In 2005, breast cancer caused 502,000 deaths worldwide. Worldwide, breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer after lung cancer. Experts all over the world have made great progress in treating cancer. It can often be cured if it is found early and it is not always necessary to remove the breast.
The earliest stages of it have no symptoms because the clumps of cancer cells are too small to be felt. The most common symptom is a painless lump or thickening in the breast. More than 80% of this disease cases are discovered when the woman feels a lump. It can also cause a change in the way it looks, the skin of the breast may dimple. There may also be a change in the size or shape of it, change in the nipple, or a clear or bloody fluid that comes out of the nipple. Pain is an unreliable tool in determining the presence or absence of it, but may be indicative of other breast-related health issues such as mastodynia.
When cells invade the dermal lymphatics, small lymph vessels in the skin of the breast, its presentation can resemble skin inflammation and thus is known as inflammatory breast cancer (IBC). This type is less common than ductal or lobular breast cancer. It is an advanced, aggressive form of cancer, which is usually not detected by a mammogram or an ultrasound. Signs of inflammatory cancer include pain, swelling, warmth and redness throughout the breast and an orange peel texture to the skin.
Reported symptom of complex breast cancer is Paget's disease of the breast. It is a condition that outwardly may have the appearance of eczema - with skin changes involving the nipple. Because of its seemingly innocuous and surface appearance, it often presents late, but it is a condition that may be fatal.
Metastatic cancer or Stage 4 is diagnosed when cells from the original breast tumor have spread to other parts of your body. It is estimated that nearly 155,000 women in the U.S. are currently living with metastatic breast cancer This will cause symptoms that depend on the location of metastasis.
Common sites of metastasis include bone, liver, lung and brain. Signs of fevers or chills and unexplained weight loss can be a symptom of metastatic cancer. Bone or joint pains can sometimes be manifestations of metastatic breast cancer, as can jaundice or neurological symptoms.