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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staff
Signs and symptoms of breast cancer may include:
- A breast lump or thickening that feels different from the surrounding tissue
- Bloody discharge from the nipple
- Change in the size or shape of a breast
- Changes to the skin over the breast, such as dimpling
- Inverted nipple
- Peeling, scaling or flaking of the nipple or breast skin
- Redness or pitting of the skin over your breast, like the skin of an orange
When to see a doctor
If you find a lump or other change in your breast — even if a recent mammogram was normal — make an appointment with your doctor.
References
- Breast cancer. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/f_guidelines.asp. Accessed March 13, 2013.
- Townsend CM Jr., et al. Sabiston Textbook of Surgery: The Biological Basis of Modern Surgical Practice. 19th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2012. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/208746819-6/0/1565/0.html. Accessed March 13, 2013.
- Breast cancer treatment (PDQ). National Cancer Institute. http://cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/breast/Patient. Accessed March 18, 2013.
- Leading new cancer cases and deaths — 2013 estimates. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/research/cancerfactsfigures/cancerfactsfigures/cancer-facts-figures-2013-most-requested-tables-figures. Accessed March 18, 2013.
- SEER stat fact sheet: Breast. National Cancer Institute. http://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html. Accessed March 18, 2013.
- Breast cancer prevention (PDQ). National Cancer Institute. http://cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/prevention/breast/Patient. Accessed March 13, 2013.
- What you need to know about breast cancer. National Cancer Institute. http://cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/breast. Accessed March 13, 2013.
- Hormone therapy for breast cancer. National Cancer Institute. http://cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Therapy/hormone-therapy-breast. Accessed March 18, 2013.
- Cancer-related fatigue. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/f_guidelines.asp. Accessed March 18, 2013.
- AskMayoExpert. Mammogram screening guidelines. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2012.
- Faslodex (prescribing information). Wilmington, Del.: AstraZeneca; 2012. http://www.faslodex.com. Accessed March 18, 2013.
- Herceptin (prescribing information). South San Francisco, Calif.: Genentech, Inc.; 2010. http://www.herceptin.com. Accessed March 18, 2013.
- Perjeta (prescribing information). South San Francisco, Calif.: Genentech, Inc.; 2012. http://www.perjeta.com. Accessed March 18, 2013.
- Kadcyla (prescribing information). South San Francisco, Calif.: Genentech, Inc.; 2013. http://www.kadcyla.com. Accessed March 18, 2013.
- Tykerb (prescribing information). Research Triangle Park, N.C.: GlaxoSmithKline; 2012. http://www.tykerb.com. Accessed March 18, 2013.
- Breast SPOREs. National Cancer Institute. http://trp.cancer.gov/spores/breast.htm. Accessed March 19, 2013.
- Moynihan TJ (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 19, 2013.
- Pruthi S (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 21, 2013.
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