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What are the early warning signs of breast cancer?

As the whole world spreads Breast Cancer awareness in the month of October, more and more women are becoming more proactive in taking advantage of checkups to make sure that they are in the clear. Cancer.org shares the following early warning signs where you can determine if you should already seek professional medical advice.

The most common symptom is having an unknown lump or mass that you can feel in your breast. Check for any hard, painless mass especially those which have irregular edges. Lumps may also be soft and rounded. The moment you feel one, you should immediately go to the doctor who specializes in breast conditions to have it checked. Here are other noticeable signs of breast cancer for women.

• Swelling of all or part of a breast (even if no distinct lump is felt)
• Skin irritation or dimpling (sometimes looking like an orange peel)
• Breast or nipple pain
• Nipple retraction (turning inward)
• Redness, scaliness, or thickening of the nipple or breast skin
• Nipple discharge (other than breast milk)

Breast Cancer in Men

While Breast Cancer Awareness advocates mainly target women, Healthline reports that there’s also a rare percentage of men, particularly those who are of older age, who may be at risk of being affected by breast cancer. Similar to women, men may also feel an unknown lump near or on their breast area which is the most common sign of breast cancer. Here are the other signs of breast cancer in men:

• thickening of the breast tissue
• nipple discharge
• redness or scaling of the nipple
• a nipple that retracts or turns inward
• unexplained redness, swelling, skin irritation, itchiness, or rash on the breast

Those who have experienced lumps in their breast or a combination of the symptoms outlined above should go to their doctor to have their breasts examined. Apart from a physical examination, an individual might have to undergo a medical history check, a mammogram, ultrasound, MRI scan, or even a biopsy, depending on the health concerns.

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