinations.
  • If you don’t have a regular doctor, it makes sense to get one now. Locally, call the find-a-provider line at 802-447-5007 for a directory of practices that are accepting new patients.
  • Those with time-sensitive medical needs can use ExpressCare, a walk-in clinic, on the hospital campus in Bennington. Be sure to call ahead to 802-440-4077 if you have respiratory symptoms.
  • For Emergency Care, always come directly to the SVMC Emergency Department.

Most off all, we want our patients to know that we are here for them. There is no longer a need to delay medical care, whether for known conditions, new concerns, or preventive care. In every step we take, we are protecting patients against COVID-19 and helping patients with all of their other medical needs, too.

Bob Schwartz, MD, is associate medical director of Dartmouth- Hitchcock Putnam Physicians at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington and a family medicine physician at SVMC Northshire Campus in Manchester.

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