What are the symptoms of breast cancer?

Written by Lin Yang
Breast Surgery
Updated on September 25, 2024
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Breast cancer is most commonly found (60% of cases) on the outer boundary of the breast. Its symptoms often include a single, painless, small lump that is hard, with an uneven surface and an irregular shape. The boundaries of the lump are not clearly distinguishable from the surrounding tissue, and it cannot be easily moved within the breast. The skin over the lump may show signs of redness, swelling, dimpling or orange-peel-like changes. Additional symptoms might include dimpling, ulceration, and other abnormalities. The lump may be associated with changes in the same side nipple, such as bloody discharge, and enlarged lymph nodes can sometimes be felt under the armpit.

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Written by Zhang Chao Jie
Breast Surgery
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Breast cancer surgery accompaniment for a few days

The duration of postoperative care for breast cancer surgery depends on the extent of the surgery. This includes modified radical mastectomy, classic radical mastectomy, and surgeries that preserve both the breast and the axilla. For surgeries that preserve the breast and axilla, patients typically recover quickly, and generally, providing care for three to five days is more than sufficient. However, to ensure patients feel comforted and cared for, it's common to provide care starting the day before surgery until the patient is discharged. Postoperative care tends to be longer for modified radical mastectomies that include axillary clearance, as care is needed until the patient can fully manage the arm on the operated side on their own. Therefore, the care duration varies depending on the individual and their recovery. Thus, the shortest duration of care is usually for surgeries that preserve both the breast and axilla, typically sufficient within three to five days.

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Written by Fan Hong Qiao
Breast Health Department
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Breast Cancer Self-Examination Method

Breast self-examination helps to detect changes in the breasts in a timely manner, and to discover breast diseases promptly. For instance, breast lumps are often found by patients themselves during self-examination. However, finding a breast lump does not necessarily mean it is breast cancer, as many conditions can present as breast lumps, such as the most common one, fibrocystic breast changes. Besides breast self-examination, early detection of breast cancer also relies on regular physical check-ups. It is recommended that women of childbearing age should develop the habit of regular breast self-examinations and routine physical check-ups, and consult a doctor promptly if abnormalities are found.

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Written by Zhang Chao Jie
Breast Surgery
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How long does breast cancer metastasis take?

How long does it take for breast cancer to metastasize? There is no absolute scientific data on this issue. Based on data from theoretical animal experiments, metastasis can occur within a few hours, tens of hours, several days, or even years. It should be understood in this way. I believe your question primarily concerns how long after breast cancer surgery metastasis might typically occur. Generally speaking, after comprehensive treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, and endocrine therapy, the earliest metastases appear within a year. The peak incidence for most people is between two to three years after treatment, making this period critical for frequent check-ups. During the first two years, stringent, thorough examinations every three months are essential. After two years, check-ups every six months continue from the third to the fifth year. After five years, annual physical examinations are recommended. A second peak period for recurrence occurs around eight to nine years post-surgery, which is why the frequency of examinations increases again during this time.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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Thymus cancer and breast cancer differences

Thymic cancer, which refers to the malignant tumor that occurs in the thymus, predominantly presents as squamous cell carcinoma. It generally arises in the mediastinum, with clinical symptoms such as chest pain, cough, and breathing difficulties. Breast cancer, on the other hand, refers to the malignant tumor occurring in the breast tissue, with invasive ductal carcinoma being the most common type. Its symptoms often include unintentionally discovered breast lumps, or metastasis to axillary lymph nodes, felt as enlargement of these nodes. Therefore, these two diseases differ in their sites of origin, symptoms, pathological types, and treatments.

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Written by Fan Hong Qiao
Breast Health Department
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What is invasive breast cancer?

Invasive breast cancer is the most common tumor in women, accounting for 22% of all malignant tumors in females. Invasive breast cancer refers to a malignant tumor where cancer cells have broken through the basement membrane of the breast ducts or lobular alveoli and invaded the interstitium. The vast majority of invasive breast cancers are adenocarcinomas, originating from the epithelial cells of the breast parenchyma, especially from the terminal duct lobular units. Its characteristics include the tumor's infiltration into adjacent tissues and a marked tendency for distant metastasis.