Breast Cancer Signs and Symptoms

Some of the most common signs of breast cancer are:

• A lump in the breast
• Skin dimpling that resembles the skin of an orange
• Swelling of the breast
• Unexplained breast or nipple pain
• Nipples that have turned inward
• Dry, flaky or red breast or nipple skin
• Nipple discharge that isn’t breast milk

If you are experiencing any of the symptoms above, you should make an appointment with your primary care doctor for further evaluation. He or she will likely recommend diagnostic tests to determine if your symptoms are a benign breast condition (something that isn’t cancerous) or breast cancer. This will include imaging tests (like mammography, breast ultrasound or breast magnetic resonance imaging) and possibly a breast biopsy.