Understanding Breast Cancer: Recognizing Early Signs and Symptoms

Presented in collaboration with PinkPulse , empowering women through dedicated breast cancer awareness and support initiatives.

With breast cancer being the 2nd most common cancer globally and the most common cancer in women, almost 320,000 women and 2,800 men are estimated to be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2024 according to recent statistics. As a result, breast cancer awareness has now become more crucial than ever in supporting people diagnosed with breast cancer and helping people realize the importance of being screened and taking immediate action. We, the members here at PinkPulse, will help raise some of that awareness through this article, which explores breast cancer and the symptoms it can present with, including some common treatment options.

Let’s start by answering an important yet commonly asked question: what exactly is breast cancer? In simple terms, breast cancer is a result of the abnormal, uncontrolled division and growth of cells in the breast, forming a tumor. If left for too long, these tumors can travel through the body, invade other organs, and potentially become fatal. Breast cancer can occur in one or both breasts, and can start in mostly either lobules, the milk-producing glands, or the ducts, which are canals that carry the milk, and they both form a part of breast tissue. 

At certain times, these cancer cells can travel and spread to the lymph nodes via lymph vessels responsible for transporting lymph fluid. From there, these cancers can travel through the lymph vessels and possibly invade other body organs. It is when the cancers have spread to the other body organs (scientifically known as metastasis) that a woman is diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. 

Breast cancer can present with several symptoms, and these symptoms may include the following:

• The presence of a lump in the breast or thickening of skin around the breast tissue

• A nipple turned inward 

• Differences in the size or shape of the breast

• Any form of nipple discharge other than breast milk

• Pain in any breast area

• Changes in the color of the breast skin

• Changes in the texture of breast skin: peeling, crusting or scaling of skin

• Dimpling or puckering of breast skin 

Any breast lumps detected may not necessarily be cancer and can also be benign, meaning they’re non-cancerous. Benign breast tumors cannot travel outside of the breast and so do not cause cancer, but certain benign breast tumors may increase the chances of a woman possibly getting breast cancer. These tumors can usually be removed via surgery, but getting the breasts examined and scanned by a specialist is essential to clarify whether a breast lump may be cancerous or not. 

Some common surgical treatment options include mastectomies (removal of the breast tissues), lumpectomies (removal of the breast lump or tumor) and breast reconstruction surgery (for a better cosmetic outcome). These procedures can be combined with other treatments to reduce the risks of the cancer coming back, and these include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, hormone therapy and targeted therapy. 

Overall, the importance of spreading knowledge of what breast cancer is, its symptoms and possible treatment options has proven to lead to an increase in the number of women getting screened earlier and getting diagnosed earlier and this results in improved treatment outcomes according to articles and research. . 

To conclude with this article, we would like to highlight the importance of checking for the presence of any of the symptoms mentioned above including checking for any lumps present. If this occurs, ensure that it is examined by a healthcare professional as early as possible to ensure that the most appropriate steps are taken and that early detection of any potential cancer is carried out. At PinkPulse, it is our mission to help in spreading breast cancer awareness among communities worldwide, and we, as a group, believe in supporting women diagnosed with breast cancer and helping women, especially in high risk groups, reduce their chances of getting breast cancer by raising awareness of the symptoms to look out for and of accessible screening options near them. 

Citations:

Breastcancer.org: “Breast Cancer Facts and Statistics 2024” https://www.breastcancer.org/facts-statistics 

Fox Chase Cancer Center: “Why is Breast Cancer Awareness so Important?” https://www.foxchase.org/blog/why-breast-cancer-awareness-so-important 

National Library of Medicine: “Awareness level, knowledge and attitude towards breast cancer among staff and students of Hail University, Saudi Arabia” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10016680/ 

Cleveland Clinic: “Breast Cancer” https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/3986-breast-cancer 

American Cancer Society: “What is Breast Cancer?” https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/breast-cancer/about/what-is-breast-cancer.html 

Medline Plus: “Breast Cancer” https://medlineplus.gov/breastcancer.html