What are possible causes of breast pain?
Breast tenderness due to monthly hormonal fluctuations is the most common cause of breast discomfort. It affects both breasts and tends to be worse in the two weeks before menstruation. Fibrocystic breast changes are also common and hormonally influenced, but in fibrocystic breasts, the tissue is thickened and contains multiple lumpy, fluid-filled cysts. While these conditions are not serious, they can be uncomfortable. Breast cancer is usually not associated with pain, but any lumps or breast changes should be evaluated by a physician. Other causes of breast pain can be an infection of the glands in the breasts or due to medications that change hormone levels.
What are the top signs of breast cancer?
The most well-known sign of breast cancer is a lump in the breast. Cancerous lumps tend to be hard, painless and immobile. However, any breast lump should be evaluated by a physician. Other signs can be nipple discharge, changes to the skin on the breast, breast swelling, nipple retraction, nipple inversion, dimpling of the breast or changes to the lymph nodes associated with the breast. Because a breast exam performed by a professional and a mammogram can detect breast cancer before these signs manifest, it’s suggested that women have regular screenings.
What are the newest breast cancer treatment developments?
The treatment provided for breast cancer will depend on if the cancer is contained, has spread to lymph nodes or if it has spread to other parts of the body. Other factors, such as if the tumor expresses estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors or a receptor called HER2, will also determine the treatment. When cancer is hard to control, speaking with your doctor about clinical trials is a great way to get access to additional cutting-edge and promising treatments. These may include new chemotherapy drugs, hormone inhibitors, immunotherapy drugs or medications that inhibit the cancer in other ways.
